Why I Spend 20% of My Writing Time on Unprofitable Work

Let me tell you a secret. One day per week, I drive to a town where nobody knows me. I turn off my phone. I carefully select a location that doesn’t have wifi. I sit with my back to the wall.

I have just one clear intention:

To write without making money.

Instead, I use this time just to work on my novel.

Being a novelist has been dream since long before I became a professional non-fiction writer. But honestly, I know too well that my debut stab at fiction won’t bring in the big bucks. So, while I became more successful at writing online, I ignored my idea. What was the point? It would never make me any money.

In today’s creator economy, writing a book that you know may not have a good market, or that you can’t sell to your pre-existing audience seems like an abominable idea. If I followed popular advice, I should spend this time growing my business, spewing out blog posts, or writing a book that matches my brand. (The number of times someone has recommended that I write a nonfiction ebook!!)

But you know what I found? These once-weekly novel-writing days keep me sane. They’re like a gift I gave myself. And I couldn’t be happier.

If you spend your entire work week chasing dollar bills but you feel like something’s missing, I have a bizarre suggestion: Spend less time writing for money and more time on unprofitable passion projects.

These five reasons explain why:

Wish you read this a week ago? Click here to sign up for my mailing list. When you subscribe, I’ll send you a free five-day starter kit to learn how to write on Medium. After that, you’ll get weekly tips and tutorials like this one. Can’t wait to have you!

Money is not the only reward.

When I was eight years old, I learned that books don’t magically pop into existence. Someone has to write them! And ever since, I knew this someone would be me. So why put a price tag on this life-long goal? The truth is that writing itself can be a far better reward than the money it pays.

Chasing money backfires.

Readers have a subconscious greed-detector. Every time I write a blog post just for the cash, it does horribly. They can sense when you churn out stuff that doesn’t really matter to you. On the flip side, the content I write from the bottom of my heart performs much, much better. Ironically, money finds you when you stop looking for it.

Focusing on profit is unsustainable.

I don’t want to sound overly romantic, but I’m a strong believer in writing for love, not for money. My first few blog posts just paid a few pennies. If money had been my only motivation, I’d have quit after a month! The same applies to my novel.

There have been A LOT of inconsistencies in my writing process, but I always look forward to returning to it. Dollar bills can’t create this level of commitment. But you know what can? The joy of writing something you genuinely care about.

It’s the best way to rejuvenate your passion.

The large chunk of what I write literally pays my bills. And although I love what I do, that’s a lot of pressure! I don’t usually create simply to create. Everything I write has to earn money. Sometimes, that burns me out.

Having this specifically unprofitable project brings back the fun, life, and love of writing. The inspiration I draw from my novel spills over to everything else I create.

You can shamelessly try new things.

If I wrote a book only to fill up my bank account, I would constantly compare it to my other tasks. I’d feel like I’m on the clock. I’d over-analyze the time I invest in my novel.

But this way, I treat my book as a fresh hobby that doesn’t have to pay me a single cent. It doesn’t compete with anything. Setting a non-financial intention for your writing can give you the courage to experiment with a crazy new project. There’s no pressure to do well! It’s just for you.

Don’t pretend money doesn’t exist, but give yourself a break from that reality every once in a while.

I firmly believe every creative should get paid generously for their work. But in a delicate, fragile profession like writing, JUST chasing the hustle will make you miserable.

It’s easy to assume that if an action isn’t directly profitable, it’s worthless. But everything you create has value. My novel keeps me sane, resurrects my creativity, and makes me fall in love with writing over and over again. And for these reasons, I happily dedicate a large chunk of my writing time to my novel, even if it won’t sell a single copy.