Who would do a job with no honorarium?
To begin with, before now, writers get meagre or no money for their writings. Some write for free in order to become conspicuous to a large audience. When an individual says he is a writer, some people shrug while others ask them to get a real job. They know that writers do not get a good honorarium then. That alone can break one into crumbs; a dogged person would not listen to what people say. There were times where creatives like Michael Angelo, William Shakespeare, etc., had to depend on aristocrats in order to afford the simplest things of their lives. They had a rich patron funding all of their works. That was how they made money from writing in their era.
In this era, writing can offer a lot to writers. Almost every industry is in need of a writer. These industries cannot do without a writer because there are certain things that demands a professional and they have to hire a writer. Writers can work from home, it could be on the phone or a laptop. There are diverse job opportunities for writers. For instance, there are jobs like: Content Writing, Script Writing, Copy Writing, Technical Writing, Academic Writing, Screen Writing, Blog Writing, Poetry, etc. As long as writers know their niche in writing, there are lots of job opportunities for them.
Further, Nigerian writers and poets are making waves worldwide. They are being recognized for their creative works. In this century, we cannot do without coming across books, for example, children love books that make them smile, books that inform, instruct, and entertains. Only writers can make that possible by writing and publishing books that pass across germane information to the general public. People read books on their phones or laptop, while some get the hardcopy of books. We have Nigerian authors who make some of these possible for readers, some of them are; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Toni Kan, Teju Cole, Nnedi Okorafor, Ben Okri, Wole Soyinka, Femi Osofisan, Sefu Atta, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo etc., these writers are making waves in writing.
Moving forward, emerging Nigerian writers also get paid for their works when they submit to literary magazines: it could be poetry, fiction, drama, etc. Nigerian writers get into literary magazines and get paid for their creative works. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to receive $40 for a single poem? But writers earn more from fiction. International magazines have the highest percentage of magazines that pay writers than magazines that do not pay. Nigerian writers are been awarded for their works worldwide. Romeo Oriogun, the Brunel International Prize winner in 2017, won the 2022 Nigerian Prize for Literature worth $100, 000. There are several Nigerian writers that are making a fabulous difference in their writing career. The Nigerian government can help to enhance the Nigerian Writing Industry. There are Nigerian Magazines that help to promote writers, magazines like: Agbowo Magazine, Brittle Paper, Shallow Tales Review, etc., are doing their best in helping writers. The Nigerian government can do better by supporting these magazines.
Therefore, writing is not a beggarly career because writers can make money from any part of the world with their prowess. They can work as long as they know their niche.
Salami Alimot Temitope is an emerging Nigerian writer. She currently studies English Language at Lagos State University, Ojo.
