There is no money in writing

From The Independent in a story called Pulped Fiction.

First of all, I am not sure this is even news. According to the report the average author in the UK earns about GBP16,000 (a little over RM108,000) a year, a third less than the national average wage. Enough if one was living in Malaysia I guess. But if the superstars are removed from the sums, the actual figure comes closer to GBP4000 (RM 27,000) a year, hardly enough to live in KL. In Britain this is reckoned to be insufficient for stale bread for breakfast and a tarpaulin for shelter.

Of course, there are the lucky few who make it and distort the images. Fewer authors are signed up unless they're famous (empty headed footballers and models fall into this category), advances are getting less, those who sell only moderately well are dropped, ending a lot of writing careers early.

The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) says, "The top 10 per cent of authors earn more than half the total income …"

So write if you must but don't give up your day job.

Read more: http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2347523.ece