do novel writers make good money

How Much Do Authors Make in 2024? (+ 4 Key Income Factors)

by Sarah Cha

on Jan 4, 2024

Have you ever wondered, “How much do authors make?” 

It’s a question that many aspiring writers want to know, and the answer is: it depends.

But don’t worry, the answer doesn’t end there!

In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of book author earnings — from traditional publishing paychecks to the potential windfalls of self-publishing. 

Together, we’ll explore income sources, analyze key influencing factors, and embrace proven strategies to prepare you to navigate the literary financial landscape.

Let’s dive in.

Author Earnings: Traditional vs. Self-Publishing

The world of publishing has evolved, and with it, paths to financial success for authors have diverged into two primary paths: Traditional and self-publishing.

Both methods offer distinct revenue models and author salary ranges.

Let’s dive into how each model works!

Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishing, often regarded as the “classic” approach to getting a book out into the world , begins when an aspiring author often seeks representation from a literary agent. 

Agents are well-connected professionals who understand the market dynamics and have strong relationships with major publishing houses. They pitch promising works to publishers they believe might be interested.

Once a manuscript piques the interest of a publishing house, negotiations commence. This is where book advances and book royalties come into the picture. 

A book advance is essentially a forward payment given to the book author, with the expectation that the book will earn this amount back in sales. 

For beginner authors, advances can range from a modest $1,000 to $10,000. However, for well-established authors with proven track records, this figure can soar into the hundreds of thousands or even millions.

After an advance, we step into the realm of book royalties. These are continuous payments made to authors based on the number of copies sold. 

Royalties usually range from 7% to 15% of the book’s sale price, depending on factors like the format of the book (hardcover vs. paperback) and the total number of copies sold. 

It’s after the book advance has been “earned out” through sales that the royalties start trickling into the author’s account.

Now, it’s worth noting that the journey to a traditionally published author can be a long one. 

Securing an agent, getting a book deal, and finally seeing the book on shelves can take years.

But for those who navigate it successfully, the rewards, both in terms of recognition and revenue, can be immense.

Traditional Publishing Summary

• Credibility and Prestige : Being backed by a renowned publisher can bestow a certain level of prestige upon an author. It can open doors to literary awards, critical reviews, and even film adaptations.
• Professional Support : From editorial guidance to marketing muscle, traditional publishers bring a team of seasoned professionals who handle various aspects of the book’s journey, allowing the author to primarily focus on writing.
• Retail Distribution : Traditional publishers have the clout to get books into brick-and-mortar stores, ensuring a wider reach.
• Tough Entry Barrier : Landing a deal can be challenging. It often requires securing a literary agent first, which in itself is no small feat.
• Lower Royalties : Typically, a book royalty for traditionally published authors ranges from 7% to 15% of the book’s retail price.
• Less Creative Control : From the book’s cover design to certain editorial choices, authors might have to cede some creative decisions to the publisher.

Self-Publishing

The landscape of the literary world witnessed a seismic shift with the advent of self-publishing . 

Once dismissed as a second-rate path for those unable to secure a traditional book deal, self-publishing has metamorphosed into a legitimate and often lucrative route for many authors. 

Thanks to technological advancements and platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon KDP), Smashwords , and Lulu , barriers to entry have been obliterated.

Self-published authors, in essence, become their own entrepreneurs. 

They’re responsible for every facet of the book’s journey, from its creation to the book sale. This direct control also means they keep a more substantial portion of the profits. 

While traditional publishing royalties hover between 7% to 15%, a self-published, independent author can expect a higher book royalty rate. Anywhere from 35% to 70% of the book sale price, depending on the platform and pricing strategies employed.

However, the upfront costs in self-publishing are often shouldered by the authors. These can include professional editing, cover design, and book marketing . 

If an author can skillfully navigate these initial investments and their book resonates with readers, the financial returns can be compelling. 

Many self-published authors report earnings of $1,000 to $5,000 in their first year, with potential for growth as they publish more works and establish a loyal readership base. 

Then there are the outliers, the self-published supernovas, who’ve seen six or even seven-figure annual earnings, solidifying the notion that success isn’t exclusive to the traditional route.

For example, the rise of self-publishing, buoyed by success stories of authors like E.L. James and Amanda Hocking, signifies a democratized era in publishing. 

It’s a world where the power dynamics have shifted, allowing authors greater autonomy over their creations and the profits they generate. 

The gamble here is higher, as is the potential reward. It’s about understanding the market, harnessing the right tools, and having the tenacity to see it through.

Self-Publishing Summary

• Higher Royalties : Self-published authors can earn anywhere from 35% to 70% of the book’s sale price.
• Full Creative Control : Every decision, from the book’s content to its cover, lies in the hands of the author.
• Speedier Process : Without the need to pitch and secure a deal, authors can get their book to market faster.
• Upfront Costs : Authors bear the initial expenses for editing, cover design, and marketing.
• Marketing Responsibility : With no established publishing house behind them, self-published authors must often become adept marketers to ensure their book’s visibility.
• Stigma : Despite its growth, some circles still view self-publishing with a degree of skepticism.

The Verdict

Ultimately, choosing between traditional and self-publishing isn’t a matter of which is objectively better but which aligns more with an author’s goals, strengths, and values. 

For those seeking validation from industry gatekeepers, the prestige of a traditional publishing deal might be the dream. 

However, those who value autonomy, higher profit margins, and the thrill of entrepreneurship might lean towards self-publishing.

That said, whichever path you choose, there are certain principles of success and actions you can take to increase your earning potential…

4 Fundamental Factors that Influence an Author’s Earning Potential

From genre selection to personal branding, the following elements can drastically impact an author’s financial success. 

1. Genre Choice 

Choosing the right book genre is the first step in maximizing your potential earnings. 

Some genres perennially enjoy vast readerships, leading to robust sales. The romance genre, for example, boasts a dedicated following, with authors like Nora Roberts and Nicholas Sparks, who have carved out impressive fortunes. 

Thrillers and mysteries, with their page-turning qualities, have also consistently been high performers, led by authors like Stephen King and Agatha Christie.

Conversely, less well-known niche genres may not offer the same earnings potential. 

However, even within niche realms, standout authors can carve a name for themselves. Think of Naomi Novik in the realm of historical fantasy or Charlaine Harris with her supernatural mysteries.

The sweet spot for most authors lies at the intersection of market demand and personal passion. And recognizing this balance can pave the way for both fulfillment and financial success.

2. The Power of Platform 

An author’s platform, which includes social media profiles , a website, and engagement tactics like newsletters , provides direct access to readers. 

Think of it as your virtual storefront, where you can foster a community, offer exclusives, or even just share your journey. The stronger your platform, the more likely readers will be to invest in your work, both emotionally and financially.

This is true for both traditional and self-published authors, although arguably more so for the latter. 

For example, take bestselling science-fiction/fantasy author Brandon Sanderson , who is both traditionally and self-published.

His website is a resource hub with blog posts and behind-the-scenes insights. He posts regular updates and resources on his Youtube channel , engages with fans on Reddit , and fosters a powerful fan community through live events and more. 

For aspiring authors, intertwining compelling writing with strategic platform building and branding can be the difference between modest readership and widespread recognition. 

As with the art of writing, the key to building an effective platform is to remain authentic, engaging, and attentive to the changing dynamics of reader interactions.

3. Marketing Mastery

No matter how compelling your book is, it won’t generate sales if readers aren’t aware of it. 

And that’s where marketing comes in .

While the platform lays the foundation for an author’s presence, marketing is the active force that projects that presence far and wide. 

Traditional publishers often bring with them the promise of visibility — press releases, features in literary magazines, or placement in notable bookstores. 

However, a savvy author complements these efforts with personal initiatives. Hosting webinars , attending conventions, or even writing guest articles can create ripples in the literary pond.

For the self-published author, the weight of marketing is more pronounced, and digital tools are usually your best bet. 

For example, a savvy self-published author will learn to harness the power of Amazon’s promotional capabilities, plumb the depths of targeted social media ads , engage readers through platforms like Goodreads , and more.

It’s also about leveraging the assets you’ve already built. If your platform already has a substantial email subscriber list or a bustling social media page, regular updates about your book, teaser chapters, or even cover reveals can drum up anticipation.

Remember, in the vast literary marketplace, marketing isn’t just about selling a book — it’s about selling the experience, the world you’ve crafted, and most crucially, selling yourself as a storyteller. 

4. Skill & Output

Finally, remember: Writing isn’t just about inborn talent. Like any craft, it gets better with practice, feedback, and sheer determination. 

Consider Stephen King, who amassed a mountain of rejection letters before tasting success. His dedication to refining his craft turned those early “no’s” into a legacy of bestsellers. 

Then there’s the importance of disciplined output. 

Take, for example, Neil Gaiman, who has dished out novels, graphic novels, children’s books, and more over his decades-long career. 

He’s not just a writer; he’s an industry in himself, partnering on merchandise and special editions to boost his earnings.

In short, don’t rest on a single success. Keep honing your craft, diversify your portfolio, and remember: the literary world rewards those who blend skill with consistent, varied output.

So… How Much Do Authors Make? Your Journey Forward

“How much do authors make?” might have been the burning question that led you here, and now, you’re not just armed with an answer but a roadmap. 

Through understanding publishing landscapes, recognizing key income factors, and employing growth strategies, you’ve unlocked the doors to potential success.

Harness this knowledge, let it guide your decisions, and fuel your passion. With every story you craft, remember the power behind each word, each decision. 

So keep writing, and let your success be the truest answer.

GET PAID TO WRITE

Make 2-5k per month, even if you're a beginner . we're seeking writers of any skill level ..

Written by Sarah Cha

1 thought on “how much do authors make in 2024 (+ 4 key income factors)”.

Insightful post on author earnings in 2023! Your breakdown of the key income factors provides a clear picture for aspiring writers. Love how you’ve tackled the financial side of the craft. It’s both realistic and motivating. Thanks for shedding light on this often mysterious aspect of the writing journey!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Latest from the blog.

How to Use AI to Breathe Life into Modern Storytelling in 2024

Tim Stoddart – What to Do When You’re a Beginner and Feel like a Nobody [PODCAST]

10 Super Simple Social Media Optimization Hacks for 2024

With over 300k subscribers and 4 million readers, Smart Blogger is one of the world's largest websites dedicated to writing and blogging.

Best of the Blog

© 2012-2024 Smart Blogger — Boost Blog Traffic, Inc.

Terms  |  Privacy Policy  |  Refund Policy  |  Affiliate Disclosure

Become a Bestseller

Follow our 5-step publishing path.

Fundamentals of Fiction & Story

Bring your story to life with a proven plan.

Market Your Book

Learn how to sell more copies.

Edit Your Book

Get professional editing support.

Author Advantage Accelerator Nonfiction

Grow your business, authority, and income.

Author Advantage Accelerator Fiction

Become a full-time fiction author.

Author Accelerator Elite

Take the fast-track to publishing success.

Take the Quiz

Let us pair you with the right fit.

Free Copy of Published.

Book title generator, nonfiction outline template, writing software quiz, book royalties calculator.

Learn how to write your book

Learn how to edit your book

Learn how to self-publish your book

Learn how to sell more books

Learn how to grow your business

Learn about self-help books

Learn about nonfiction writing

Learn about fiction writing

How to Get An ISBN Number

A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing

How Much Do Self-Published Authors Make on Amazon?

Book Template: 9 Free Layouts

How to Write a Book in 12 Steps

The 15 Best Book Writing Software Tools

How Much Do Authors Make?: Average Author Salary in 2024

If you are an author, or are considering becoming an author, you're probably wondering: “How much do authors make?” Is an author salary enough to get by in 2024? Do you need another gig? Are you getting paid enough for your work? How much do authors make per book?

Those are common questions (and good ones to ask if you're thinking about becoming an author), but the reality is…

The answer isn't simple.

Determining how much money you’ll make when you become an author is complex because no two authors are the same, and several factors affect how much you earn from your writing career.

The wide variance in how much authors make from their book sales is also caused by obscurity around the subject of financial earnings, which is not very transparent.

Some writers are of the mind that money should not be a measurement of success in writing at all and refuse to share insights, while others advocate for sharing book-earning statements in order to embrace the realities and raise awareness of how much authors make. 

And sharing how much authors make is taboo for some simply because they are shy about how little, or how much, they actually make from their books. 

No matter what your opinion is on the subject, you’re curious…

So, how much do authors make? 

While there isn’t a baseline number to report on how much authors make, it’s important to realize that author salaries have a very wide range. Some authors make millions, and others don’t make a penny.

