Yes, it’s definitely a time when a writer has to change. While the market for fiction comes and goes, people are reading more than ever. And while the thing that makes me the happiest–writing long fiction–has always been a long shot and become even more of a long shot, lately, I know that I can complain about how unfair it is, or change.

I think my future in writing will still have me writing novels, and having to write more non-fiction as well. Perhaps teaching something writing-related when I have more credentials. I know I’ll have to become an even better public speaker.

While I may not exclusively write stories for a living, I know that if I work hard at things, I can still tell stories for a living in some manner.

As I’ve sat around during this period of unemployment, I’ve looked at writing much differently. Novels most likely be what ever pays the bills. But as I’ve broken things down that I like and that are still writing related, I’ve seen that there’s a good possibility to do 4 or 5 things related to what I love to make a living as a writer.

Granted, that definition of “writer” has changed–it’s no longer “guy who sits alone in a room for hours each day creating stories.”

It might be more like Cory Doctorow, still writing novels, speaking, and doing other things related to the industry to make a living.

It’s not what I always dreamed of when I was younger, but it will still make me happy and beat going into a job I do simply because I have to pay the bills.

The creepiest thing to me is a potential structure where retailers essentially become publishers. If Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple (because I assume Apple will do well selling e-books) decided to bring in editors and techies to format e-books when they become more accepted, they could become publishers who also sell books.

While publishing houses have changed (MBAs running things higher up, a few big houses owning most small presses, etc.), it’s still a structure that lives and breathes books. As a whole, it’s an industry that cares about books all for the sake of the story. It’s an industry that–even though it’s slow–was set up originally to sell some bestsellers and nurture the midlist and below.

The thought that retailers could eventually run the whole show is very spooky!

The weekend pissing match with Amazon last week was very scary. Amazon pissed off publishers (they weren’t counting on other publishers standing by McMillan), authors, and even readers. Readers may like $9.99 ebooks (I’m one of them), but if somebody invests $250+ into one of the Kindles and then is told, “Sorry, you don’t have the option to buy this publisher’s books,” it pissed off the very people supporting e-books.

Hell, Amazon could have even tried playing the victim, not pulling books and making a stink about how the “big, mean publisher won’t let us sell books to you at $9.99,” and many Kindle readers would have probably been behind it, because to them, a 33% price hike is all they’d see. (Not that Amazon is selling e-books at a loss in order to sell Kindle readers and creating a market that can’t sustain itself.)

Writers are definitely the people caught in the middle. Competing with a glut of poorly-written, free e-books and people high up in big companies who are more into the bottom line than a love of books, I think you’re right: it’s harder than ever to make a living solely writing books, and it will only get harder.

New media, blogs, podcasts, web sites, video games, TV shows, magazines, etc. – all these things are competing with the novel for the attention of consumers, but they are all a machine that takes one type of food: writing!

So, I’d postulate that it is easy to make a living these days as a writer, just maybe not doing the type of writing that you enjoy the most.

I think this is much the same situation for people in other disciplines. Take myself for example. I’m a software design architect. I work for a financial services company in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. I make my living designing software systems used to make and service car loans. Would I enjoy designing Mass Effect 3 more than our new account servicing platform? Hell yes I would!

But, strangely, my life pattern is strangely close to the ideal that you mentioned in your post. I wake up, work out, eat breakfast with my family, work a few hours in the morning designing software, have lunch with some coworkers and friends, work a few more hours in the afternoon, and spend my evenings doing whatever I wish in the company of my charming family.

I had to make some compromises along the way, but all and all, I’m very happy with the results.

I don’t want people to think that I’m poo pooing on their dreams, or that I’m implying that they should give up on your dreams. Our mutual friend Pete designs game software for a living. He is proof that some people make it.

My point is that the goal of fiction writer might not be the goal you are striving for, in fact you may be after the ideal writing job pattern. There may be other ways to get there. It’s food for thought.

Did you read the stuff about MacMillan and Amazon? I get having disputes over pricing, but pulling physical works to punish a company for their opinions regarding their eBooks? Amazon took bread out of the mouths of innocent writers because they got in a pissing contest over pricing with their publisher. That spooked me.

Let’s look forward to the dual-provider future of Apple and Amazon, who combined sell 95% of all eBooks, which now comprise 80% of all book sales. It would seem a price war between the two, with writers caught in the middle — trading cash for exclusivity — would be inevitable.