Traci Ashbe Dark Epic Fantasy Author

I’ve worked in online publishing for long enough to both appreciate its benefits and loathe its drawbacks. I’m grateful for it — it’s because of it that I can afford to eat and work on my own projects outside normal business hours. I’d recommend the industry to anyone who wants to be a writer.

But there is nothing about it that’s “easier” than more traditional methods like working for a newspaper or selling a book with the help of a literary agent. Self-publishing, freelance writing, and the like are so common now that the same problems arise on the internet — and some unique ones, too.

1. Sometimes it feels like if you don’t stay “relevant” on social media, no one will buy/read your stuff.

2. It often prioritizes quantity over quality.

3. You don’t have to be good at writing to make money writing … which isn’t always fair…