---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we talk about books, we rarely talk…"
description: "\"When we talk about books, we rarely talk about the economic side of writing, especially of writing literary works, and that, at base, it's a pretty cos..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/olga-tokarczuk-6444_books_when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk_632546.jpg"
---

#  When we talk about books, we rarely talk about the…

![“When we talk about books, we rarely talk about the economic side of writing, especially of writing literary works, and that, at base, it's a pretty costly enterprise.” quote by Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/olga-tokarczuk-6444_books_when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk_632546.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/olga-tokarczuk-6444_books_when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk_632546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/olga-tokarczuk-6444_books_when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk_632546.jpg)

> “When we talk about books, we rarely talk about the economic side of writing, especially of writing literary works, and that, at base, it's a pretty costly enterprise.”

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Writing, especially literary, is inherently expensive and often overlooked in discussions about books

**In simple terms:** Literary writing costs a lot and is rarely discussed

Key Takeaway

Consider financial realities of creative work

Themes

economics literature costs

Mood

reflective serious

Type

expository analytical

When to use this quote

- publishing budgets
- author royalties
- grant applications
- budget planning

Key Concepts

creative labor market dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What strategies can writers use to fund literary projects?
- How does economic pressure shape literary content?

A Different Perspective

Financial constraints can limit artistic freedom

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Good writing, and this is especially important in a subject such as economics, must also involve the reader in the matter at hand. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/good-writing-and-this-is-especially-important-in-a-subject-such-as/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [There isn't much political coloration in my economic writing; it's not surprising that few people know my political views. They really aren't very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-a-sims/there-isn-t-much-political-coloration-in-my-economic-writing-it-s-not/)

Christopher A. Sims

> [“Books ... rarely, if ever, talk about what children can make of themselves, about the powers that from the day or moment of birth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/books-rarely-if-ever-talk-about-what-children-can-make-of-themselves/)

[John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/)

> [Translated books rarely get reviewed in the press. Books or poems or works of art that don't seem to have a corresponding style or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-colla/translated-books-rarely-get-reviewed-in-the-press-books-or-poems-or/)

[Elliott Colla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-colla/)

> [The stories that confirm that bigger story are brought in and easily digested. But there's another set of stories that are always there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-colla/the-stories-that-confirm-that-bigger-story-are-brought-in-and-easily/)

[Elliott Colla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-colla/)

> [“It holds my essential stuff, including a book—for true contentment, one must carry a book at all times, and great books so rarely fit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/it-holds-my-essential-stuff-including-a-book-for-true-contentment-one/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [“It is surely significant that the adults who feature in children's books are rarely, if ever, Regional Sales Managers or Building Services Engineers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/it-is-surely-significant-that-the-adults-who-feature-in-children-s/)

[Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/)

> [Everything good is costly, and the development of personality is one of the most costly of all things. It is a matter of saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/everything-good-is-costly-and-the-development-of-personality-is-one/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [Morality is a private and costly luxury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/morality-is-a-private-and-costly-luxury/)

[Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/)

> [In business, real jobs profitably produce goods and services that people value more highly than their alternatives. Subsidizing inefficient jobs is costly, wastes resources,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/in-business-real-jobs-profitably-produce-goods-and-services-that/)

[Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/)

> [Most advertisers spend millions upon millions of dollars to buy commercial time during the Super Bowl, and millions in creating eye-popping ads, hoping to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/most-advertisers-spend-millions-upon-millions-of-dollars-to-buy/)

[Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/)

> [“most expensive in the body, second only to the heart. Neurons may be small, but they’re costly to make and maintain, consuming about ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/most-expensive-in-the-body-second-only-to-the-heart-neurons-may-be/)

[Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/)

> [Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. Several don't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/any-country-that-grants-asylum-to-snowden-risks-retaliation-from-the/)

[Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/)

> [“You see, Flavia, silence is sometimes the most costly of commodities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/you-see-flavia-silence-is-sometimes-the-most-costly-of-commodities/)

[Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/)

> [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/)

[Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/)

## More by Olga Tokarczuk

> [My books are not 'political.' I don't make political demands. They actually describe life. But when we look at human life, politics creeps in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/my-books-are-not-political-i-don-t-make-political-demands-they/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [Reading English novels I always adore the ability to write without fear about inner psychological things that are so delicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/reading-english-novels-i-always-adore-the-ability-to-write-without/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [“Držim, naime, da je ljudska psiha stvorena da nas obrani od sagledavanja istine. Da nam ne dopusti izravno sagledati mehanizam. Psiha je naš obrambeni…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/dr-im-naime-da-je-ljudska-psiha-stvorena-da-nas-obrani-od/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [I try to do my job and be a decent person, and a decent person has the courage to face what is not necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-try-to-do-my-job-and-be-a-decent-person-and-a-decent-person-has-the/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [I dream of Poland becoming a modern society that is defined not by the crippling nature of history, but by our individual achievements, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-dream-of-poland-becoming-a-modern-society-that-is-defined-not-by/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [How we think about the world and - perhaps even more importantly - how we narrate it have a massive significance, therefore, a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/how-we-think-about-the-world-and-perhaps-even-more-importantly-how-we/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [In a healthy, normal society, people can disagree with one another, even have diametrically opposing views, and this does not at all mean that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/in-a-healthy-normal-society-people-can-disagree-with-one-another-even/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [When I was a teenager I fell in love with TS Eliot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-fell-in-love-with-ts-eliot/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [I love crossing borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-love-crossing-borders/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [“Nekoliko dana mi je jako nedostajao – njegova kozmetika u kupaonici i čak njegove prazne šalice čaja koje je ostavljao po cijeloj kući. Svakodnevno…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/nekoliko-dana-mi-je-jako-nedostajao-njegova-kozmetika-u-kupaonici-i/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [I didn't believe that the Soviet Union would ever break down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-didn-t-believe-that-the-soviet-union-would-ever-break-down/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [I believe absolutely that words must be treated as material weapons, every invective or threat as violence and aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-believe-absolutely-that-words-must-be-treated-as-material-weapons/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [“Everyone knows how to cook parasols—you soak them in milk, then dip them in egg and breadcrumbs and fry them until they're brown as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/everyone-knows-how-to-cook-parasols-you-soak-them-in-milk-then-dip/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [I like to come back to the science fiction of Stanislaw Lem. He is comforting but also funny, and although I know his books,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-like-to-come-back-to-the-science-fiction-of-stanislaw-lem-he-is/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [I first read Sigmund Freud's 'Beyond the Pleasure Principle' as a young girl, and it helped me to understand that there are thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-first-read-sigmund-freud-s-beyond-the-pleasure-principle-as-a-young/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

[Explore all 85 Olga Tokarczuk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

## More Books 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/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [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/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [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/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

Christopher K. Krebs

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [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/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When we talk about books, we rarely talk about the economic side of writing, especially of writing literary works, and that, at base, it's a pretty costly enterprise.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Olga Tokarczuk"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk-about-the-economic-side-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk-about-the-economic-side-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/olga-tokarczuk-6444_books_when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk_632546.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/olga-tokarczuk-6444_books_when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk_632546.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/olga-tokarczuk-6444_books_when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk_632546.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When we talk about books, we rarely talk about the economic side of writing, especially of writing literary…” — Olga Tokarczuk",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Olga Tokarczuk",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When we talk about books, we...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk-about-the-economic-side-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/when-we-talk-about-books-we-rarely-talk-about-the-economic-side-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
