When I grow up, I want to be a writer

Childhood dreams and the value of writing

I’ve been obsessed with books and words and writing for as long as I can remember. According to my mum, I was five years old the first time I told her I was going to write a book one day. Even before that I remember filling endless notebooks with scribbles, pretending to write until I grasped how to actually do it. Every evening mum would sit and read to me, bedtime creeping back as I begged for another page. Books are the only thing I hoard and I’ve accumulated hundreds or maybe even thousands of them over the past 30 years.

Writing is important - yet consistently undervalued, like a lot of creative work. The common comparison goes along the lines of how you wouldn’t expect a plumber to work for free but people think nothing of asking somebody to write an article for free. It’s fine to say that one of those occupations is more essential than the other (and perhaps it is when you’ve got a burst pipe or your toilet needs plumbing in) but you can’t then complain if you never get to read anything interesting or inspiring or entertaining again because nobody has the means to create it.

Online writing seems to be valued even less than printed work despite, or perhaps because of, how much more widely consumed it is. We’ll buy a book or a magazine but bemoan a virtual paywall. Too often, though, we actually don’t buy the book or the magazine either yet spend an equivalent amount on a pint or a coffee and barely think about it. I’m definitely guilty of this.

Making money as a writer is increasingly difficult, with the average income apparently dropping by 60% since 2006. You might be surprised by how little most authors make from their books. I didn’t realise until I wrote one. My book Coasting did better than expected - it sold well, consistently topped the Amazon charts, got a table spot in plenty of Waterstones stores, was chosen as one of The Times Best Sports Books 2021 and long-listed for the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. That’s not me trying to brag but rather to say, it wasn’t exactly a flop. Yet the money Coasting earned me from its first 12 months of publication only made up around a third of my (relatively modest) income last year. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that if I added up all the time I spent planning, writing, editing and promoting it, it would amount to a lot more than four months worth of work. I’m sure it’ll be a similar story for my next book (a guide to car-free adventures).

So most writers have to supplement their income by other means to make a full-time living. That might look like giving talks, other freelance writing, brand sponsorships or teaching classes or workshops. Or, increasingly, there are opportunities for readers to directly support artists via platforms like Substack and Patreon.

I think that the latter is a really exciting shift. I love directly supporting some of my favourite creators (like Nicole Antoinette, Marlee Grace and Emma Gannon). I not only enjoy consuming their work, so happily pay in order to access extra content, but I also believe that what they put out is a valuable contribution to the general canon. I want to make it possible for them to keep doing what they do. The way I see it, my life would be a little bit less good if I couldn’t read their writing or listen to their podcasts, and that feels like something worth paying for. I also like not being advertised to all the time and, broadly speaking, reader- or listener-supported work doesn’t require sponsors.

Perhaps the most important thing though, is this: it’s absolutely vital that we make creative work financially viable if we want a variety of different voices to be heard. You don’t need me to tell you that diversity is a huge issue across all sectors, including the outdoors. I don’t want to only hear about running and adventure, or anything else, from one narrow perspective (historically that of the white, wealthy male).

Ultimately, I believe that writing - mine and others people’s - has value. So, with that in mind, going forwards the majority of my posts will be available to paying subscribers only. A massive thanks to those of you who already are!

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What you’ll get

For less than £1.50 per week you will receive two pieces of writing each week across a range of topics, which going forwards will include:

• Adventure ideas and Route recommendations (including essential cake shop/cosy pub tip-offs)

• Guides to running and hiking kit (what you need and what you don’t)

• Honest thoughts and practical advice for funding a big challenge and creating a career in adventure

• General life and training updates

• Regular roundups of good things to watch/read/listen to (to save you scrolling)

• Beginner guides to everything from running your first marathon to going on a fastpacking adventure

• Whatever you want! I’m super open to suggestions and writing what you want to read.

You’ll also have access to threads, the comments section and a monthly adventure book club (launching soon!). I’m even in the process of convincing my dad (who everyone likes more than me if the reviews of Coasting are anything to go by) to do a podcast-style interview about running his first marathon aged 50, the dogged pursuit of a sub-3 that followed and all the unexpected fame and glory he’s found himself basking in. That’s got to be worth a few quid from the legions of Dave fans?!

If you’d prefer to remain as a free subscriber then I still really appreciate you being here. I’ll continue to make at least two posts per month available for free, plus you’ll receive updates about new books and events. Non-monetary ways you can support my work include liking and sharing my posts and recommending this page to others.

I also still urge you to consider supporting your favourite publications financially if you can, even if you decide that this isn’t one of them. I won’t take it personally!

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Free subscriptions

I believe that readily sharing information is an important part of increasing the accessibility of the outdoors. If you think you’d benefit from accessing the full archive of content on this page but genuinely can’t afford to subscribe right now, I’m happy to offer a number of complimentary subscriptions. Times are hard, I get it. Just email hello[at]elisedowning.com. No explanation needed but this is an honesty-based system so, you know, don’t be a d*ck.

Likewise, if you have a little bit extra to contribute, please consider subscribing as a Founding Member to support me in offering free subscriptions and engaging in other unpaid work, such as delivering pro-bono talks to community groups. You’ll get a free signed copy of Coasting as a thanks. (If you already have a copy, I’m happy to carry this gift forwards to my next book release.)

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Thanks so much for reading this. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so. In the spirit of supporting each other, if you’re a writer or creator of any kind, feel free to share your work in the comments below so other people can discover it. I’m always looking for good things to read and my next new favourite person to shout about!