There will be a moment in your writing career when you’ll stop at the crossroads, wondering which way to go.

Do you write for money? Or do you write for the love of writing?

What’s putting the food on your table and paying your rent? Are you making a living as a writer? Or are you fed up with not making a living as a writer? Or are you tired of working three jobs to fund your writing?

I believe there is a third alternative that encompasses both money and love. And that is: Your readers. Your tribe. Your people.

In boring business terms this is called writing for the market. I don’t like this wording. What I mean by writing for your readers is combining your non-stop learning of the craft (money) with your bliss of pure writing experience (love) and working on giving the best story you can to your readers. As in, ask your readers what they want and give it to them.

This has also been called crowdsourcing your book ideas (often when I talk about my writing, that’s how people categorize it). For example, I didn’t plan on writing a sequel for Rosehead, but you asked for it, repeatedly, and so I will.

So ask. Ask your readers what they want. Then give it to them. And they’ll happily part with their money and fund your writing.

Illustration by Ina Hattenhauer