The writer is not comparable to the carpenter or the plumber. They contribute way more quantifiable value to the world than we do. They deserve more respect than us, as do all blue collar folk who build this world with their bare hands.

Authors should expect nothing. They should expect that their books will fail. They should expect that they are primarily going to need to make their income from other sources than book royalties. They should expect to pull their heads out of the clouds and to get real.