Yes, true that. But I wasn't always making a living from composing directly (for example when studying)... So it wasn't only for making a living... (it was trying to make a living perhaps... hehe).
However, I was thinking about this thread since yesterday and I realised that this attitude has led me to a very specific path: That where I have not composed for reall big forces... I knew, until recently, that I wouldn't be able to get a piano concerto performed and thus I skipped composing one. Same goes for big orchestral forces. Recently this seems to have changed and thus I will be entering the field of composing for orchestra... For better or worst... :P