Blue Like Jazz . . . For Writers

After reading Donald Miller's memoir-coming-of-age-reflection-spiritual-theological-whatever-you-want-to-call-it Blue Like Jazz in a single-sitting, I pushed away from the beach front wondering what in the world I had just read. The book is good-to-great at times, but Miller's "nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality" would only be deemed breakthrough spirituality by those who don't have any theological reflections to start with. Anyone in the church who has ever thought about the church would reach some of the same conclusions regarding the church. Most of Blue Like Jazz is more personal than revelatory (which has its place, I'm sure, among "non-religious folks" which was Mr. Miller's intention)--but I would use his chapter entitled "Money" as a perfect example of finding out about things I already knew and was not afraid to ask.

In his "Money" chapter Miller writes:

Writers don't make any money at all. We make about a dollar. It's terrible.

Welcome to the writer's club, Mr. Miller. Anyone who has ever set out to write for money quickly discovers this reality: writers starve.

This was brought home to me through my personal experience the moment I returned from vacation, where I discovered a royalty check from Amazon.com waiting for me in my stack of mail. Now, I have been waiting for this royalty check from the Big Boy Amazon for three years--the accumulation of my various Amazon.com original downloads that the Amazon.com staff assured me was coming my way very soon.

The total: $2.40. That's right boys-n-girls . . . not $2,400 or $240 or even $24. That's two (POINT) four, zero.

There are various ways to analyze this windfall, of course. But if I were to break this down, I've earned less than $1 a year . . . A YEAR!!!! . . . from selling my digital originals on Amazon.com. Or, if I were to break this down by month, that's six cents per month!!!

And Mr. Miller thought he was going to make money writing his book? Join the breadline of writers Mr. Miller. Sort of makes you feel blue all over doesn't it?!