It can pay off, being a hack. Given the depraved state of American culture, a slick dude can make millions being a hack. But even if you succeed, you lose, because you've sold out your Muse, and your Muse is you, the best part of yourself, where your finest and only true work comes from.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles (ed. Black Irish Entertainment LLC, 2002) - ISBN: 9781936891047