The more important your work is, the less you get paid. Ask any mother. For that matter, ask a writer!
Did you know that if you pay $20 for a book, the writer probably makes about $2 of that. Think about that. You can’t live on that. A best-seller in Canada might sell about 1500 copies. That’s $3000 for a book that may have taken two years to write, and most books aren’t best-sellers.
So, most writers have to find other means to make a living, like teaching writing, public speaking, judging contests, etc. Or they write in their spare time after their day job. These all take them away from the act of writing, but unless they’re independently wealthy, they have to do it.
Writers make a little money from copyright as well. Now the Canadian government wants to cut that copyright money in a new bill. They want to exempt educational institutions from payment of copyright. This sounds all very nice, but it means taking more money away from those who have so little to begin with.
I’m especially outraged because the books I am writing are Canadian history. They may very well be something teachers will want to photocopy and use in the classroom. I hope they will, as long as I get paid what I am owed. After the years of research and writing that have gone into my books, I think it is only fair.
Watch this video and you may be outraged as well.