Today, as I’m sure most of you know, is International Women’s Day. Women have made tremendous strides in every field of endeavor – medicine, education, law and other areas, however, as a writer, I was disappointed to see that there is a huge gender gap when it comes to publishing. From my research, it appears that the number of traditionally- published female authors hovers between 30 and 34 per cent. Other depressing reports show that the works of female authors are less likely to be reviewed by top reviewers such as the New York Times.

However, there is still some hope. One survey found that 68 per cent of self-published authors were female, and in that group the highest earners were romance writers. The survey also found that those who have their books professionally edited, are educated and spend more time writing tend to earn more than those who don’t. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

So, don’t be discouraged because you are a woman. Over the centuries women have overcome great odds and continue to overcome. Maybe if we approach our writing in a more professional way we could close that gap between us and our male counterparts. Happy writing.

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