Author News
Many authors’ earnings fall below $500pa,
survey finds
Alison Flood
Friday 23 January 2015
Research shows median income for all authors is now below $5,000, though ‘hybrid’ authors who use both traditional and self-publishing are doing best.
Almost a third of published authors make less than $500 (£350) a year from their writing, according to a new survey, with around a half of writers dissatisfied with their writing income.
In the wake of a year that has seen a bitter war of words rage between traditionally published and self-published authors, the survey shows that the old way of doing things continues to reap the most financial rewards for writers, with traditionally published authors making a median annual income of $3,000–$4,999, and independent writers a median of $500–$999. So-called hybrid authors, however – those who publish in both ways – did best, earning $7,500–$9,999 a year.
Digital Book World’s new survey gathered responses online from 1,879 published authors, 56% of whom took the indie approach, 13% of whom only traditionally published, and 31% of whom did both. The “vast majority” of respondents are novelists, with romance the most popular category they