Can you make a living as a writer in India?

This makes writers take a full time day job, leaving them little time to write, along with loads of guilt and pensive thoughts which further push them down the non- writing phase. It’s a vicious circle.

It’s true. That’s one way to look at it. But the reality is that. On the other hand I have worked with many writers who have very busy full time lives and who delivered bcs they planned their time out etc. but it’s hard.

Am no writer-but this was interesting particularly cos it came right after finishing listening to @GilbertLiz "Big Magic". She emphasises hanging on to a day job even if to free the pressure of making creativity pay the bills. "Be childlike but not childish" she says.Sensible!

My delusions were quickly undone.. soon after publishing my first, The Station Master. It's Bengali edition does better, but my second novel, Off the Pages, just QED'ed my first's outcome. So, yeah, back to the daily grind with next to little time writing my next.. tough love.

Very well said Chikki. Given the amount of hard work that goes into writing(I write non-fiction, real life journeys of soldiers) there’s hardly any money you get. But RESPECT, yes, IMMENSE! And that’s more than enough.

In three years I earned 2 lakhs. Tell me how to survive on that?

You can’t - you must have other work

it's true. it's very little monetary return for the work invested. but the motivation is rather that one wants to contribute some idea, and not for money.

A below average YouTube review by a below average reviewer might end up making more money than the book itself. That too in a week, in comparison to the lifetime royalty of the book. Viva la capitalism!

Agree with you Chiki but the larger problem is the unorganized market and the sharky attitude of the publishers. They lack the collaborative effort. They just want the writer to spend all the money. It has to be collaborative and there needs to be systematic processes of sales.