With so many factors to consider when calculating how much authors make it’s important to determine how, and why, the publishing world has such a variance in author income levels.

In an effort to make the topic less obscure, we will take a closer look at the income of several writers in this report, and will continue updating this list. But before we dive into the average that authors are paid, let's take a closer look at what a salary for authors is and what it encompasses.

This Guide to How Much Authors Make Covers:

What is an author salary.

An author salary is the total amount of money that an author makes in any given year. The term “income” is often used interchangeably with “salary,” both in this post and in the world at large. 

Because authors are usually self-employed and organize their work by book project, how much authors make can vary substantially from year to year.

A year in which an author writes two books will likely mean a higher salary than a year when they don’t write any. That’s why it is important for authors to continually work on completing their projects and sharing them with the world. 

This applies to both self-published and traditionally published authors. A self-published author might have more freedom in developing their completion timelines, but this also means that they are responsible for keeping themselves accountable to their creative and financial goals. 

Authors, like many other professionals, often choose to keep their financial information private . Recently, though, many have begun to publish their salary to give those aspiring to join their ranks a real sense of the financial possibilities within the profession.

Salary vs. Book Earnings 

A salary is the total earnings in any given year, while book earnings are only one component of how much authors make overall.

An author might still work a day job or do freelance work while they establish their reputation to supplement their income. For example, many authors with devoted followings have chosen to join networks like Patreon, where their fans can pay them directly to continue releasing their work. 

Examples of platforms that pay creators include:

• Buy Me A Coffee

Some authors write and publish books with the intention of promoting their larger brand. This is the case for many entrepreneurs who want to share a concentrated version of their business vision. The interest generated by the book might translate to increased sales of a product, traffic on their website, or participation in personalized coaching.

Take Brianna R. in the video below , for example, who used the Self-Publishing School program to write and launch her book, which she now makes $4,000 per month from.

Misconceptions About How Much Authors Make

It’s important to get clear on the common misconceptions surrounding how much authors make so that you have a realistic vision as you begin your own writing career. 

Don’t go into writing or publishing if your sole purpose is to make millions; having that mindset could set you up for failure. Instead, go into your career with a fiery passion for writing and sharing your message with the world. With hard work and persistence, the rest will fall into place.  Here are some realities to keep aware of when it comes to how much authors make:

• Publishing a book is usually not going to bring you overnight success. It takes a solid book marketing plan!
• Writing a book will not make you rich in most cases. Most authors find their financial success from writing multiple books or using a book to grow their business .
• Writing and publishing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Writing is hard – ask any writer! Publishing takes dedication. Publishing a book doesn't mean instant fame and wealth.
• Many authors find success by leveraging their books to create a business. The majority of authors with a high salary are those who launch a business from their book or write multiple books.
• Passion for writing and sharing your message should drive your ambition. When you're passionate about your book's message, your passion will fuel you through the discouraging and difficult times during your career.

Now that you understand what a salary for authors is, and have a slightly more realistic view of what it takes to earn a high author salary, let's answer the question you're here for: How much do authors make!?

How Much Do Authors Make?

Writers live in a time where the opportunity to earn from their creative passions is in abundance. 

• Extremely high financial success. Sure, there are some famous writers who have achieved great financial success, like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling , who are both examples of authors who have sold millions of books and have had their literary work adapted into major motion pictures. 

Today's digital author has the potential to make a full-time living off of their published books, but it takes a specific recipe for success. But how much authors make can be extremely varied. An author can achieve:

• High financial success. There are many modern authors who can live luxuriously from their book earnings. However, these authors rarely make their income from one book alone.
• Medium financial success. There are many authors in the middle of the spectrum, especially with the rise of self-publishing and indie publishing. They are those who have written books, and are making livable earnings from their book royalties.
• Low financial success. Unfortunately, there are many brilliant authors who struggle to make money from their writing and have to pursue other jobs just to make ends meet. To reference a well-known author, consider H.P. Lovecraft, who never saw financial success while he was alive.

It takes dedication, grit, and a lot of hard work to achieve a high salary as an author. But don’t let that discourage you from writing a book or starting your career as an author. 

Depending on your goals, there is a path to success for your author career.

In today’s publishing industry, writers can become published authors a lot more easily than they could in the past. Historically, traditional publishing dominated the book industry, and authors had to be accepted by a traditional publishing company in order for their books to be published.

The issue with that is the traditional publishing method has always been very competitive, which means many brilliant writers have been turned away.  

Now, with the rise of self-publishing through online platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing , anyone can publish a book. Some argue that this, of course, opens the floodgates and diminishes the quality of books. But many authors have found success through self-publishing high-quality books, and have built sustainable creative businesses. 

How Much Does An Author Make Per Book?

Self-published authors begin earning royalties the moment they sell their first copy. However, the answer to the question “How much does an author make per book?”, depends on the format of the copy sold. 

One self-published author uses her rates to portray an accurate example of earnings across formats for standard royalties:

• Hardback = 60-100% per sale
• Paperback = 60-100% per sale
• eBook = 70-100% per sale

To determine the exact dollar amount you would earn, pull out your calculator for some simple math. For instance, for hardback costs, this same author presents her personal stats. She sells each copy for $14.99 with a 30% wholesale discount and a print charge of $4.67. This brings her dollar amount per copy sold to $5.82 (note that for eBooks, you bypass printing costs).

Paperback earns less, but also can sell more due to the price difference. For the same book mentioned above, but in paperback instead of hardback, the math is as follows: Listed for $5.95 with a 60% royalty rate. Printing cost is $2.15, yielding $1.42 income for the author per copy sold.

Audiobooks vary greatly depending on the platform you choose to publish through and which audiobook retailers they distribute to. While audiobooks skip print costs just as eBooks do, it’s important to consider the cost of producing the audio for this format. 

How Much Do Authors Make Per Genre Sales?

At this point, it’s crucial to note that some genres sell better than others. While we can each aspire to succeed to the degree of Stephen King and J.K. Rowling, or reach book sales such as J.R.R. Tolkien did with The Hobbit, before putting pen to paper, we need to note the genre each author wrote/writes. 

There are specific genres that sell better than others. Below is a list by The Richest , ranking the top five, highest-selling genres and the net worth of each genre. 

#1 – Romance / Erotica $1.44 Billion #2 – Crime / Mystery $728.2 Million #3 – Religious / Inspirational $720 Million #4 – Science Fiction / Fantasy $590.2 Million #5 – Horror $79.6 Million

Stephen King is known for his horror whereas J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien made a name for themselves via their science fiction and fantasy. Agatha Christie was known for her detective novels, as was Sir Authur Conan Doyle. Jane Austen and Nicholas Sparks made/make waves with romance, and Tim Keller, Francine Rivers, and John Bunyan did the same in religious and inspirational books. 

Note that niche books will likely sell well to their intended audience, but not reach the massive sales of these top five genres. So you understand that there is a big range when it comes to how much authors make. But let's talk actual figures. How much do authors make on average in 2024?

What is an Average Salary for Authors?

The average salary of an author (as of 2024) is $84,670 . This does not account for all authors, though since many “write part-time” or make much of their income through other means. 

To account for this gap, the Authors Guild conducted a massive survey to get detailed financial information from more than 5,000 authors. Their research found a $6,080 median for all writers, while full-time writers have a $20,300 median . The survey speaks to the wide disparities that exist in the range of how much authors make. 

Publishing ends up being a “winner-takes-all” market – a couple of authors at the top make the vast majority of the earnings. 

This fact shouldn’t discourage authors from continuing to publish their work. Being aware of the challenges and competition within the field is further motivation to reach for excellence.

Factors That Affect How Much Authors Make

As a baseline rule: more book sales translate to a higher salary. It is never that easy, though, and a multitude of other factors come into play. 

Common factors that affect how much authors make: 

• Means of publishing. Is the author pursuing traditional publishing, self-publishing, or independent publishing? Self-publishing is known to have higher royalty rates, meaning how much authors make is higher per book sold.
• Type and genre of book. Is the author publishing a fantasy fiction book with a dedicated reader audience, a nonfiction book, or a children's book ? Each type and genre matters because the larger the audience is, the greater the earning potential.
• Social following. Does the author have a large established social following, or is the author still relatively unknown? If you already have a social following and email list of fans, it may be easier for you to boost your salary than someone just starting out.
• Purpose of the book . Is the author writing a series of books within the same genre, or is the author an entrepreneur looking to write one book to increase business growth ? 
• Other income avenues. Is the figure for how much authors make only considering income from writing, or does the author have a full-time career outside of writing books? This will affect an author's income dramatically.

For instance, book earnings may include an advance (typically from a traditional publisher) and book royalties. 

An advance is the amount of money that a publisher pays an author for the promise of a book, and usually comes with half upfront and the remainder upon completion. Book advances are typically from a traditional publishing house, once your book is under contract. In self-publishing, there are not any advances given since you are the publisher.

Book royalties are the percentage of each sale that the author gets paid. These rates for how much authors make from book royalties vary significantly depending on a variety of factors, including: self-published or traditionally published; physical copies or eBook ; and where the book is sold.

Royalties with Traditional Publishing vs Self-Publishing 

How much authors make from each individual sale largely depends on the type of publishing process they choose to take. For instance, if you choose to self-publish, you forego the advance but keep a larger percentage of the royalties. Self-published authors average out to bringing in 60-80% of royalties . 

On the traditional publishing side, Forbes says that “the average author at a traditional publishing house can expect to receive 4-15%, depending on your status and contract.” For instance, a debut author will likely make a smaller percentage of royalties than an established author. Once you establish yourself in the marketplace, you will likely bring in larger royalties. 

It’s important to note that traditionally published authors receive an advance at the signing of the book contract. According to one literary agency , for debut authors, advances can range from $5,000 to $50,000.

For traditionally published authors, their royalties go toward making up their advance. As soon as their royalties match their advance figure, they begin keeping their royalties. 

So, how much does an author make per book? The answer depends on many factors:

• Your percentage of royalties 
• Whether you receive an advance 
• The format of book you publish  

Some genres have better financial results for authors , especially those choosing to self-publish. Writers of fantasy/sci-fi and romance novels are often able to supersede the traditional publishing gatekeepers to find massive success with the devoted audiences of these genres. 

Financial guidance and business-building books from recognized figures in their fields also tend to find their way into the hands of readers hungry for useful advice.

For a closer look at the differences in royalty rates depending on publishing method, check out our Book Royalties Calculator :

1. My book will be published by a...

2. my book will be an:, 3. my royalty rate will be:.

*Please note that this royalty rate is based on the market averages for paperback books. Actual royalty rates for traditional and indie publishing can vary by author depending on several factors.

4. My book’s retail price:

5. the # of books sold:, your results, your profit per book sold, for books sold, you earn:, for 1,000 books sold, you earn:, for 10,000 books sold, you earn:, royalties comparisons for 10,000 books sold, want to receive personalized tips on how to sell more books right in your inbox.

So we've talked about the average salary of an author, but let's take a look at some actual examples of how much authors make.

How Much Do Authors Make?: A List of Author Salaries

To give you some real-life examples of how much authors make, and how much of a variance there is, we've compiled a detailed list of salaries from authors.

We aggregated this salary list to cover a wide range of income possibilities, from well-known authors to those still making a name for themselves.

Before we dive into these examples of how much authors make, it’s important to note that this is a very small representation of how much authors make . These authors are only one side of the equation, and do not represent the thousands of other authors who do not make this salary list. 

However, we include examples of real authors here, because many of the reports that exist for how much authors make are simply gathered by anonymous surveys. This salary report is used to show a snapshot of the wide spectrum in income levels amongst writers and authors.

Highest Income Authors

We’ll start with authors with the highest salaries. These authors have a long track record of excellence, with their books often adapted into films or TV shows.

James Patterson: $89 million (2024)

James Patterson is a popular thriller writer who topped the Forbes Highest-Paid Authors list, largely from the earnings of The President is Missing – co-published with former President Bill Clinton. He earned $89 million in 2024.

Stephen King: $52 million (2024)

Stephen King is the ‘King of Horror’ due to his many popular scary novels over a decades-long career. He earned $52 million in 2024. 

JK Rowling: $31.4 million (2024)

JK Rowling is the woman behind Harry Potter, the best-selling children’s series of all time. She earned a whopping $95 million in 2017, and a cool $31.4 million in 2024. 

Nora Roberts: $30+ million (2024)

Nora Roberts is a romance novelist who earned over $30 million in 2024.

Jeff Kinney: $23 million (2024)

Jeff Kinney wrote The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and earned $23 million in 2024.

