--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing books is a suicidal profession…" description: "\"“Writing books is a suicidal profession. No other demands as much time, as much work, as much dedication, by comparison with its immediate benefits. I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/gerald-martin-52732_book_writing-books-is-a-suicidal-profession-n_457004.jpg" --- # Writing books is a suicidal profession. No other demands… ![“Writing books is a suicidal profession. No other demands as much time, as much work, as much dedication, by comparison with its immediate benefits. I don’t think many readers finishing a book ask themselves how many hours of anguish and domestic calamities those two hundred pages have cost the…” quote by Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/gerald-martin-52732_book_writing-books-is-a-suicidal-profession-n_457004.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/gerald-martin-52732_book_writing-books-is-a-suicidal-profession-n_457004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/gerald-martin-52732_book_writing-books-is-a-suicidal-profession-n_457004.jpg) > ““Writing books is a suicidal profession. No other demands as much time, as much work, as much dedication, by comparison with its immediate benefits. I don’t think many readers finishing a book ask themselves how many hours of anguish and domestic calamities those two hundred pages have cost the author or how much he received for his work …”” [Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing demands extreme dedication with little immediate reward, often overlooked by readers. **In simple terms:** Writing is a demanding, underappreciated craft. Key Takeaway Respect the hidden labor of authors. Themes dedication sacrifice recognition Mood reflective serious Type inspirational cautionary When to use this quote - publishing - marketing - reader education - author support Key Concepts creative process authorial labor Questions to Reflect On - How can readers better appreciate an author's effort? - What support systems help writers? A Different Perspective Financial return may not match effort, leading to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Finishing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finishing-a-book/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Just across from Bismarck stood Fort Lincoln where friends and relatives of Custer’s dead cavalrymen still lived, and these emigrating Sioux could perceive such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-s-connell/just-across-from-bismarck-stood-fort-lincoln-where-friends-and/) [Evan S. Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-s-connell/) > [My fondest wish, I suppose, would be to die at the keyboard right after finishing a book, perhaps with a little time off to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/my-fondest-wish-i-suppose-would-be-to-die-at-the-keyboard-right-after/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [When I'm in the midst of finishing a book, I can be working around the clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-tsukiyama/when-i-m-in-the-midst-of-finishing-a-book-i-can-be-working-around-the/) [Gail Tsukiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-tsukiyama/) > [If you're having trouble finishing a book, it might be that you're trying to fix it as you go. Just finish the story, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-willis-holt/if-you-re-having-trouble-finishing-a-book-it-might-be-that-you-re/) [Kimberly Willis Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-willis-holt/) > [“Finishing a book has massive implications for the writer, an empty head and an empty bank account springs to mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-scott/finishing-a-book-has-massive-implications-for-the-writer-an-empty/) [Ken Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-scott/) > [I was never confident about finishing a book, but friends encouraged me. When I finished my first book, it was accepted by a publisher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-collins/i-was-never-confident-about-finishing-a-book-but-friends-encouraged/) [Jackie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-collins/) > [Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/finishing-a-book-is-just-like-you-took-a-child-out-in-the-back-yard/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I do so hate finishing books. I would like to go on with them for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatrix-potter/i-do-so-hate-finishing-books-i-would-like-to-go-on-with-them-for-years/) [Beatrix Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beatrix-potter/) > [“She nodded her head in approval and hesitantly shut the book, breathing a reader’s sigh. That wonderful inhale/exhale reaction one does after finishing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-arvin/she-nodded-her-head-in-approval-and-hesitantly-shut-the-book/) [Eric Arvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-arvin/) > [It is a peculiar thing to believe that you know someone intimately only to find that you really do not. It is like finishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/it-is-a-peculiar-thing-to-believe-that-you-know-someone-intimately/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [“I wish I could get drunk and do useful things without remembering -like finishing a book, or cleaning the tub.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-southgate/i-wish-i-could-get-drunk-and-do-useful-things-without-remembering/) [Edward Southgate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-southgate/) > [“Finishing a book is bittersweet. You spend days getting to know the characters. Learning their nuances, their faults, their loves, their lives. They become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whimsical-enlightenment/finishing-a-book-is-bittersweet-you-spend-days-getting-to-know-the/) Whimsical Enlightenment > [Finishing books - and leaving the world you've created - is always a kind of emotionally wrenching experience. I usually cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/finishing-books-and-leaving-the-world-you-ve-created-is-always-a-kind/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“A library of mostly unread books is far more inspiring than a library of books already read. There’s nothing more exciting than finishing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-habash/a-library-of-mostly-unread-books-is-far-more-inspiring-than-a-library/) [Gabe Habash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-habash/) > [“People are going to think I'm morbid, loving all these sad books. I actually don't mind a happy ending in a novel—certainly, it's nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-are-going-to-think-i-m-morbid-loving-all-these-sad-books-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Gerald Martin > [“Luisa Santiaga Márquez Iguarán de García had given birth to three more children since that time and this was her first return to Aracataca…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-martin/luisa-santiaga-m-rquez-iguar-n-de-garc-a-had-given-birth-to-three/) [Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) > [“had to beg a fare in the metro—missing the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-martin/had-to-beg-a-fare-in-the-metro-missing-the/) [Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) > [“Years later he would add that Italians have “no other aim than to live” because they “discovered a long time ago that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-martin/years-later-he-would-add-that-italians-have-no-other-aim-than-to-live/) [Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) > [“this was her first return to Aracataca since her husband, Gabriel Eligio García, took her away to live in Barranquilla, leaving little “Gabito” in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-martin/this-was-her-first-return-to-aracataca-since-her-husband-gabriel/) [Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) > [“MY MOST CONSTANT and vivid memory is not so much of the people but of the actual house in Aracataca where I lived with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-martin/my-most-constant-and-vivid-memory-is-not-so-much-of-the-people-but-of/) [Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) > [“Gabito would say later that he had no memory of his mother. She had left him before he could retain any memories at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-martin/gabito-would-say-later-that-he-had-no-memory-of-his-mother-she-had/) [Gerald Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) [Explore all 7 Gerald Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-martin/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Writing books is a suicidal profession. 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