I think a lot of people disregard the fact that almost all writers, even very successful ones, have full time jobs. Teaching is probably the most common. A book deal is often the thing that provides a bit of clout, but it's teaching that pays the bills. I feel Medium has always been very honest about how tough it is to make a living writing, and those "make $10,000 a month" articles are disappearing. I like the direction you've taken this discussion. Writers should be paid more, I wish we lived in a society that placed more value on creative work.