John Grisham: $21 million (2024)

John Grisham is a popular legal drama writer, best known for books like The Firm , who earned $21 million in 2024.

Dan Brown: $20 million (2024)

Dan Brown wrote The Da Vinci Code and earned $20 million in 2024.

Rick Riordan: $10.5 million (2024)

Rick Riordan wrote the Percy Jackson series and earned $10.5 million in 2024.

Danielle Steel: $10 million (2024)

Danielle Steel is a romance novelist and bestselling author. She earned $10 million in 2024.

Niche Author Salaries

Fantasy/sci-fi and romance novelists have managed to carve a successful niche of the publishing world, often by publishing their works directly onto Amazon and other marketplaces. We’ll cover a few of these examples of how much authors make with niche books below. 

Amanda Hocking

Amanda Hocking is a fantasy novelist who made her name in the self-publishing world. Her success drew the attention of a major publisher who gave her a $2 million dollar advance for four novels and an additional $750,000 for republishing rights to three books in her back catalog.

Bella Andre

Bella Andre is a self-published romance novelist, best known for her The Sullivans series, who made more than $116,246 dollars in the first quarter of 2011 according to a Washington Post article.

Hugh Howey is a self-published fantasy novelist, best known for his Wool series, who has generated more than a million dollars of income from his novels according to a 2014 Bloomberg article. 

Joe Konrath

Joe Konrath is a self-published author thriller novelist, best known for his What Happened to Lori series, who earned $78,231 in six weeks after publishing a novel in 2011 according to a Washington Post article.

Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines is a Hugo Award-winning writer who has been posting his salary for more than a decade. He earned $13,957 dollars in 2022, mostly from his traditionally published novels.

Kameron Hurley

Kameron Hurley is a Hugo Award-winning author best known for The Stars are Legion and The Feminist Geek Revolution. She published occasional income reports and earned $47,096 in 2016 , though only about $18,000 came from the sale of her traditionally and self-published books. The remainder came from Patreon. 

Brenna Aubrey

Brenna Aubrey is a self-published romance novelist known for turning down a major publishing contract. She published a blog post stating that she earned $16,589 the month after releasing her first novel in the aftermath of the traditional publishing rejection.

Melanie Hooyenga

Melanie Hooyenga is a self-published romance novelist best known for her The Flicker Effect series. Marie Force, a major voice in romance novels, released a blog post about the experiences of indie/self-published authors, highlighting the experience of four authors, but only uses their first names. The section on “Melanie” mentions enough details to plausibly assume that she is talking about Melanie Hooyenga (year of publication, sales, self-published). The post states that Melanie made $90,000 in 2015 .

Jessi Gage is a romance novelist who transitioned from traditional publishing to self-publishing to have more freedom and control over her work. She posted an income report that stated a salary of $21,827 in 2017.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Nicholas Sansbury Smith was able to leave his government job to pursue writing books full-time. He writes post-apocalyptic science fiction and was able to sell 30,000 copies of his second self-published book Orbs , which led him to traditional publishing opportunities. 

Entrepreneur Author Salaries

Another large sector of authors includes those who have used a book to build or grow a business. Entrepreneurs and bloggers are capable of using their books, often self-published, to build their brand and grow interest in their other business ventures, and how much authors make from these books is often directly tied into increased business from their books.

Nick Loper is an entrepreneur and founder of the Side Hustle Nation blog. A year after publishing his book, Buy Buttons: The Fast-Track Strategy to Make Extra Money and Start a Business in Your Spare Time , Loper posted a blog post stating that it generated a profit of $17,900 .

Chandler Bolt

Chandler Bolt is an entrepreneur and founder of the Self Publishing School. He self-published a book, Published: The Proven Path from Blank Page to Published Author.   He stated in a 2016 episode of the Superfast Business podcast that the business generated $1.3 million in the year after beginning the venture. Bolt has built a successful business out of helping people around the world realize their dreams of becoming published authors.

Alyssa Padgett

Alyssa Padgett is an RV life blogger who came to prominence after self-publishing her book, A Beginner's Guide to Living in an RV: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Full-Time RVing Across America. She earns about $200 dollars a day according to an interview.

Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson is a professor of psychology who wrote the self-help book 12 Rules to Life: An Antidote to Chaos (traditionally published). He earned between $600,00 to $800,000 a month from book sales, speaking engagements, Patreon, his business, and other sources according to an interview.

Pat Flynn is an entrepreneur and founder of Smart Passive Income, a course in business building. His self-published manual, Will It Fly?, generated $459,341 in direct and indirect income in the three years after publication according to a report on his blog.

Michal Stawicki

Michal Stawicki is a self-published advice writer who is best known for his How To Change Your Life in 10 Minutes a Day series. He has been publishing his monthly income report for more than five years and earned $1,515 from his writing in April 2019.

Timothy Sykes

Timothy Sykes is a business/investment blogger who self-published An American Hedge Fund about his experience in the penny trading market. He earned between $15 million and $20 million in 2014 according to a Forbes article.

Melyssa Griffin

Melyssa Griffin is a business blogger who self-publishes books, such as A Case Study of My Most Popular Blog Posts, as part of growing her brand. She published monthly income reports and earned $283,680 in December 2016.

Sarah Titus

Sarah Titus is a financial independence blogger who became known after self-publishing How I Became Financially Free: From Homeless to Well-Off: I’ll Show You How. Book sales now make up a small part of her income since she shifted all the book’s information on her blog. She publishes income reports and earned $981,037 in 2017.

John Lee Dumas

John Lee Dumas is a podcaster who founded Entrepreneur on Fire. He self-published a greatest hits book that included highlights from the podcast. The website includes income reports for the brand as a whole. EoFire generated $2,029,744 in 2018, which does not take into account the salaries of the podcast’s employees and other related expenses to run the EoFire.

Joanna Penn

Joanna Penn is an indie author who has built her company, The Creative Penn , around her self-published fiction and non-fiction books. She shares that her income is from course sales, affiliate income, professional speaking, and podcast sponsorships. Her income report from 2016 states that her total book sales income was $95,000 . Joanna’s platform has only grown since then, so it’s highly likely her income increased as well. 

David Kadavy

David Kadavy , a traditionally published author who turned to self-publishing, shares that he was able to sell 11,000 copies of his first self-published book. However, he explains that after all of his self-publishing costs , including marketing, he earned a humble $3,000 . He stresses that his first self-published book was part of a larger scheme in which he plans to publish more books to start generating more organic sales.

Laura DeSilverio

Laura DeSilverio is a best-selling author who has written over 21 novels. In her 2017 income report, she states that her earnings from writing were just over $30,000 ; however, this was a year where she did not sign any new book contracts. This income came from book royalties from her traditionally published books, book sales from her self-published books, and various other writing-related jobs, such as speaking engagements, editing, and audiobooks.

Report: How Much Do Authors Make ?

Leverage Your Skills to Build a Book Business

As you can see, there are many different examples of how much authors make, with several contributing factors. This report is meant to show a snapshot of the wide spectrum of income levels amongst writers and authors.

With that said, being an author is not a typical 9 to 5 job that promises a guaranteed paycheck every two weeks.

In order to turn a hobby into a satisfying career, authors are responsible for continuously producing books that excite/inform/engage readers. 

In addition, especially for those in the self-published or indie publishing community, modern authors must view their book writing as a business, and treat it as such by acquiring the necessary skills and expertise to create a sustainable business.

Earning money from a book typically involves leveraging technical, marketing, and business development skills. If you want to write a book and generate income from your words, it’s important to create a plan for success by thinking beyond your writing skills.

If you're interested in self-publishing your book, but feel overwhelmed at the thought of navigating the process, invest in your career with a self-publishing course .

Cheryl Strayed, the best-selling author of the memoir Wild, once said in an interview that authors must live with the reality that “Well, I might make zero or I might make $5 million!” 

Pursuing a career as an author is an extremely rewarding career, all financial talk aside. Not only are you able to create something profound in the tangible form of a published book, but you are also able to share your story with readers all across the world. It can open a world of opportunity for you if leveraged correctly.

With clear expectations on how much authors make and realistic, achievable objectives, you can pursue a career as an author, through whichever avenue makes the most sense for you. 

Don’t go into writing or publishing if your sole purpose is to make millions; having that mindset could set you up for failure. Instead, go into your author career with a fiery passion for writing and sharing your message with the world. With hard work and persistence, the rest will fall into place. 

A Guide to the Best Publishing Conferences

Business, Learning, Marketing

The Best 11 Writing Conferences for Authors in 2024

Learning, Reviews

Amazon Author Central: 7 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Author Page

Publishing, Reviews

Join the Community

Join 100,000 other aspiring authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them reach their author dreams. Get the latest product updates, company news, and special offers delivered right to your inbox.

How Much Do Authors Make Per Book?

Sarah Nicolas

Sarah Nicolas is a recovering mechanical engineer, library event planner, and author who lives in Orlando with a 60-lb mutt who thinks he’s a chihuahua. Sarah writes YA novels as Sarah Nicolas and romance under the name Aria Kane. When not writing, they can be found playing volleyball or drinking wine. Find them on Twitter @sarah_nicolas .

View All posts by Sarah Nicolas

How much do authors make per book? As with everything else in publishing, the answer is: It depends. A lot of readers have the idea that every author is wealthy, but that is far from the truth. Yes, Stephen King probably has more money than he’ll ever need, but he is an outlier. The majority of authors don’t even make a living wage with their books.

In 2018, the Authors Guild partnered with 14 other writers organizations as well as some publishing platforms to conduct a survey of 5,067 professional writers in the United States. The median 2017 income of participating authors was $6,080 with just $3,100 of that being from book income alone (as opposed to speaking fees, teaching, book reviewing, and other supplemental activities). The median income of people who described themselves as full-time authors was just $20,300 when including all book-related activities.

How do authors get paid?

Before we get into the numbers, I want to explain how author payment works in the traditional publishing industry, since I’ve seen a lot of confusion about it. Typically, when an author signs a publishing contract, they or their agent negotiate an advance against royalties. When a press release or article states that a book “has sold for” so many dollars, this amount is the advance and not a flat purchase price. An advance is often paid in three installments: when the contract is signed, when the manuscript is accepted by the publisher, and when the book is published. Some publishers may break down these payments even more.

Once the book is published, authors make a percentage of sales (more on this later) for each book sold, which are their “royalties.” However, since they have received an advance against royalties, they are essentially earning money they have already been paid. They don’t get paid again until their royalties have surpassed their advance amount, which can take any amount of time from before the book is even published until…well, never. Once a book has made the author the amount of royalties they were advanced, they begin to earn additional royalties; this is often called “earning out.” If the book never makes the advance back, the author does not have to pay the overage back to the publisher, except in circumstances where they have violated/terminated the contract.

Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. By signing up you agree to our terms of use

This is a general description of the process and there are any amount of variances. For example, some authors will receive no advance and many authors who write for established intellectual properties will receive a flat amount instead of royalties. All of this to say that some traditional authors will never receive more than that initial advance payment, while some authors may continue earning money on books until they die. And some authors lose money if they spend more on promotion, marketing, and expenses than they end up making.

How much do authors make per book?

A traditionally published author makes 5–20% royalties on print books, usually 25% on ebooks (though can be less), and 10–25% on audiobooks. Amazon pays self-published authors 70% on ebooks priced 2.99 to 9.99, 35% on ebooks priced outside of that, 60% less printing costs on paperbacks sold on their platform, and 40% less printing costs sold via expanded distribution.

In traditional publishing, the publisher manages the process and pays for all costs associated with producing and distributing the book as well as a widely varied amount of marketing, while a self-published author is responsible for that process and those costs.

When I teach classes and am asked how much do authors make, people tend to be deeply unsatisfied with my “it depends” answer. There is no way to predict how much a book will make, but I spoke with 15 authors of all stripes to demonstrate the variety of options. I spoke with self-published authors and traditionally published authors who have made less than they spent on expenses, authors of both paths who easily make a living off their writing, and everyone in between.

While there are many author earning surveys done by a variety of organizations, they are self-reported and only reach the sphere of influence of the organization. Much like with this article, mega bestsellers -— think Stephen King or James Patterson — don’t participate in those surveys. I would also like to caution against reading any kind of “data” on author earnings from websites that are also trying to sell you author services. I ran across many of these in my research and the numbers they present are incredibly skewed and intentionally misleading.

