I stopped writing magazine articles when editors stopped using freelance articles. That was nearly 10 years ago. (Oddly enough, I just had a submitted article returned to me that never ran even though the manuscript has numerous editing marks. They were clearing out their files.)
My two books still sell a few copies every month even though they were published a decade ago and I have never marketed them. They earn me enough to buy a Happy Meal some months. (I have the prices set at the minimum the publisher allows.)
Motivation? I initially wrote magazine articles because I so admired the men who had entertained and educated me about shooting all my life. I wanted to be like them. After I had sold a few articles and gotten favorable comments from readers my motivation changed to a desire to share the things I'd learned about reloading. Evaluating new reloading components or developing safe loads for obscure cartridges is tedious, hard work. If I could save a few readers that drudgery, I was rewarded. There was certainly no monetary reward.
As an aside, I also had my share of squabbles with the late Dr Ken Howell. Enjoyable ones, because two lovers of the language can spar about its intricacies without losing respect for each other. Our longest running disagreement involved whether "alright" is a proper word or not. I maintain that it is - and still do.
