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By Li Yun Alvarado
I know us creative types don’t always like to talk finances, but ask yourself this:
Who is our silence around money actually serving?
I believe it’s beyond time we have more honest, open conversations about the role money plays, and, to be more precise, the role financial (in)stability and (in)security plays in our ability to live the creative lives we crave.
Look, I “squandered” away about a decade of potential retirement savings by choosing to live the life of a “gradual” student (as my husband jokingly call it).
I have no regrets!
I loved getting my PhD, but that choice had financial consequences, and I could bury my head in the sand and ignore that reality, or I can get clear on where I am now and what I need to make happen going forward.
I choose getting clear and that choice feels empowering.
The books below have helped me gain that clarity and they might help you too.
Some of these tackle personal financial matters while others focus in on financial issues specific to authors.
Disclaimer: I am not a financial professional or lawyer. The recommendations below are based solely on my own personal experience and should not be taken as specific financial or legal advice for your situation. If you have financial or legal questions, please consult a professional.
Disclosure: This bookshop contains affiliate links; if you buy anything while visiting my shop, I may earn a modest commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way!
The Business of Being a Writer
Jane Friedman
Paperback
$29.00
$26.97
A great primer on the business aspects of writing and publishing. Part Five "How Writers Make Money" goes into detail about the various ways writer earn and pay for their writing lives.
Before and After the Book Deal
Courtney Maum
Paperback
$17.95
$16.69
Really great resource for any writer who is approaching that Book Deal stage.
Guerrilla Marketing for Writers
David L Hancock,
Jay Conrad Levinson,
Michael Larsen,
Paperback
$19.95
$18.55
A little dated, but a great reference for out of the box ideas on how to get your book out there into the hands of those readers who need it!
Real Artists Don't Starve
Jeff Goins
Paperback
$16.99
$15.80
This book can inspire you to take a more entrepreneurial approach to your creative life. Full of stories of little-known and well-known creatives who did not starve.
Estate Planning For Authors
M L Buchman
Paperback
$9.99
$9.29
No one wants to think about estate planning and yet dying is one of life's few guarantees. As authors, it's important to think about how we'd like our literary legacy to live on after we're gone, and make it easy for our heirs to execute our wishes. This book is a good primer on what to consider when tackling the literary portion of your estate -- especially for self-published authors.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich
Ramit Sethi
Paperback
$16.99
$15.80
This is the book I come back to over and over and recommend to anyone who will listen. I believe that before you can get a handle on your professional finances, it is key to get a handle on your *personal* finances. This book was transformative for my family because the 6-week program was accessible and actionable. We made key changes based on Sethi's advice, and we finally wrapped our heads around our current financial circumstances, financial plans, and financial future. Getting our personal finances under control gave me the mental space to turn my attention to my writing and writing-related finances.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: The Journal
Ramit Sethi
Paperback
$18.99
$17.66
The newest addition to the I Will Teach You To Be Rich Family. This workbook will help you design your RICH life. We're finally getting around to working through this workbook during money dates and it's SO FUN dreaming about our Rich Life together. Also check out Ramit's podcast or Netflix show!
Millionaire Mission
Brian Preston
Hardback
$28.00
$26.04
This book (pre-order) is by another personal finance person we follow. We love their Financial Order of Operations (FOO) framework and this book looks like it will break down each step in detail. It's definitely on my to read list.
Li Yun Alvarado is the author of the poetry chapbook Words or Water. Her work has appeared in VIDA Review; The Acentos Review; and Aster(ix) among others. Through her writing, advocacy, and teaching, she strives to amplify Puerto Rican and other underrepresented voices while supporting aspiring and emerging writers -- especially women writers of color. She holds a PhD in English from Fordham University and is an alumna of Acentos, VONA, and AROHO. Li Yun grew up in NY, lives in CA, and takes frequent trips to Salinas, PR to visit la familia.
Disclosure: This bookshop contains affiliate links; if you buy anything while visiting my shop, I may earn a modest commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way!