A writer said to me the other day about book writing: "You're never going to make any money at it. It's just the satisfaction that you completed something." I paused, not for lack of words, but because I was processing where this mentality came from - this concept that if you're a writer then you're doomed to live in poverty. If you're writing for a hobby, then this may be true.
A hobbyist will occasionally market their book and wait for sales.
A hobbyist may have a website.
A hobbyist may have a book marketing budget.
A hobbyist may be consistent with their social media.
A hobbyist may have a newsletter.
A hobbyist may connect with their fans.
However, the writer-entrepreneur not only writes, they draw up a marketing plan and budget. It may even be the first thing they do. The writer-entrepreneur not only corrects grammar and typos, they engage with their audiences. Consistently. The writer-entrepreneur not only understands structure, they understand where their audience is. The writer-entrepreneur not only reads tons of books, they study the book marketing successes of their counterparts.
Writing is hardly worth doing if you are not PR and marketing savvy. The technical aspects of writing are relentlessly reinforced in today's scribes because content is king, right? But entrepreneurship is full of risks and therefore avoided by many. The writer-entrepreneur spends just as much time perfecting their writing as they do selling their product.