--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is indeed difficult to make a living…" description: "\"It is indeed difficult to make a living as a writer, and my advice to anyone contemplating a literary career is to have some other trade.\" — William S...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/william-s-burroughs-528_advice_it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living_210480.png" --- # It is indeed difficult to make a living as a writer, and… ![“It is indeed difficult to make a living as a writer, and my advice to anyone contemplating a literary career is to have some other trade.” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/william-s-burroughs-528_advice_it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living_210480.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/william-s-burroughs-528_advice_it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living_210480.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/william-s-burroughs-528_advice_it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living_210480.png) > “It is indeed difficult to make a living as a writer, and my advice to anyone contemplating a literary career is to have some other trade.” [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is financially unstable; having another trade ensures security. **In simple terms:** Writers need another trade. Key Takeaway Diversify income sources. Themes career writing financial stability trade Mood pragmatic cautious Type advice realistic When to use this quote - freelance writing - artistic pursuits - side hustles Key Concepts gig economy creative professions risk management Questions to Reflect On - Can you balance art and trade? - What trade complements writing? A Different Perspective Creative focus may suffer with multiple jobs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Contemplating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplating/) [Contemplating Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplating-literary-2173546/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-make-914039/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Literary Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-career-1073724/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Writer Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-advice-2173547/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Writer advice... Write. Finish things. Go for walks. Read a lot & outside your comfort zone. Stay interested. Daydream. Write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/writer-advice-write-finish-things-go-for-walks-read-a-lot-outside/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [If you don't put 99 percent of yourself into the writing, there will be no publishing career. There's the writer and there's the author.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-don-t-put-99-percent-of-yourself-into-the-writing-there-will-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Notice how many of the Olympic athletes effusively thanked their mothers for their success? “She drove me to my practice at four in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/notice-how-many-of-the-olympic-athletes-effusively-thanked-their/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [Because all writers are human beings first and writers second, my guess is that any advice for living with a writer is about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clyde-edgerton/because-all-writers-are-human-beings-first-and-writers-second-my/) [Clyde Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clyde-edgerton/) > [“If you don’t put 99 percent of yourself into the writing, there will be no publishing career. There’s the writer and there’s the author.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-dubus-iii/if-you-don-t-put-99-percent-of-yourself-into-the-writing-there-will/) [Andre Dubus III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-dubus-iii/) > [Psmith is the only thing in my literary career which was handed to me on a plate with watercress round it, thus enabling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/psmith-is-the-only-thing-in-my-literary-career-which-was-handed-to-me/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [I've summarized dozens of books in my literary career; it's become rather second nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/i-ve-summarized-dozens-of-books-in-my-literary-career-it-s-become/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [I've spent my whole literary career blurring boundaries between genres and categories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-gavriel-kay/i-ve-spent-my-whole-literary-career-blurring-boundaries-between/) [Guy Gavriel Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-gavriel-kay/) > [My literary career kicked off in 1956 when, as a resident of Swansea, South Wales, I published my first novel, 'Lucky Jim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/my-literary-career-kicked-off-in-1956-when-as-a-resident-of-swansea/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [The great break of my literary career was going to law school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/the-great-break-of-my-literary-career-was-going-to-law-school/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [I always say, and I mean it, that the great break of my literary career was when I went to law school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-always-say-and-i-mean-it-that-the-great-break-of-my-literary-career/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [It is impossible to pursue a successful literary career and follow the advice of all one's 'best friends'.I feel compelled to follow the light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/it-is-impossible-to-pursue-a-successful-literary-career-and-follow/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [Ive summarized dozens of books in my literary career; its become rather second nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/ive-summarized-dozens-of-books-in-my-literary-career-its-become/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [I did not win and in fact I was called into the principal's office for a consultation with my parents. But that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-joyce/i-did-not-win-and-in-fact-i-was-called-into-the-principal-s-office/) [William Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-joyce/) > [My literary career was a fluke. Utterly unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/my-literary-career-was-a-fluke-utterly-unexpected/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## More by William S. Burroughs > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Well as, one judge said to the other, 'Be just and if you can't be just be arbitrary.' Regret cannot observe customary obscenities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/well-as-one-judge-said-to-the-other-be-just-and-if-you-can-t-be-just/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say 'I want to see the manager.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/after-one-look-at-this-planet-any-visitor-from-outer-space-would-say/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [For seven days she lay in bed looking sullenly at the ceiling as though resenting the death she had cultivated for so many years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-seven-days-she-lay-in-bed-looking-sullenly-at-the-ceiling-as/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When you stop growing you start dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-you-stop-growing-you-start-dying/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Life is a cutup. And to pretend that you write or paint in a timeless vacuum is just simply . . . not .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/life-is-a-cutup-and-to-pretend-that-you-write-or-paint-in-a-timeless/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-all-lies-deceit-pretense-is-stripped-away-what-remains-the-truth/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“There is no final enough of wisdom, experience - any fucking thing. No Holy Grail, No Final Satori, no solution. Just conflict. Only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-is-no-final-enough-of-wisdom-experience-any-fucking-thing-no/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986 In hope he is still alive Thanks for the wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-john-dillinger-in-hope-he-is-still-alive-thanksgiving-day/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? His whole abdomen would move up and down, you dig,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-the-man-who-taught-his-asshole-to-talk-his/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [You need a good bedside manner with doctors or you will get nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/you-need-a-good-bedside-manner-with-doctors-or-you-will-get-nowhere/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [There couldn't be a society of people who didn't dream. They'd be dead in two weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-couldn-t-be-a-society-of-people-who-didn-t-dream-they-d-be-dead/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I prefer cats to people, for the most part. Most people aren't cute at all, and if they are cute they very rapidly outgrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-prefer-cats-to-people-for-the-most-part-most-people-aren-t-cute-at/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“It is not the intensity but the duration of pain that breaks the will to resist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-not-the-intensity-but-the-duration-of-pain-that-breaks-the-will/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Explore all 484 William S. Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is indeed difficult to make a living as a writer, and my advice to anyone contemplating a literary career is to have some other trade.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William S. Burroughs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living-as-a-writer-and-my-advice-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living-as-a-writer-and-my-advice-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/william-s-burroughs-528_advice_it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living_210480.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/william-s-burroughs-528_advice_it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living_210480.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/william-s-burroughs-528_advice_it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living_210480.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is indeed difficult to make a living as a writer, and my advice to anyone contemplating a literary career…” — William S. Burroughs", "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": "William S. Burroughs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is indeed difficult to make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living-as-a-writer-and-my-advice-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-indeed-difficult-to-make-a-living-as-a-writer-and-my-advice-to/#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 } } ] } ```