I am unsure if this is an insult or an opinion – help me here. The big question in our house is whether my writing is an expensive hobby or work. Its a big He Says/She Says.

He Says

Mitch is my biggest booster (these are good boosters, not Covid boosters), an enthusiastic fan, and a devoted reader of everything I write.

Yet, when we talk about my daily efforts in book promotion and blogging, he believes this is a hobby because I do not receive a steady paycheck. To fellow Indy authors, it’s tough to make money in this business, so if you are writing a book to support your family, please have a Plan B!

She Says

WHAT! A HOBBY! ARGH! I spend every day working – I even call it work. Yes, I love it! It fulfills me and keeps me off the streets and out of trouble. Yes, it keeps my 65-year-old brain active (bonus points for that alone!). Yes, I retired from my “real job” six years ago. But c’mon,….

I went to my knowledgeable friend Siri (with a British accent, I must add) for some definitions.

Hobby – an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure (I reminded British Siri that I was referring to writing) (hmm, OK..what else?)

Work involves a mental or physical effort to achieve a purpose or result (OK, this also rings a bell). Activity that a person engages in regularly to earn a livelihood (yep, this also rings a bell ). OK, so we are tied. 

Then, I asked British Siri to define the difference between a hobby and work. A hobby is something we do for fun when we are not working, and a job is a specific task someone does to make money.

OK, I changed the question – if you are not making money with blogging, can it still be considered work?- Ugh, the answer to that is withheld salary, and I might have a nice lawsuit against myself. She also gave me ten excellent ways to make money by writing blogs. Don’t worry; I will not charge you per word to read my random thoughts! Nope, that is not the answer I was looking for…British Siri or I was confused.

I chucked Siri and asked her competitor Google – Is an author who doesn’t earn a lot of money from writing considered at work or a hobbyist? –Google replied: It really doesn’t matter whether your writing is a business or whether you’re writing for a hobby. But if you want your writing to pay you well, it to be your full-time career and bring in a full-time income, then you must treat your writing as a business. And this.

Work or Hobby

So is my writing a work or a hobby – like the old Ella Fitzgerald song – You Say Tomato – I Say Tomahto – 

I am thankful that my memoir, Raising Jess a Story of Hope, has received so much attention and has exceeded my goals. My actual goal was to share our story, give other families hope, move people to laughter and occasional tears, and describe our unique family perspective for those with a child with a disability or anyone interested in reading a positive, hopeful story. I hope that professionals working with children and families will read Raising Jess to better understand the everyday joys and struggles. 

So what is the answer, work or hobby? I will still work each morning at 6 AM. I love writing blogs! Mitch is no longer “calling’ my writing a hobby,” although he probably thinks it’s my leisure pursuit. 

On that note, I must dash for my real job – Nana!! (the grandkids are waiting and could care less about this topic!)

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