--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despite all the cynical things writers…" description: "\"Despite all the cynical things writers have said about writing for money, the truth is we write for love. That is why it is so easy to exploit us.\" — E..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/erica-jong-445_cynical_despite-all-the-cynical-things-writers-h_226752.jpg" --- # Despite all the cynical things writers have said about… ![“Despite all the cynical things writers have said about writing for money, the truth is we write for love. That is why it is so easy to exploit us.” quote by Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/erica-jong-445_cynical_despite-all-the-cynical-things-writers-h_226752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/erica-jong-445_cynical_despite-all-the-cynical-things-writers-h_226752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/erica-jong-445_cynical_despite-all-the-cynical-things-writers-h_226752.jpg) > “Despite all the cynical things writers have said about writing for money, the truth is we write for love. That is why it is so easy to exploit us.” [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers claim money motivates them, but true writing is driven by love, making them vulnerable to exploitation. **In simple terms:** Writing is love‑driven, not profit‑driven. Key Takeaway Write for passion, not pay. Themes creativity integrity exploitation Mood reflective cautionary Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - freelance writing - publishing contracts - creative projects Key Concepts intrinsic motivation artistic purpose Questions to Reflect On - Why do we risk love for money? - How can writers protect their creative freedom? A Different Perspective Financial pressures can dilute artistic integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cynical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynical/) [Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Exploits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploits/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-truth-1234319/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) [Truth Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-write-252914/) [Write Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-love-273218/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-said-688223/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-money-1373543/) ## Related quotes > [Many people make the mistake of thinking that all the challenges in their lives would dissipate if they just had enough money. 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If you're the writer people seem to remember you. But my part is singing the high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-meisner/a-lot-has-to-do-with-the-writing-if-you-re-the-writer-people-seem-to/) [Randy Meisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-meisner/) > [What I wanted to do was to earn enough money to pay for my mother's house. When my mother passed away, I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-benton-frank/what-i-wanted-to-do-was-to-earn-enough-money-to-pay-for-my-mother-s/) [Dorothea Benton Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-benton-frank/) > [It troubles me that people speak about writing for money as ugly and distasteful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/it-troubles-me-that-people-speak-about-writing-for-money-as-ugly-and/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [I should think it extremely improbable that anyone ever wrote for money. 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Some writers have said in print that they hated writing and it was just a chore and a burden.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-like-what-i-do-some-writers-have-said-in-print-that-they-hated/) [Cormac Mccarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Ant & Dec have always nicked stuff off us. We met their writers, they said they just trawl our stuff and adapt it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-reeves/ant-dec-have-always-nicked-stuff-off-us-we-met-their-writers-they/) [Vic Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-reeves/) > [As one of your writers said, 'There are three kinds of lies: a small lie, a big lie and politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-one-of-your-writers-said-there-are-three-kinds-of-lies-a-small-lie/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Somebody asked Somerset Maugham about his place in the pantheon of writers, and he said, "I'm in the very front row of the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/somebody-asked-somerset-maugham-about-his-place-in-the-pantheon-of/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Sinclair Lewis was asked one time to give a talk to class of students about writing. When he got there he asked the class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/sinclair-lewis-was-asked-one-time-to-give-a-talk-to-class-of-students/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) ## More by Erica Jong > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Will you ever? I dont think you will ever fully understand how you've touched my life and made me who I am.I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/will-you-ever-i-dont-think-you-will-ever-fully-understand-how-you-ve/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Give advice to your children while they're young enough to believe you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/give-advice-to-your-children-while-they-re-young-enough-to-believe/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Perhaps all artists were, in a sense, housewives: tenders of the earth household.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/perhaps-all-artists-were-in-a-sense-housewives-tenders-of-the-earth/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I have lived my life according to this principle: If I'm afraid of it, then I must do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-have-lived-my-life-according-to-this-principle-if-i-m-afraid-of-it/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I thought to spend my declining years writing poetry and teaching - but that won't pay the Bergdorf's bill. 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If a man writes a book about his family stories, people think of it as literature. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/women-s-books-are-kind-of-discriminated-against-if-a-man-writes-a/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Many, many people have done a lot more sexual experimentation than I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/many-many-people-have-done-a-lot-more-sexual-experimentation-than-i/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“Is life much too long for an immortal?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/is-life-much-too-long-for-an-immortal/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Don't ye know that ev'ry Soul on Earth feels itself to be an Orphan?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/don-t-ye-know-that-ev-ry-soul-on-earth-feels-itself-to-be-an-orphan/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Critics write out of intellectual exercise, not poets. Poets write straight from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/critics-write-out-of-intellectual-exercise-not-poets-poets-write/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Once I worshipped Keats for dying young. Now I think it's braver to die old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/once-i-worshipped-keats-for-dying-young-now-i-think-it-s-braver-to/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) [Explore all 542 Erica Jong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) ## More Cynical quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I would say most comedians have a very cynical worldview of the way the world can work. It's almost like if you didn't, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/i-would-say-most-comedians-have-a-very-cynical-worldview-of-the-way/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [Sure, I’m dramatic and sloppily semi-cynical and semi-sentimental. But, in leisure years I could grow and choose my way. Now I am living on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/sure-i-m-dramatic-and-sloppily-semi-cynical-and-semi-sentimental-but/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [We're so immaturely cynical as a culture. 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McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [It is a very cynical, skeptical, foolish person that suggests Israel does not need a peace process to have a growing economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/it-is-a-very-cynical-skeptical-foolish-person-that-suggests-israel/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [Songwriters might write cynical, world-wise lyrics and constantly talk about money, but most of us are downright naive when it comes to business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/songwriters-might-write-cynical-world-wise-lyrics-and-constantly-talk/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [No one more cynical than an idealist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/no-one-more-cynical-than-an-idealist/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [I've actually always wanted to write like a one-person show that was sort of a romantic comedy - a show that was kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/i-ve-actually-always-wanted-to-write-like-a-one-person-show-that-was/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [“That's what I've never been able to get about religion: that charmless combination of altruism and insanity. 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