Two of the highest-earning authors I spoke to were both romance authors, but with very different stories. Hazel* publishes adult romance with a big five publisher and has two books out so far. Her first deal was for two books with a $50,000 total advance. Her first book was a Book of the Month Club selection and has earned an additional $42,000 in royalties so far. She sold another two books for a $70,000 advance and was able to quit her day job with the assistance of her husband’s income. She’s spent about $11,000 over the past two years promoting the first two books, including travel from 2019. “I would say that my writing income doesn’t quite replace what I made working full-time, but it’s enough that we’re able to make it work,” with her husband’s job providing health insurance for both of them.

Ari* is a self-published romance author with 50+ books who makes a high six figures each year. She spends up to $8,000 per book on editing, covers, and promo excluding travel. “It took a year of writing for me to make sure I made 3x my former job’s salary for me to feel comfortable writing full time. My spouse did not have a stable income as he was in graduate school and we went without medical insurance for a year since I was paying high costs even with my employer. It was a scary time when we decided to make this choice, but it was the best choice for us at the time.”

Sue London is a self-published author of historical romance, including the Haberdashers Series , with six novels and 16 novellas published since 2013. She’s made anywhere from $8,000 to $68,000 a year, depending on her output. She spends $500 to $4,000 per year on promo, not including covers. “There was a moment in 2015 when I thought maybe I could do it full time, but my husband had to leave work on disability and now I’m the primary breadwinner. My day job is our primary income (about $150k) so to consider retiring to full-time writing would have to increase sales enough to cover both my income and the relevant benefits.”

Romance is the largest segment of the consumer book market and also the market most welcoming of ebooks, so there are a lot of self-published (and hybrid) authors making a living there. There are also, of course, plenty of authors making just a couple hundred per book. Sherie* has published six books with digital publishers and self-published two. She didn’t receive an advance for any of the books and has earned a total of $750 on all of her books. She has won RWA chapter awards and spent more than $5,000 going to book signings and conferences and self-publishing her books. In 2019, she made about $500 for teaching workshops and doing presentations, but that work has decreased during the pandemic.

Saadia Faruqi, author of A Thousand Questions , has published 20 books including children’s fiction, adult fiction, and nonfiction. She’s received “very low royalties” for her adult work, but her children’s books have done better. With 16 books in her Yasmin series, she earns about $35,000–45,000 per year, despite small ($2,000–5,000) advances. She also makes about $15,000 a year from school speaking engagements. In 2020, she published a middle grade novel with a $60,000 advance, which has not earned out yet. She’s able to make a living with her book income, but only recently, after working a part-time job and her husband being the major breadwinner for their family. “With the switch to full-time writing, I’m able to write more books in the year. I attribute my high income to the rate of writing, which allows me to sell several books a year in a variety of age categories.”

Quinn* is a middle grade author with a Big 5 publisher who signed a two-book deal for $150,000 and sold a third book for $65,000 before the second book was released. She says she hasn’t spent very much on promotion and quit her part-time job a couple of months before the book came out, but mainly due to childcare costs. “My husband does make enough income that we could get by even if I didn’t make money, which has taken some of the pressure off as well.”

Maxym M. Martineau’s Kingdom of Exiles was originally sold as adult fantasy in a three-book deal for $9,000 but the publisher did a special young adult release and it did better in that market, so the rest of the series was published as YA. The book has been featured in Entertainment Weekly , New York Times , and earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly . She has earned an additional $5,000 in royalties and has sold three more books for $10,500 as well as a German edition of the first two books for €9,000. She has spent about $2,000 of her own money promoting the book but also has had significant publisher support.

Also in YA, we have Cory*, a YA author published with a mid-sized press. Their 2015 urban fantasy received a $500 advance and has earned $700 in additional royalties while their 2016 F/F romance received no advance but has earned over $7,000 in royalties, with about $500 spent in promotion on each book. They also make about $5,000 each year in other author-related income that they aggressively pursue.

Taylor* has four small-press novels — which garnered no advance, but bring in about $30 per month in royalties total — and three mid-sized press novels, each with a $2500 advance. The first of the latter has earned and made about $300 additional in royalties. Taylor also said about half of their publishing income comes from appearances, which is in line with the data from the 2018 Authors Guild survey.

Jessie* is a YA author with a big five publisher and ten books under their belt, including some intellectual property work. Their first deal was for $7,500 with a small press but the buzz was impressive so the week after release, they sold two more books for six figures. They have been nominated for several major awards, included on impressive lists, and have hit the bestseller lists for their IP projects, which pay less per book but see a higher volume of sales.

Jamie Krakover is a self-published author of the YA sci-fi book Tracker220 . She has made $200 on the book since its October release but has spent $1,800 to promote it. Some of those ads and opportunities haven’t yet had a chance to make an impact on sales, but she’s optimistic. “Indie authors typically have to build a pretty decent sized backlog before they can make enough to sustain,” she told me.

Bharat Krishnan, author of Privilege , is also a self-published author of seven books who said he’s made “several thousand” and “might crack five figures in the next year.” He said he’s spent “a couple thousand” and has a day job to support him, but his writing has helped him taken a few international trips.

Jon Chaisson is a self-published author of five SFF books, starting in 2015. He says his income is “almost nil at this point, but I think I’ve maybe earned a few hundred dollars over the course of the last five years” but “if I remain in the public eye and constant in my output, then I’ll eventually find my fanbase and will have a back catalogue to back it all up.”

Popular science-fiction author Jim C. Hines has been publishing his income reports every year since 2007. He’s never hit a bestseller list, but his last five books have been lead titles for his publisher. He made $31,411 in 2020, including $13.5k from a Kickstarter. In 2016, he also published a survey of almost 400 authors’ income , which resulted in an average of $114,124, but a median of $17,000, meaning a handful of high-earning outliers were bringing that average up.

Alex* is another popular science-fiction author with a large publisher. His first book deal was for two books for $15,000. The first book has earned over $40,000 in additional royalties and the second book has earned $20,000 more. He signed a second two-book deal for $30,000. He’s spent about $500 in ads and about $5,000 traveling to promote his book but admits “almost all of that is for my own entertainment rather than expecting anything to come out of it. I like meeting and hanging out with other authors, so I do it.” He is retired with a pension and healthcare taken care of, but he made about $60,000 in 2020 and expects to hit six figures in 2021.

Speaking of six figures, I suggest any authors looking to make a living self-publishing books check out the Six Figure Authors podcast, as the three authors there share a lot of detail about how they manage their successful writing careers.

The second-largest fiction market, after romance, is mystery/thriller. Riley* is a bestselling mystery author with a large publisher. Their first deal was for two books for $25,000 total, but the books went on to win major awards and sell a quarter-million copies. They haven’t spent much money promoting their books, but “spent a ton of time writing articles and pitching pieces to promote the books.” They currently make about $150,000 per year. “Right now I’m the main financial support for my family, although we get our health insurance through my husband, which is huge.”

Nick* has seen the difference genre makes. He published a short literary story collection with a small press in 2013 and a horror novel with a large independent press. The first earned him a $1,000 advance and no royalties, while the second earned him a $35,000 advance plus $4,000 for foreign rights. He has a job as a university professor to pay the bills, but it also affords him the opportunity to read or speak at other universities that pay him $500–1,000 per appearance. In 2020, he was awarded a large prize of $25,000 and has won other prizes with smaller awards of around $1,000.

Most of the authors I spoke to who are able to write full time would not have been able to do it without the financial support of their spouses or family members. Though I didn’t ask about health insurance, many of them mentioned their spouse-provided or state-provided (for those not in the U.S.) health insurance plans as a major factor. If they have to pay for their health insurance, many authors would have to make not just their regular salary to be able to go full-time, but 1.2 to 1.5 times their regular salary at a minimum. Considering how much they make per book, and the fact that most authors need a year or more to write and sell a book, that’s not feasible for many of them.

Not to mention the work doesn’t end once the book is written. Maxym added, “One of the things that’s hard to quantify from a monetary perspective is the amount of time and emotional labor that goes into networking and finding ways to connect with people who do have a platform to elevate your work…There’s no dollar amount attached to that, but the hours spent doing that work do have value, and when opportunities don’t pan out, it’s a punch to the gut.” She added that if you have other jobs or responsibilities, it’s very difficult to find that time.

So how much money does an author make? It still depends. We often hear about big splashy seven-figure deals, but those are definitely outliers in the industry. For the majority of authors, the true answer to that question is “not enough,” which goes to show writing the books you love is often a labor of love for the authors themselves.

Many thanks to the authors who shared their information with me. Money in this industry is a touchy subject, so I appreciate your frankness. Authors who are named agreed to being named and those who requested anonymity have had their names randomly changed, which is denoted with a * symbol.

July 4th Sale: Save now on Inc. Premium!

• Newsletters
• Best Industries
• Business Plans
• Home-Based Business
• The UPS Store
• Customer Service
• Black in Business
• Your Next Move
• Female Founders
• Best Workplaces
• Company Culture
• Public Speaking
• HR/Benefits
• Productivity
• All the Hats
• Digital Transformation
• Artificial Intelligence
• Bringing Innovation to Market
• Cloud Computing
• Social Media
• Data Detectives
• Exit Interview
• Bootstrapping
• Crowdfunding
• Venture Capital
• Business Models
• Personal Finance
• Founder-Friendly Investors
• Upcoming Events
• Inc. 5000 Vision Conference
• Become a Sponsor
• Cox Business
• Verizon Business
• Branded Content
• Apply Inc. 5000 US

Inc. Premium

How to Really Make Money as a Book Author (Even If You Don't Sell a Single Copy)

Average book authors don't make a lot of money. but you can, even if you gave away all your books..

We imagine a successful author's life to be idyllic: write a book, or several, sell millions of copies, sit back and relax on a secluded island, living off of your book royalties.

The reality couldn't be more different.

A typical book author barely makes more than minimum wage. You receive an advance and 10% royalties on net profit from each book. If your book retails at $25 per copy, you would need to sell at least 4,000 copies to break even on a $5,000 advance. Mack Collier, author of Think Like a Rock Star, estimates that he earned $15.63/hour for writing his book, working 25 hours per week over a period of 9 months.

I'm not saying you can't make money from writing books. The likes of John Grisham, Stephen King, and JK Rowling prove you can. Even if your royalty were only $1 per book, if you sold 1 million books, then you'd become a millionaire.

But few of us can sell as many books as James Patterson or Danielle Steele. "The average U.S. nonfiction book is now selling less than 250 copies per year and less than 3,000 copies over its lifetime," says publisher Steve Piersanti, "And very few titles are big sellers."

Does this mean you should give up your dream of being a successful author? Of course not, because you can make a living writing books--even if you don't sell a single copy.

The Other Way to Make Money with Books

You'll make money as an author, not from the sales of your book , but from the relationships you create with your books.

Even Grisham, King, and Rowling make more money from TV and film adaptations of their books than the actual sales of their books. Producers pay them a lot of money for the opportunity to capitalize on the relationships they've forged with their readers, and to give their fans a deeper experience with the stories they've come to know and love.

This holds the key to how "lesser" authors like you and me can make money with books, too: Use your book to create relationships with readers. Let your book be your ambassador so others get to know, like, and trust you. Your book will open doors and grease the wheels.

A good example is my book, Engagement from Scratch! . It's available to buy on Amazon, both as an ebook and as a printed book. However, I also give it away on my website in exchange for people's emails.

You may think it's foolish of me to give the book away, especially since I've received royalties over $10,000 from Amazon by now (I'm able to pocket a higher percentage of sales because I self-published the book).

But that's only the tip of the iceberg. People who downloaded the free book became aware of my consulting services and training programs and eventually brought in revenues of over a quarter of a million dollars.

Imagine if I had been so short-sighted as to choose book sales over building relationships with those people!

Make Your Dream A Reality

Before you worry about how to write a nonfiction book that will fund your retirement, sit down and create a long-range vision for how you'll deepen relationships with your readers.

Think through your win scenarios. What can you do to make this worth your while? How is it going to work for you and your business, in a way that isn't just about selling the individual book?

Be creative when thinking of ways to take the relationship forward. Some writers, including fiction writers, for instance, give away the first book of a series. Others offer their readers in-person experiences or ancillary products to their books, and these offerings end up bringing in more significant revenues than book sales alone could ever deliver.

So if you're dreaming of making a living from writing books, realize that you absolutely can do it. Just maybe not in the way you expected.

The Daily Digest for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders

Privacy Policy

Every product is independently selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

Writing Probably Won’t Pay the Bills

It probably won’t shock you to hear that it can be difficult, if not downright impossible, to make a living as an author. Successfully selling a book doesn’t often lead to financial security, and the publishing industry hasn’t been known for its transparency on these subjects (which recent conversations like #PublishingPaidMe have worked to correct, specifically when it comes to racial inequities). In practice, making any kind of money as a writer can mean a million different things: holding down a full-time job and writing on the side, steadily applying for grants, cobbling together some combination of teaching and freelance writing gigs.

