Is it a Business If You Don't Make Money?

Tax time has rolled around, and for the second year in a row, I owe money. Just great. As if watching all my hard-earned cash go to bills, in particular that @#$% student loan, rent and writing expenses last year weren't enough. But, hang on there; what about those writing expenses?

It's taken me years to learn what several writers have already figured out; if you're almost neurotic about keeping receipts for your writing expenses, you can claim the items and services as tax deductions. So, that writing conference I took last year? So noted on my 1040. As was my payment to the freelance editor, and the yearly cost of my website hosting. Keeping my fingers crossed that I filled everything out correctly on Schedule C, otherwise I'm sure some nice, friendly person at the IRS will tell me. (cringing)

Yet, part of me still wonders, can I legitimately call my writing a business if it hasn't made me lots of money? The IRS says I can, which is great. The fact that I take it seriously, and have committed myself to querying, conference attendances and networking says this is far from a hobby. But it certainly hasn't been a lucrative business. Thank God I'm not in it for the money. Although a little of that coming into my pockets rather than out of my bank account would be nice.