Here’s the setting:
It’s a slow day at work. I’m discretely surfing the internet. What for, you may ask?
“How to make money as a freelance writer.”
That’s right. I’m at work daydreaming about how not to be at work.
So, I find this handy article with a collection of links and suggestions for how to make some money. The suggestions include making a blog, doing some copy-writing, being a guest writer. Pretty typical.
But, there’s this one suggestion, that’s repeated several times throughout my googling that, for me, stands out from the others.
Here it is: make money by writing about making money by writing.
Okay.
Got it.
Now, this might not seem like a big deal to you yet, dear reader, so let me explain. We’ll explore through a comparison.
Recently, I have been seeing a lot of advertisements on billboards that aren’t advertising a particular product or service, so to say, but are literally advertising advertising.
I know, I had to read that twice to. These billboards are being used to advertise the advertising service that they provide.
Or more specifically, the advertising service that the people who own the billboards provide.
But the thing is, this isn’t just a simple “Hey! Call this number to put your ad here!”
No.
It’s a professionally designed, thoughtful and eye-catching advertisement.
Okay.
So, let’s compare this to the world of writing. About writing.
In both of these scenarios, people are being paid to create something - whether it be a beautiful work of art that advertises advertising or a handy blog post that neatly and thoroughly outlines a variety of money-making strategies via writing.
But, the things that they are creating are for the sheer purpose of making money, whilst directing others how to make money in this same way.
Imagine, if everyone who wanted to become a freelance writer started writing about how they make their money? Where would the real content be? Isn’t there an end to writing about writing instead of writing about… well… something?
Work has been made from nothing. Next thing, we are going to have advertising, advertising the advertising of the advertising!
Or, writers getting paid to write about writers who get paid to write blogs to teach others how to write blogs that will get them paid.
What. A. Cycle.
But the question is: is this a bad thing?
It is hard to make money as an artist. So, this creation of jobs, no matter how absurd, might not be so bad.
Maybe, writing about writing about writing can create a springboard to writing about something real.
Or maybe, the capitalist mentality that makes this crazy system possible will keep artists trapped in a world where monetizing art slowly depreciates its value.
Who knows?
Tell me what you think in the comments!