Below, six writers talk about how they make writing work financially.

Samantha Irby

I gave my writing away for a decade-plus before I started making any money with it. Any time I talk to anyone and they’re like, “I want to be a writer,” I’m like, “Get a regular job.” Try not to depend on your writing to fund your life because it, uh, won’t.

When Meaty came out the first time, I did it on an indie press, and there was no advance. I just wrote it and worked my regular job and eventually got a few bucks here and there from the publisher in royalties. But I mean, that cost me money. I still had a job when a publisher bought We Are Never Meeting in Real Life for $75,000. So my agent gets 15 percent of that. You get one-third when you sell it, the next third, when you turn in the fully edited, copyedited manuscript. So like a year later, two years later, however long it takes you. And then you get the final installment on publication. These things can be like a year apart. So divide an advance into thirds, and off the top of each third, take 15 percent that my agent gets for doing his job of selling it. Then, depending on your taxes, you take like 30 percent for the government. So what you have left, if you don’t have another job, that’s what you have to live on until your next installment.

Because my writing is basically, like, I do what I want and hopefully people will pay for it, I’ve never had to compromise and write things purely for money. If I had to make the pivot to competing with people to get $50 for a celebrity clickbait listicle or something, I just wouldn’t. I would just go to work instead.

Rachel Khong

I had a full-time job until my book came out. And then about a year after that I started a small business. So I kind of always am not only writing. I think I’ve been trained a little bit by my parents and my upbringing, but to me, only writing is … maybe not the best idea. I’ve always had some paying thing on the side, or done freelance. And most recently I had some writing that was optioned for film and TV, and that’s actually … a lot better than book money. I keep a very low overhead, and anytime I get one of those surprise deals, I hoard it for a long time. I don’t think I’ve bought clothes this year. And now maybe I won’t ever have to buy them again?

Right after college, of all of the nightmare jobs, I worked for seven months in management consulting. I majored in economics, and I think a large part of that had to do with my parents having a lot of problems with money throughout my childhood. I was so terrified of what kind of economic precarity would result from being a writer that it seemed like I had to do anything else. But then I was so miserable not being a writer after college that it seemed to me that no matter what, I had to go into writing, and not doing so would be its own kind of death.

For most of the time before I sold The Incendiaries , I favored freelance jobs that I could do from home. I very quickly realized that I’m very introverted and it’s hard on me to engage with people every day except with the one person I’m living with. So that is something I often try to tell people, especially students. It can help to figure out what kinds of jobs will leave you more energy at the end or start of the day, whenever it is you can write. And once you figure that out, it helps a great deal.

I also love applying for things — well, it’s a pain, but that’s one of the ways I deal with my abiding insomnia. I wander around looking for more things to apply for. I also always point people to the backs of books in the acknowledgments — especially in people’s first or second books — in which most people will list everyone who’s ever given them money or a space to write. That helps a lot.

Sigrid Nunez

It’s hard to get a good teaching job if you’re not published. I didn’t even think of applying for teaching jobs until after I published my first book. So I just did all kinds of jobs to make ends meet and to support my writing habit. I worked at the New York Review of Books as an editorial assistant. I also did a certain amount of freelance proofreading and copyediting. I did all kinds of things like that. Basically, they were jobs to keep me going while I was trying to write and get published, and then once I published my first book, that’s when I started teaching, but even then I didn’t do a lot of it. I never sought a full-time teaching job or a permanent connection with any institution. I’ve always been either a visiting writer or an adjunct teacher.

Most writers I know, they prefer to have the security of a job. If it’s a tenured position or a full-time position, it comes with retirement benefits and the big thing: health insurance. But I chose to go my own way and pay for my own health insurance, which was, you know, very costly, in order to have my freedom. Unlike so many other writers, I wasn’t trying to support a family, so it wasn’t absolutely necessary for me to have a certain kind of job security.

Akwaeke Emezi

I gave up my day job in May of 2014, and I’ve never had another job since then, other than writing. One thing that I want to make clear is that I’ve been able to learn how to finish books because I had the time and resources — through MFA funding and a scholarship — to do it.

Things started to get a little choppy in 2017. It was weird because Freshwater came out in February 2018, but for most of the year leading up to publication, I didn’t have a place to live. I was couch surfing in Brooklyn. I was bouncing between Airbnbs. I lived out of two suitcases for several months. Even in January 2018, there was a point where I was like, Wow, my book is coming out next month and I don’t have rent money .

I had finally gotten an apartment in Bed-Stuy that was affordable, through a friend of a friend. It was this building owned by Black artists, and they had been looking for a Black artist to live there. So I stayed there for the rest of the time I was in New York, but the money stuff was really stressful for a good chunk of time. Even as my book was debuting, it was very much like paycheck to paycheck. When I came back to New York in 2017, before the book came out, I was so determined that I wasn’t going to get a job, like a side gig. At some point after leaving my last workplace back in 2014, I had tattooed my knuckles specifically to make sure I couldn’t get a corporate job again. Absolutely not.

In the summer of 2018, once we could see how Freshwater was doing, I already had another manuscript to sell, a third book [ The Death of Vivek Oji ]. I actually also had an additional fourth book, another novel that I had started working on. So the way I’ve been dealing with finances is pretty much by front-loading my work. Because I had a complete manuscript so soon after Freshwater was out, we could take advantage of that momentum and shop it around pretty fast. And then that book, The Death of Vivek Oji , went to auction, and Riverhead acquired it in a two-book deal that was in the mid–six figures. That was really the changing point for me because it was literally more money than I had ever seen in my entire life.

Ingrid Rojas Contreras

When I sold my book, I was working three jobs: translating, teaching, and proofreading. The advance I was offered sounded like a lot of money to me. But of course, when you see what advances are for other people, especially along racial lines, you see how unequal they can be. We’re not always in a place to be able to really examine those numbers. And I think that when you are a person of color, there’s this idea that’s kind of in the air that you should be grateful to be there. So I think that pressure to be grateful, that pressure to just get a foot in the door, and then the background of how hard you’ve worked up until that point makes it so that we don’t look at that number or ask if it’s fair or try to negotiate. I know that I trusted in my agent a lot for those moments, because I didn’t really know how to navigate them at all. And I was happy with how he handled it. We had a couple of offers, so that also made it possible to negotiate.

Interviews by Kelly Conaboy, Amanda Arnold, Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz, and Claire Lampen .

These interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

If you buy something through our links,  New York  may earn an affiliate commission.

The Cut Shop

Most viewed stories.

• What’s the Deal With ‘Hawk Tuah’ Girl?
• I Was Diagnosed With Autism in My 40s. It Gave Me a Lot of Answers.  
• Lily Allen Makes Her OnlyFans Debut
• J.Lo and Ben Affleck Have Reportedly Been ‘Over for Months’
• Sports Are the New Dating Apps
• How the NDA Became the Defining Legal Document of Our Time  

Editor’s Picks

• Book Writing
• Ghost Writing
• Autobiography Memoir
• Ebook Writing
• Article Writing/Publication
• Book Editing
• Book Publishing
• Book Video Trailer
• Author Website
• Book Marketing
• Book Cover Design
• Custom Book Illustration
• Professional Audio Book

How Much a Professional Author Earn Per Book in 2023? $100K OR…?

• April 5, 2024

It is like asking, “ How long is the string? “, as it was said when asked, “ How much do authors make? “

The author has no fixed salary range like LinkedIn’s work. It is an artistic and professional pursuit and has a variety of financial outcomes.

The author’s salary depends on a myriad of factors. This includes, whether you are a full-time or part-time writer, what type of book you write, which publishing route you choose, and more.

Still, “how much money do authors make?” Is still one of the most pressing questions for anyone considering a book writing service career or a prominent writer wondering if it is low paying, is not it?

Page Contents

…like everything else in publishing, the answer is that it is different. Many readers have the idea that every writer is wealthy, but that is far from the truth.

Yes, Stephen King probably has more money than he needs, but he is an outlier. Most authors do not even make a living from their books.

Well, we are integrating this blog to shed light on the authors’ salary trends in 2023 . Also, we support you on this new writing journey with recommendations and proven guidance for making more money as a writer.

How Do Book Writers Make Money In 2023?

Before getting into the number on how much do professional book writer make, we have seen a lot of confusion about it, and therefore, we would like to explain how author rewards work in the traditional publishing industry.

When a writer signs a publishing agreement, the author or his agent usually negotiates a royalty prepayment. If the press release or article states that the book was “sold” for that amount, that amount is prepaid and not a flat-rate purchase price.

Prepaid payments are of three installments: while signing the contract, when the publisher accepts the manuscript, and finally after book publication.

While publishing the books, the author creates a percentage of sales for each book sold. It is actually “royalty.” Nevertheless, because they received a royalty prepayment, they are essentially making the money they have already received.

Once the royalties exceed the prepayment, publishers will pay the author again.

Prepaid can take any length of time from book publication to book publication . When the book gives the authors the number of royalties advanced, they begin to earn additional royalties.

Additional royalties become a “revenue.” If the book publisher does not repay the prepayment, the author does not have to refund the excess to the publisher unless the contract violates or terminates.

Precisely, it is a general description of the process, and there are as many variations as needed.

For example, some authors do not receive upfront payments, and many authors who write for established intellectual property receive a lump sum instead of royalties.

It means that some traditional writers will never exceed this initial prepayment, but some writers can make money with books until their death. In addition, some writers lose money when they spend more on advertising, marketing, and spending than they end up making.

How Much Does An Author Make Per Book, Per Year?

Authors can expect to make book writing an only living resource if they have multiple books on the go, know how to market them well, and have an active and enthusiastic fan base.

Many factors influence how much an author earns each year, such as books sold, royalties, and printing costs. No two writers can make the same amount of money if they are writing differently.

Revenue varies depending on the route picked for your publication , whether traditional or self-published book.

Here are the average author payment for both routes:

As you can see, there is a difference of over $24,000 between traditionally and self-published authors over the same number of sold copies.

Most people think that traditionally published writers are more than vanity presses because of the fame of writers like Stephen King and George R. R. Martin . Nevertheless, that is not true.

Royal Earnings

Now that we have covered most of the author-earning vocab, let us briefly explain what authoring loyalty looks like.

Self-published authors can earn 40% to 60% royalties for the selling price of a book, while traditionally published authors typically earn 10% to 12% royalties.

First-time authors willing to publish traditionally will receive a prepayment. This is usually $10,000 (not so much for first-time authors). However, traditional publishing does not start licensing until you sell a book worth $ 10,000 at the license rate. You need to get that $ 10k back before you can start getting a license check from the publisher.

Moreover, many publishers deal with authors who say that selling X books increases loyalty and makes a difference. Nevertheless, Experienced, proven, and traditionally published authors can negotiate higher license rates.

Therefore, 15% is rare for self-published authors; you can earn an average license fee of 60% from the first sale, including each subsequent book sale.

Factors Affecting Authors Income

The amount of money an author earns annually depends on various factors:

• Revenue per sale
• Prepaid (traditional publications only)
• Marketing volume
• Audience size
• Number of books published in
• Number of books currently published
• Consistency of bookselling

Examples of Authors earning a Handsome Amount

Of course, outliers are always present. Some are extreme than others, such as famous writers who prey on hundreds of thousands of people. To give a few examples:

• Roxane Gay earned $100k for  Hunger  – the fourth book of her career, a memoir .
• Scott Westerfeld earned $175k for  Extras  – the 15th book of his career, YA sci-fi.
• Viet Thanh Nguyen earned $250k for  The Refugees  – the third book of his career, a collection of compact stories.
• Gillian Flynn earned $400k for  Gone Girl  – the third book of her career, a thriller.
• Kristen Roupenian earned $1,200k for  You Know You Want This  – the first book of her career, a short fiction containing the Cat Person.

How To Become an Author Who Earns 100k or More?

It is a well-known fact that many people want to write a book and make a living in 2023 . However, what makes a writer earn 100k or more ?

Written Word Media surveyed in 2019 and 2020 . The analysis was not on rigorous data but on conclusions drawn from author-based self-reported surveys.

Their two research groups were surveyed. An ambitious writer sold books under $500/month , and an economically successful writer sold more than $5,000/month in 2019 research and more than $100,000/year in 2020 .

