We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paula Macena a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Paula, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?
It’s currently a pretty difficult time for writers. With the ongoing writer’s strike, corporations feel that it’s okay to walk all over writers and underpay us for our work. A lot of creatives do work for free as they start out, but I’ve noticed that this is especially the case for writers, even as we progress in our careers. In fact, we’re oftentimes expected to PAY instead of BE PAID for our work to be showcased. The truth is, writers deserve a lot more than we get. We’re responsible for all the stories you know and love, and we stay in the shadows behind it, making less than almost everyone involved. And yet, we continue to do it because we love it. I hope that one day writers will be paid what they deserve, but regardless of that, I won’t be stopping anytime soon. I do it because I love it, as all writers do, and that’s the beautiful thing about it. You know that nobody’s in it for the money or the fame, it’s out of a true passion.
Paula, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve had a strong interest in writing that has been prominent ever since I announced to my family at seven years old that I was going to be a songwriter. This passion quickly developed into a love for all creative writing. I’ve shared this love with the world through my self-published poetry book, “stuff i wrote after cutting my hair,” at only fourteen years old, and more recently through publications in various literary magazines, such as Prometheus Unbound and The Road Runner Review. I’ve recently graduated from my university with a degree in English and Film, and am currently based in California to pursue writing full-time. I continue to share my work on my Instagram, @plutopaula, and Substack newsletter, “Paulinha’s Archive”. My recent poetry book, “Penance of the Byronic Hero,” was published June 2023 and is available for purchase on Amazon. My goal with my writing, especially with this most recent book, is to shed light on marginalized communities and provide a platform for second-generation immigrants like myself. To do this, I’ve begun hosting writer’s events to give a platform to other poets. I’m currently focusing on raising awareness to the underpaid writers all around us, hoping that we’ll be valued enough in the creative industry to make a living.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
The website Submittable is a goldmine. It’s how I’ve been able to get published in various literary magazines. This was a resource I found on my own pretty late in the writing game, and I wish I’d found it earlier. Another great resource I’ve discovered recently is Chill Subs. They post lots of magazines accepting submissions and detailed info about them.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I have a lot of non-creative friends, and the main thing I’ve seen them struggle to understand is why I would ever pick a field that has little to no stability in terms of income and gigs. A lot of my friends pursued something in the health field, most often nursing, and whenever I mention my lack of stability, they look at me like I’m crazy. They try to politely encourage me to get a “real job” instead of focusing on my writing. I understand their concern, it’s difficult to make a living as a writer. But they don’t understand that this is the only thing that drives me. It’s the one consistent thing in my life that gets me out of bed every day. You can’t compare stability to passion. To me, it’s a no-brainer; passion wins every time.
Contact Info:
- Website: paulamacena.com
- Instagram: @plutopaula
- TikTok: @signedpluto