How Do You Make a Living as a Writer? Lessons from Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was the hardest working writer in Harlem.

Did you know that Langston Hughes is recognized as the first African-American writer to make a living solely from his writing? Yes, Langston Hughes was definitely the hardest working writer in Harlem, and throughout his life before and after the renaissance. So studying his success and strategies can give us some excellent ideas about crafting a successful writing life. Especially in hard times. Consider the fact that Hughes was just getting started as a working writer when the Depression hit. And he was constantly facing challenges because of virulent racism, Jim Crow laws, and a publishing industry that literally had no interest or expertise in promoting Black authors or other authors of color. And yet, Hughes made a living, a comfortable one at that, strictly from his writing.

So, how did he do it?

Five Practical Steps to Making a Living as a Writer

The Langston Hughes lessons for staying employed when you’re Black (or otherwise colored) and the world really isn’t making things easy for you as a writer can be summed up in five simple steps. Real talk, the steps are simple, but the execution of said steps isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but you can still try to be like Langston.

So, without further ado, here are five things Langston did to find work and stay employed as a writer throughout his life.

Learn a New Language. So you have a larger pool of jobs to choose from. Langston spoke fluent Spanish after time spent in Mexico.

Make Writing Your  Priority. If you don’t make the time to write, you won’t have anything to show that you can write, or that what you write is valuable. So, prioritize the writing. Hughes gave up a good job as an academic, to be a busboy so he would have more mental energy to work on his poetry.

Get Up and Go. If a job requires you to move to another location, do it. Opportunities abound if you’re willing to move, sometimes even abroad. Langston traveled all over the world for a good gig, even Russia.

Diversify Your Skill Set. Making a living as a writer means being able to write in many different ways. Don’t be a one-trick writing pony. You can have your passion, but you must also be practical. Hughes was a poet first, but he also was a journalist, novelist, and short story writer.

Give the People What They Want. Be mindful of the fact that gatekeepers don’t always have their fingers on the pulse of what the people really want and will support with their dollars. Case in point, Tyler Perry, Awkward Black Girl Version Issa Rae, Octavia Butler, and Terry McMillan. Stay in touch with your people. Know your audience. 

Keep in mind, you don’t have to live exactly like Langston. You don’t have to do all of these things. You can pick one or two Langston-isms and give them a try to move the needle on your writing career. Or, do them all and let me know how your writing career flourishes!

And one bonus lesson from Langston: Love what you do. Do it with flair. And make friends along the way. 

If you’d like to hear more about how Langston Hughes killed it in the writing world, listen to episode 26 of the Reed, Write, & Create podcast.