They found that more financially successful authors published an average of 13.5 books with an average of 31 hours of writing per week. When categorized by day, this averages more than 4 hours of writes per day. Compare this to an average of 7.4 books published for aspiring authors and 16 hours average of writing per week. That is less than half the writing time per day than successful authors. Of those with annual sales of $100,000, 88% have been writing for more than three years, compared to 59% ambitious writers . It gave successful writers time to gain experience and increase their audience.

In addition, 100k successful authors have an average of 30.3 books in their catalogs, while emerging writers have an average of about seven books.

Furthermore, the $100k author had up to 63 books and at least 7 backlists. Again, there is a lot to write to make a book that can be published completely.

Economically successful writers have designed book cover professionally, 68% of whom spend more than $100 on book design . They usually have specialists in designing book covers .

Well, this narrates more to indie authors, but even if you want to go the traditional route, make sure the cover is professional and eye-catching.

Think about how a book gets your attention and guides you to buy it – Maybe, just a book tagline does not fascinate a reader. That is what the reader wants on the cover. Therefore, authors and designers should learn the science behind the best covers.

The economically successful author specializes in editing the manuscript. You can write, and you can write well, but another pair of professional eyes is key.

More than half of successful author surveys spent $100 on professional editing services, and 32% spent more than $ 500 .

Economically successful writers write in popular genres. They also believe in free ads that have one free title. That is, one of their books is always available for free. Some 45% of authors hire staff, but they are also in charge of their marketing.

Over 90% of both 100k authors and up-and-coming writers say they have their marketing. The only difference is that 100k writers can hire for their ease.

Now that you know how much money do authors make on average, we would like to share some tips on how to make more money.

Here Are Some Tips for Becoming a Full-Time Writer.

Tip one: choose between traditional and self-publishing route.

First, learn the difference between Traditional and Self-Publishing routes and then make the best choice.

To succeed, it is crucial whether you want to make the most money as a writer.

There are ways to succeed in both ways. Keep in mind that traditional publishing takes time (2 to 3 years for the entire process), and if you are lucky in a bidding war between publishers, you may not make a lot of money.

These bidding wars, like the 6 to 7 digit transactions you hear could bring outstanding progress to writers. Otherwise, unrecognized authors may only receive a $10k prepayment to get started.

Key differences:

Tip Two: Write and Market

Did you know that premium book publishers have employees who develop “trendy” book concepts and endured in the market, and hire writers to realize their ideas?

Sometimes it is the same person, but not always. They do this to have the finest chance of making money by taking advantage of what is currently “hot” in literature.

Two powerful forces are shaping today’s financial landscape—personalized writing and smart globalization.

What is the best thing about it? You can do this yourself as the author of a self-publication.

Nevertheless, how do you write to the market? Moreover, is it a “legitimate” form of authoring?

There is a dispute between legitimate writers and market-oriented writers. These are just people who have the right – that is simple.

The truth is if you enjoy writing, you can easily come up with story ideas, write quickly, and publish. Writing is a legitimate (and wise) career option in the market. Simple is that.

As a self-published writer, you can write to the market by looking at the categories you like to make stories and seeing what kind of stories really work.

An example is the era of vampire novels, which started with books like Twilight and caused the explosion of vampire stories from many writers and publishers. Moreover, these sold really well.

However, vampires are not as popular as urban fantasy in today’s young adult category.

If you like writing fantasy, you can benefit from writing these books and publishing them frequently.

Tip Three: Commit to Being A Professional Author

“If you treat writing like a hobby, it will pay like a hobby.”

– R.E. Vance

How do you “promise yourself to be a professional writer”?

• Decide your way (just like you choose a college)
• Invest where you need it (again, just like any college or other education you need for a job). You may need Mczell Book Writing assistance, first
• You Plan the completion dates
• Create writing goals to meet that schedule
• Learn the genuine path for optimal authors salary as a full-time writer
• Say no to what you do not need, make a sacrifice to do what you like for life.

In Closing!

Writing a book or becoming a full-time author will be rewarded at some point.

With a mixture of patience, a lot of hard work, and constant hustle-bustle, you can make a fair amount of money. We hope this article has helped you to increase your enthusiasm for writing and making money.

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.

No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”

–Robert Frost

One thought on “ How Much a Professional Author Earn Per Book in 2023? $100K OR…? ”

• Pingback: Jericho Writers

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

+1 302-298-0035

1007 n orange st, wilmington, de.

• Customer Reviews
• Let's Get Started
• Article Writing & Publication

Social Media

© 2022 - All Rights Reserved, McZell Book Writing. Terms of Services     |     Privacy Policy

Disclaimer:

• Craft and Criticism
• Fiction and Poetry
• News and Culture
• Lit Hub Radio
• Reading Lists

• Literary Criticism
• Craft and Advice
• In Conversation
• On Translation
• Short Story
• From the Novel
• Bookstores and Libraries
• Film and TV
• Art and Photography
• Freeman’s
• The Virtual Book Channel
• Behind the Mic
• Beyond the Page
• The Cosmic Library
• The Critic and Her Publics
• Emergence Magazine
• Fiction/Non/Fiction
• First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
• The History of Literature
• I’m a Writer But
• Lit Century
• Tor Presents: Voyage Into Genre
• Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast
• Write-minded
• The Best of the Decade
• Best Reviewed Books
• BookMarks Daily Giveaway
• The Daily Thrill
• CrimeReads Daily Giveaway

Do Authors Really Need to Spend Their Own Money to Make a Book Successful?

Maris kreizman on independent publicists, books tours, and vanishing book coverage.

Last week The Guardian ran an article about how some authors are seeking help outside of their in-house publishing teams to promote their books. This is nothing new. There are lots of independent publicists who’ve been working with authors to supplement the work of their in-house teams for years. But this piece seemed to strike a particular chord with literary Twitter, probably because of one particular line: “Book tours can cost $15,000, publicity campaigns up to $16,000, and marketing work up to $100 an hour – figures that can be considerable when compared to authors’ advances and distant promises of royalties.”

That’s a lot of money, I think we can all agree. So yes, (some) commercial authors are spending significant amounts of money on outside help, and the authors featured in the Guardian piece are happy with their investments. But I think a lot of readers came away from that piece feeling like they could not be successful without spending extra money. Not true! Here are some other things to keep in mind.

In-house publicists and marketers aren’t lazy. I mean, some of them might be, but that’s not what’s going on here. I’ve already written about how, overall, there are too many books , often because the people who run publishing companies consistently value quantity over quality. This is stressful for the workers on the ground, the ones who likely chose to work in book publishing in the first place because they actually, you know, like books. As workloads have increased and in-house staff become more overwhelmed by the day, outside consultants can be attractive simply because they have adequate time to spend on each of their clients.

The midlist is vanishing. There’s a wealth gap in publishing that has been accelerated by corporate consolidation. The rich (celebrities, politicians) are getting richer, while the rest of us (most of whom actually write our own books!) have less to work with in terms of money and resources. Theoretically a book advance should pay authors for the time that it took to write their book, as well as the time it will take to promote. With advances diminishing (or at least certainly not keeping up with inflation), authors can end up spending an amount of time on those jobs that comes out to way less than the minimum wage. Paying for outside help on top of such low wages is absolutely not an option.

Most readings and tours don’t make a huge impact on book sales . Most authors who pay for outside help with book tours are unlikely to see a big return on investment. There are other benefits to IRL readings: the community, the chance to interact with booksellers, the chance to see friends in far off places. But having a big tour is probably not what’s going to make or break a book, which can be a tough lesson to learn when so many of us (me included) have romantic ideas about what being an author actually entails.

Book coverage is more fractured than ever. As Kate Dwyer noted in a recent Esquire piece on why debut novels are more difficult than ever to launch, there is no longer a winning formula for the kinds of book coverage that would clinch bestsellerdom. Even the most prized spaces in print media are no longer a guarantee (even the cover of the New York Times Book Review , which was always my gold standard), nor are radio and television appearances or celebrity book club picks. Hiring the “right” outside publicist with the right connections to pitch their books might not pay off in the way authors might hope.

Authors have been asked to do more and more. Authors are constantly told to be your own brand , to develop your own following, to be active on social media, to bootstraps your way to literary success. Which is ironic because brand identity means so little to the book publishers themselves . Apart from a few really focused indie presses ( NYRB , you’re killing it!) and genre imprints, publishers do not distinguish themselves in ways meaningful to consumers. It’s a lot of pressure when the burden falls entirely on the author, so of course seeking outside help is appealing.

All of literary culture suffers if the barrier to entry is too high. It would be terrible to live in a world where the only way to become a bestseller is to pay for it. We’re not there yet (well, except for political books bought in large chunks by PACs). Yes, outside help can absolutely be worth the money, but it doesn’t guarantee success (and the opposite is true: if an author doesn’t have extra money to hire outside help their book is not doomed). Ideally, publishers would be able to provide all of the resources to enable their authors’s success, but even in the good old days success was never guaranteed.

• Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Maris Kreizman

Previous article, next article, support lit hub..

Join our community of readers.

to the Lithub Daily

Popular posts.

Follow us on Twitter

Nicolás Medina Mora on Mexico’s First Woman President and the Country’s Political Future

• RSS - Posts

Literary Hub

Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature

Sign Up For Our Newsletters

How to Pitch Lit Hub

Advertisers: Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Support Lit Hub - Become A Member

Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member : Because Books Matter

For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience , exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag . Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

Become a member for as low as $5/month

How Do Authors Make Money? Self-Published vs Traditional Authors

In 2022, the Authors Guild reported that the median author income for full-time authors from their books was $10,000 in 2022, and their total median earnings from their book and other author-related income combined was $20,000. That means that for the first time, authors make as much money from non-book sources as they did from writing books!

Basically, authors make money through royalties, advance payments, and other writing skills. Let's break it all down.

For an aspiring author, the question of how to make money often comes up. Authors need cash to fund their notebook collections and TBR piles, of course. 

There are various ways authors can earn income in both the traditional publishing and self-publishing worlds. 

First, it is important to consider the different types of publishing options available to authors. One option is self-publishing. Pros: you retain control over your work and typically get higher royalties from ebook and print book sales. Cons: no huge force behind you to help you succeed.

The other option is traditional publishing, which involves working with a publishing company that will handle the production, distribution, and promotion of the book. Pros: You get an advance payment – great! Plus, the publishing house normally gives you an editor, a design team, and some marketing help. Cons: Lower royalties, plus you have to actually be accepted by one first.

Additionally, authors are typically good writers – no surprise there. Since book sales sometimes don't cover a full-time wage, some authors use their writing skills in various ways, such as freelance writing gigs, teaching, and applying for grants, among others. It is important for writers to explore multiple revenue streams to maximize their income potential and sustain their writing careers.

Traditional Publishing

Securing a publisher.

Publishers play a crucial role in the traditional publishing process, as they provide the resources and expertise needed for a book to succeed. As an author, my primary responsibility is to write a high-quality manuscript and submit it to potential publishers. Established authors usually have a better chance of securing a publishing deal due to their proven track records.

Role of Literary Agents

In my experience, having a literary agent can make a significant difference in the traditional publishing process. Literary agents are professionals who represent authors and negotiate with publishers on their behalf, helping secure favorable deals. They can also provide valuable advice on improving my manuscript and navigate the complex contracts and rights associated with publishing.

Understanding Advances

When a publisher decides they like your book writing, they usually offer you an advance payment. This is a sum of money given to you before the book is published, essentially representing the publisher's confidence in your manuscript's potential success. 

Advances can range from a few thousand dollars for a first-time book author to several hundred thousand dollars for established authors with multiple books (looking at the James Pattersons of the writing world). It's important to note that you'll need to earn back this advance through your book's sales before you can start collecting future royalties.

Payment Rate and Royalties

In addition to advances, as an author, you receive royalties from my book's sales once you've earned out your advance. 

Royalty rates differ depending on factors such as the format of the book (e.g., ebook, paperback, or audiobook), the retailer, and the pricing of the book. For example, self-published authors' royalties can reach up to 70% for ebooks , while traditionally published authors might receive 5-18% royalties once they "earn out" their advance.

Distribution and Reach

One of the most significant advantages of traditional publishing is the extensive distribution and reach offered by publishers. They often have connections with major retailers and a well-established network of distributors, making it more likely for a book to be prominently displayed in bookstores and purchased by readers. This wider distribution can lead to increased sales and greater visibility for your work, further establishing your reputation as an author.

Examples of Successful Traditionally Published Authors

Stephen King, James Patterson, and Colleen Hoover are some of today's most successful authors. Their author income reaches the millions, and I imagine each book advance is in the six figures.

Read→ How much do best selling authors make?

Self-Publishing

Understanding self-publishing.

