As I said earlier, writing is also a business, and making a living at it is nothing to look down one's nose at. It is a trade, like carpentry, music, plumbing, electrical, auto mechanic work, etc., etc., and a writer should also receive compensation for their hard work, and feel really proud that their accomplishments are valued enough by their fellow human beings to merit said payment.
This is an age-old debate about not being "true to your art", etc., and I frankly have always thought it is all a bunch of pompous rubbish.
If something is not published, then how do you expect anyone else to enjoy it? We stand on each others porches and talk about things, or sit around the proverbial campfire and tell stories, to communicate with each other. Otherwise we would just all go off into the woods and individually mumble to ourselves in solitude, and all social progress would come to a halt.
To be honest, I did take offense to the implied suggestion that I, as someone who is trying very hard to be published and make an honest living as a writer, is somehow of a lower stature than those whose motives are “more pure”. In fact, I was really ticked off, but didn’t want to say it, so thank you for bringing it up, and allowing me to vent.
View attachment 5745