In recent years, self-publishing has become increasingly popular among authors looking to take control of their work and earnings. By choosing to self-publish, you bypass traditional publishing houses and directly reach my target audience. This allows you to potentially earn up to 70% in royalties for your ebooks, as opposed to 5-18% through traditional means.

The Indie Authors Revolution

Indie authors are part of a growing community that not only supports each other but also shares valuable knowledge and resources. This movement has also given rise to platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords, which provide authors with the tools they need to publish their works and reach readers. Indie authors are increasingly successful, with some earning over $10,000 per month .

Genre Impact on Earnings

The genre of your book also has an impact on your potential earnings in the self-publishing world. Certain genres, like romance, mystery, and science fiction, have proven to be more lucrative than others. This is because these genres typically have larger and more dedicated reading communities. 

Marketing Efforts and Reach

In the self-publishing landscape, you must take the lead in marketing your books. This includes utilizing social media, author websites, email lists, and other promotional tools. These marketing efforts are crucial in order to drive book sales and increase your reach. Investing time and resources in marketing not only helps you reach your target audience but also establishes your brand as an author.

In conclusion, self-publishing has many benefits, including control over my work and potentially higher earnings. By understanding the different facets of self-publishing and putting in the necessary marketing effort, you have the opportunity to reach a wide audience and maximize my success as an author.

Examples of successful self published authors

It's very hard to find data on book sales for best-selling self published authors, because when they get to that stage, pub houses normally snap them up. But imagine a self published author like Tricia O'Malley has sold 3,000,000 books and netted ~70% of the profits of her books, an average one of which sells for around $12.99 through Amazon KDP. That would earn her $9.1 per book, or $27,300,000 overall .  

Earnings from Book Sales

Calculating book sales.

No matter if you're a fiction author or a nonfiction author, you make money primarily through book sales. It's essential to understand how many copies you need to sell to earn a substantial income. A critical factor in calculating your earnings is the retail price of the book minus any discounts or fees. Then, factor in my royalty rate to determine how much you can potentially earn per book.

Printing Costs Influence

You also need to account for printing costs when determining the profits I make from selling books. For example, if my book has high production costs (e.g., color images, high-quality paper), this can reduce my overall earnings. 

An indie author especially need to consider this aspect as you manage printing costs. A traditionally published author will probably be told a final figure from the publishing house, which won't be subject to negotiation.

Royalty Earnings Vs Advance Payment

One of the ways authors make money writing books is through royalty earnings. At a traditional publisher, royalties typically range from 10% to 15% of the book's revenue after printing costs, typically higher for more successful authors. They're higher (think more like 30-70% ) for self-pubbed authors. 

Alternatively, advance payment is another way traditional authors can earn money. An advance is an upfront payment from a publisher, and this amount is typically based on the publisher's estimation of your book's sales potential. It's essential to note that advance payments must be "earned out" through book sales before you start receiving royalty payments.

Overall, earnings from book sales rely on a combination of factors, including book sales, royalties, advance payment, and printing costs.

Alternate Earning Possibilities

The sad truth is that especially for traditionally published authors,a. full-time living from books is nothing but a pipe dream. Traditionally published authors earned more in 2022 from nonbook writing-related income than book-related income ($5,000 vs. $7,400), while self-published authors earned more from book income.

As an author, you should always looking for new ways to expand your income streams by using your writing skill beyond just writing books. 

Professional Speaking Opportunities

One of the avenues many writers have found beneficial is professional speaking opportunities. By sharing expertise with others through conferences, workshops, and seminars, you can not only generate additional income but also increase visibility and credibility in the industry.

These engagements can come in various formats, such as keynote presentations, panel discussions, and workshops. They allow you to connect with fellow authors, aspiring writers, and those interested in the topics you cover in my books.

Ghostwriting Projects

Another option to consider is taking on ghostwriting projects. I do this a lot as a freelance writer.

As a ghostwriter, I am hired by clients to write content on their behalf, usually in their voice, and without any credit to my name. These projects can range from articles and blog posts to entire books, depending on the client's needs. Ghostwriting is a very lucrative aspect of my writing career, as it provides a steady stream of work, allowing me to utilize my writing skills while maintaining a flexible schedule.

Career as a Copywriter

Lastly, becoming a copywriter is another way to make money as a professional writer without relying solely on book sales. As a copywriter, I write compelling marketing and advertising copy for a variety of clients. This type of writing focuses on promoting products, services, or ideas, and requires a different skill set than writing books. 

Establishing an Author Platform

Nowadays, it seems like any hot TikTok influencer can publish a book and get a book deal within the publishing industry. That is not a coincidence. 

Traditional publishing houses especially are looking for authors than can market themselves, though I will note that not many of these have turned into a bestselling author. As an indie author, you also need to have a platform to market and sell your books. 

Importance of Author Platform

An author platform is crucial for any writer looking to succeed in today's competitive market. It allows you to showcase your work and engage with your target audience, which in turn helps in building your personal brand as an author. 

A great example is the author of Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhou who is very popular and active on TikTok. That is how she got her book deal. 

Building an author platform involves creating a website, blogging consistently, building an email list, and leveraging social media in the digital book world, as well as other offline avenues such as libraries.

Author Earnings

Earning potential and full-time income.

As an author, the potential for earnings varies significantly depending on factors such as the publishing route chosen, genre, marketing efforts, and the overall quality of the work. Some authors make millions, while others struggle to earn a full-time income. The average salary for authors is $43,603 per year. However, this number doesn't paint the full picture, as author earnings can have a wide range.

Understanding Author Earnings

To gain a better understanding of author earnings, it's essential to consider the various income streams authors have access to, including:

Book sales: The primary source of income for a published author, at least indie ones, is the sale of their books, whether it's physical copies, ebooks, or audiobooks.

Advances: For traditionally published authors, advances are payments they receive early in the process. These advances are then recouped by the publisher through the sale of the book, after which authors begin earning royalties.

Royalties: Authors receive a percentage of each book sale, known as royalties. Royalty rates vary depending on factors such as the publishing path chosen, the format of the book, and the sales channel.

Subsidiary rights: Authors can also earn money through the sale of subsidiary rights, such as translations, media adaptations (film, TV, etc.), and merchandising.

Public speaking and events: Many authors make additional income through public speaking engagements, workshops, and book signings, using their expertise and author platform to generate revenue. This is how many trad authors are making more money nowadays.

In conclusion, author earnings vary depending on the publishing route chosen, genre, marketing efforts, and the overall quality of the work. However, with dedication and strategic planning, authors can maximize their earning potential and even turn their passion for writing into a full-time career.

Final thoughts on how authors make money

In my head, authors live in remote coastal cottages, typing on typewriters to the sound of a salty ocean spray. Maybe they write the next Great American Novel and become an instant bestseller.

But the truth is most authors make money the same way the rest of us do: grinding. Lucky ones get big advances and a higher royalty rate, or develop a big enough following on social media to become a successful author that way. 

KoalaWriter Review: Best AI and SEO Writing Tool?

How does a freelance writer make money.

How Much Do Authors Make on Amazon Really? Unveiling the Truth Behind Earnings

Here's how much authors are cashing in on Amazon royalty checks.

Amazon is THE place to self-publish a book these days because it's easy to navigate, free to use, and actually PAYS authors and publishers well. How well? Well, there's no cap whatsoever on how much you can earn in royalties, so the sky is really the limit.

Some authors and publishers make a few hundred dollars every month, while others can easily make six figures. Yep, you read that right. In a single month! We'll introduce you to some of them later on in this blog post!

Pssssst...See why teachers, retirees, and college students are all turning to self-published books to make truly passive income online. It's all laid out in our totally free webinar !

How the Amazon Publishing Model Works

Amazon thought of everything when they designed the KDP self-publishing platform. You can publish books, market them, and check on your sales analytics, all from the same portal.

Here's how it all works:

Types of Publishing Options on Amazon

• Kindle Direct Publishing : This is the main platform that houses everything and lets you sell multiple books in different formats, like a physical book (paperback, hardcover) or digital book (audiobook, eBook).
• KDP Select : An exclusive program that makes your eBook available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers and eligible for additional promotional opportunities.
• Amazon Publishing : Amazon's full-service publishing arm that operates like a traditional publisher.
• Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) : A platform that provides you with the option to publish audiobooks on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes or connect with professional narrators.

Overview of Amazon's Royalty Structure

Amazon's royalty structure varies based on the publishing option you choose and other factors like your book's pricing, distribution channels, and the geographic location of the sales:

KDP Royalties :

• ‍ 70% Royalty Option
• 35% Royalty Option
• Instantly calculate the future royalties you could make with our free KDP royalty calculator !

Paperbacks : A fixed royalty rate based on your book's list price minus printing costs.

KDP Select : Offers the same royalty rates as KDP but includes additional earnings from the KDP Select Global Fund, calculated based on pages read. This amount varies from month to month.

ACX Royalties :

• Exclusive Distribution: Earn up to 40% royalties.
• Non-Exclusive Distribution: Earn a lower royalty rate if your audiobook is distributed outside of Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

Can Authors Become Financially Successful Solely Through Amazon Self-Publishing?

Yes, some authors definitely achieve financial success solely through Amazon self-publishing. This typically requires a combination of professional writing, high-quality content, comprehensive marketing, and a deep understanding of Amazon's algorithms and reader preferences.

But there are some caveats...

Factors Influencing Author Earnings and Publisher Earnings on Amazon

Publishing incomes can vary across Amazon just based on the types of books you publish and where you publish them. Publishers and authors who stick to Amazon and fail to take advantage of other self-publishing platforms or aggregators, for example, might not reach the same number of potential readers.

Here are some other factors that can affect how much money you make:

• Book Pricing: Pricing your book is a little more complicated than just making it as expensive as possible to get more royalties. The pros use dynamic pricing and change the list price based on different factors like the season, whether it's a new release and the competition.
• Royalties: Depending on the chosen distribution and publishing platform (KDP or Expanded Distribution), your royalties per book sold will vary.
• Book Format: eBooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks have different costs and royalties.
• Sales Volume: Your earnings and best-seller ranking are directly affected by the number of books sold (or the number of pages read if you're enrolled in KDP Select).
• Marketing and Advertising: Amazon advertising can land your book a VIP position on the first page results when someone goes to type in what they're looking for in the Amazon search bar, which can give your sales a nice boost.
• Genre Popularity: Some genres have larger audiences, which may result in higher sales. This is why so many publishing experts talk about niches. The thing is, you can also go too far down the niche rabbit hole to the point that a book won't have a big enough audience to actually sell enough copies month to month to keep your publishing business afloat.

Indie Authors vs. Indie Publishers

Publishers typically make even MORE than authors on Amazon KDP...but what's the difference?

Aren't they the same thing? Not quite.

An author is solely responsible for the writing. The thing is, they don't even have to do the writing themselves. Over half the books on the non-fiction bestseller list were more than likely written by a ghostwriter. At the end of the day, you don't have to do any of the publishing or marketing to be considered an author. You just need to have your name on a book cover. So, where does a publisher fit in?

Becoming a publisher means reframing the act of publishing as building a business where the end goal is always to make your readers as happy as possible. This requires hours of thorough customer research to really understand where your readers are at and what they need. From there, publishers can outsource 99% of the writing, editing, and even formatting work. How they differ from authors is that publishers are responsible for performing quality checks every step of the way, and whether the end product does right by your readers will be up to you.

Pro Tip: This is why we say ANYONE in the world can become a publisher. Yes, even those who "aren't good with tech" and those who "aren't good at writing." As long as you can master the art of delegation or research, you can make it on this path! But it still takes work.

Do Self-Published Authors Make Good Money? Average Earnings for Amazon Authors and Publishers

It might sound like a silly distinction, but the numbers speak for themselves. The average earnings for Amazon authors and publishers are different!

• Indie Authors: On average, self-published authors really don't earn all that much. Most new authors earn less than $500 per year, while experienced authors with multiple titles and strong marketing strategies can earn over $10,000 annually. The lower end is pretty common for authors who see their writing as a hobby rather than a business. There is NOTHING WRONG with this, by the way. It's just not the most lucrative way to use Amazon's platform.
• Publishers: The self-publishing market is booming and is only expected to get even bigger over the next decade. There are self-publishers that make six figures in one single month from one single book, but of course, that's not the average, either. But you don't need to make six figures in a month to still make a significant income that can totally change your life. Ask yourself what you'd do with an extra $1k per month. What about $3k? $10k?

Pro Tip: The exception to this rule, of course, is any well-established author or celebrity author. 99% of these people use ghostwriters, but they make a ton of book sales and royalties with every new project because they already have well-established brands.

Maximizing Profits as an Amazon Author or Publisher

There aren't a whole lot of shortcuts you can take as a self-published author or publisher to rig the algorithm in your favor. This is a good thing! As poorly written books flood the market, your quality work will stand out more and more.

Still, there are some ways to get more readers, even if you're new to the self-published book game:

Strategic Pricing

We dive more into pricing strategies in our other blog posts, but here's a high-level look:

• Launch Pricing : Initially, setting your book’s price lower or even offering free books can draw in readers and encourage early reviews.
• Adjusting Post-Launch : Once your book establishes a reader base, you can bump your price back up to maximize your royalties.
• Utilizing Discounting Periods : You can also take advantage of other book promos or try running a discounted price in the future, especially as you start publishing books in multiple formats.

Marketing Tools

The great thing about KDP is that advertising and marketing tools are already built into the platform. They WANT you to make more book sales because that translates to more Amazon sales. These are the tools you should have in your marketing arsenal to make more money:

• Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) : For targeted pay-per-click advertisements.
• Social Media Campaigns : Facebook ads, especially those targeting lookalike audiences, can also extend your reach to more markets outside of the US.
• Promotional Platforms : Platforms like Goodreads can offer additional promotional opportunities.

Pro Tip: Playing around with Facebook ads and other promotional tools usually comes down the line as you're trying to scale your publishing business into the 6-figure per month range we mentioned earlier, so it's definitely not required if you're just getting started out.

Earning Reviews

Book reviews largely make or break a book launch. 50-100+ good reviews tell people that their time, money, and energy will be worth your content. A handful of bad reviews, on the other hand, tell potential readers that if your book was a sushi restaurant, they might get food poisoning and should probably steer clear...

So, how do you get more reviews? You've got some options:

• Engage Book Bloggers : Send ARCs to book bloggers or excited readers within your genre.
• Foster an Engaged Reader Community : Create spaces for your readers to gather, discuss, and leave reviews of your work. Some of our students have built giant Facebook communities for this exact purpose.
• ASK: We saved the easiest review method for last. You can put a page in your book that encourages someone to leave a review if the reader loves your work. This doesn't cost anything extra, so there's literally no reason not to at least try.

Case Studies of Successful Amazon Authors and Self-Publishers

Meet Jamie!

After the pandemic thwarted his small business dreams, Jamie was in a pinch. The bills were stacking up, and he wasn't sure how he was going to pay them off every month. It wasn't long until he made over $6k in royalties!

Meet Dennis!

If you struggle with perfectionism, self-doubt, and a fear of success, this award-winning publishing coach talks about having realistic expectations for yourself and how to start small:

Meet Lesley!

As a mom, full-time nurse, and personal trainer, Lesley knew what it was like to be spread thin between a dozen different competing responsibilities. Trying to fit in self-publishing felt impossible at the beginning, and she almost gave up. But after some sleepless nights and sheer determination, the work started paying off, and thousands in her bank account felt pretty good.

Meet Marco!

Wanna know how a 30-year-old is able to make over $35k per month? Marco opens up about all the failures that led him to this point: 

The Future of Amazon Publishing

KDP changed the game for self-publishing by making royalty payments way more accessible and also setting a higher rate than most other platforms. All authors and publishers also retain the rights to their work and can revoke their work from the platform anytime they want, which is pretty much unheard of when it comes to the traditional publishing model.

Here are some ways Kindle books are expected to change the future of publishing, too:

Emerging Trends in Digital Publishing

• Personalized Content : Readers increasingly expect content tailored to their preferences, and Amazon's algorithms may advance to deliver even more personalized reading suggestions.
• Interactive Books : Enhanced eBooks with interactive elements, such as embedded audio or video, are becoming more prevalent, which could lead to new revenue streams for authors and publishers on Amazon.
• Audiobook Growth : The audiobook sector is STILL rapidly expanding. Authors and publishers who integrate audiobooks into their Amazon offerings may see increased engagement and income.
• Subscription Models : Amazon's Kindle Unlimited is a pioneer in eBook subscription services. This model is likely to persist, encouraging a steady income for authors and publishers from a pool of subscribers.

Predictions for Publisher and Author Earnings Growth

• Market Expansion : Despite already being a publishing GIANT, Amazon’s international market is expected to grow, potentially leading to higher earnings for publishers selling their books in different countries.
• Independent Publishing : Thanks to Amazon's sales tools, there's really no need for the traditional publishing model anymore. Self-publishing gives you complete power over your own income and opportunity.
• Marketing Tools : Amazon will keep updating its suite of marketing tools, helping publishers promote their work more effectively. When you win, THEY win, too!
• Pricing Strategies : Amazon might eventually use AI to aid with dynamic pricing and help publishers maximize profits by finding the optimal price points for their books.

Add Self-Publisher and Early Retiree to Your Resume This Year

Do you really want to sit through another meeting for a job that gives you the "Sunday Scaries" right on cue every week? Do you really want to leave your retirement up to chance or miss out on your kids' biggest milestones because you're busy? Self-publishing takes care of all that and more. It's one of the top side hustles for retirees for a reason.

How does this sound?

• More money for your family
• More freedom to pick and choose your schedule every single day
• More fulfillment round-the-clock
• Less stress and headaches
• Less time spent on things that don't matter
• Less worrying about your financial future

How many books will you publish this year? It only takes one to make life-changing income.

Stop by our webinar to access the foolproof blueprint to making money online! 

FREE WEBINAR

How Much Money Do Authors Earn, and What Makes a Bestselling Author?

This post may contains affiliate links. If you click and buy we may make a commission, at no additional charge to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more details.

Who hasn’t dreamed of becoming a bestselling author? It’s a common flight of fancy, but the truth is, most of us never even put pen to paper and give it a try.

But there’s a pretty good reason for that. Making it as a successful author isn’t easy, and even if your work is published, there’s no guarantee that you’ll make enough money to quit your day job. Not everyone can be the next Stephen King, after all.

That being said, with the right skill set and plenty of drive and determination, anything is possible. So, if you’re considering writing a book and getting it published for the world to see, or you’re simply curious about what the process involves, then read on.

Table of Contents

How Much Money Does an Author Earn, and What Does It Take to Become a Bestselling Author?

In this post, I’ll explore the subject of money in the book publishing world and look at what an author can expect to make for each book they write. I’ll also share tips from some of the world’s most renowned authors on what it takes to make it onto the bestseller’s charts.

So, let’s start off by asking that all-important question.

How Much Money Do Authors Make Per Book?

Many people have this notion that all authors are wealthy. They spend a few months tapping away on the typewriter in a picturesque lakeside cabin, and then they sit back and watch the cash roll in.

But unfortunately, that’s not the case for most authors, even many of those we consider ‘ successful .’ In fact, most writers don’t even make enough money from their books to cover the bills, and they supplement their income with a ‘ real job .’

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula to calculate what authors can expect to make. The income books generate varies as much as the content within them, and even if a publisher approves your manuscript, it’s almost impossible to predict how lucrative it will be.

That being said, knowing some important industry standards will help give you an idea of how the money side of the book writing business works and what percentage of the sales will land in your bank account.

Also Read: 8 Most Mind-Bending Best Selling Conspiracy Theory Books of all Time

Traditional Publishing

If you choose to go down the traditional route and find a publisher, they will manage the entire process of marketing, producing, and distributing your book. They’ll typically cover all the costs associated with these things, too.

But while all that might sound pretty appealing, ultimately, the author’s cut of the profits ends up being pretty small. The truth is, once you factor in the months or even years worth of work that goes into writing a book, most authors will barely break minimum wage.

Traditionally published authors can expect to make anywhere between 5% and 15% royalties (often called ‘retail royalties’ or ‘list royalties’) on every copy sold.

So, if your agreed royalties rate is 10%, and your book retails at $15, you’ll receive $1.50 per sale.

The royalty percentage will depend on the publisher, the agreed contract, and the type of book produced.

• The Advance

An advance is a sum paid by the publisher to the author before the book is produced and ready for sale.

This can be anywhere from $250 to mega millions, but expect the amount offered to be much closer to the former if it’s your first book.

The advance is a pre-empted sum of future royalties earnings based on the minimum number of copies a publisher expects to sell.

So, let’s imagine a publisher has offered you a $5,000 advance. Then, using the same example above, a book retailing at $15 with a royalty agreement of 10% needs to sell at least 3,333 copies (at your royalty rate of $1.50) to match the advance.

But thankfully, most reputable publishers guarantee your advance, so if you don’t meet the 3,333 copies target, you won’t have to pay back the remainder. And if you sell more, this is when you’ll start earning additional royalties.

The above should give you a rough idea of what to expect when it comes to earning money through the traditional publishing route. But don’t forget that if you hire an agent, they’ll need paying, too.

Typical agents fees are around 15% of your sales. More often than not, the publisher sends your advance and royalties checks to your agent, who will deduct their fees before passing the remainder on to you.

• Selling Your Own Copies

Depending on the publisher and your agreed contract, you may be able to buy copies of your book for a discounted price to sell on yourself. Standard contracts generally allow authors to sell their books on any platform where the publisher isn’t already trading, for example, through your own website. There are no additional fees to pay in this case, and any money you make from then onwards is yours to keep.

• EBooks and Audiobooks

It’s worth mentioning that publishers generally offer a higher royalty rate for e-books and audiobooks. That’s because digital format books don’t carry the same production costs as printed books, and the publisher’s outgoings are significantly smaller.

Self Publishing

Self-publishing a book can be much more lucrative than going down the traditional publishing route. Since you won’t need to split your earnings with publishers and agents, you generally get to keep a much bigger percentage of revenue from your book sales.

According to self-publishingschool.com , self-published authors can earn up to three times as much as those who work with a traditional publisher.

But self-publishing comes with its own unique set of challenges too. The author is responsible for much more than just writing a great novel; you’ll need to think about everything from the graphic design of your front cover to proofreading and editing, and marketing your final creation.

Of course, you can outsource many of these tasks to other professionals, but this will eat into your earnings, and if your book isn’t as successful as you’d hoped, you could be left in debt.

That being said, there’s a reason why so many authors are choosing to abandon the traditional publishing route in favor of self-publishing. If you have the right ability, a whole lot of drive, and determination, self-publishing can lead to a higher income; and ultimately, much more control over your work.

If you’re interested in learning more about how self-publishing works, Hooked to Books has some in-depth, practical guides that can help get you started. Check out our posts about how self-published authors get paid for eBooks , and how to successfully publish a Kindle eBook.

What Makes a Bestselling Author?

Of course, anyone who goes through the process of writing a book dreams their work will become a bestseller.

But what does the term ‘bestseller’ actually mean?

The word can be used to describe books that make it to the top of any chart, not just the coveted New York Times list.

For example, if you choose to self-publish your book and sell it on an online bookstore like Amazon, you could find yourself in the top 10 charts by selling 200-300 books per day.

There are countless book charts out there, and you don’t necessarily need to be the next George R.R. Martin or Paulo Cohello to make it on the list.

That being said, it’s best to aim for the top, so here are a few tips from some of the world’s most celebrated authors from ‘those’ bestsellers charts to help you cultivate a mindset for success.

Will Self: Value your alone time “The writing life is essentially one of solitary confinement – if you can’t deal with this, you needn’t apply.”

Michael Moorcock: If you want to know how to write, read! “Read. Read everything you can lay hands on. I always advise people who want to write a fantasy or science fiction or romance to stop reading everything in those genres and start reading everything else from Bunyan to Byatt.”

Zadie Smith: Create a sacred space “Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.”

Barbara Kingsolver: Find your own authentic voice ‘Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.’

Kazuo Ishiguro: Get outside your comfort zone ‘Write what you know is the most stupid thing I’ve heard. It encourages people to write a dull autobiography. It’s the reverse of firing the imagination and potential of writers.’

Neil Gaiman: Take the right advice “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”

Lee Child: Open with a bang ‘ ‘If you’re ever going to submit a book for publication, obviously some people start reading it. So, the first line, the first paragraph, the first page has got to be utterly compelling. If you can do that, then you’re home and dry because that’s what people want. They want a book where they pick it up, and they’re instantly hooked.’ ‘

You May Also Read: 11 Bestselling Ellen Hopkins Books of All-Time

Becoming an author is one of the most difficult career paths you can take, but it’s also one of the most rewarding.

And although many authors will never make enough money to sustain themselves from their books alone, those truly passionate about their work aren’t in it for the money. They write to share their stories with the world, and that in itself is worth a million dollars.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

How Much Do Authors Make?

If you want to make a living as an author, you may wonder, how much do authors make? We’ll go over some basic numbers for traditionally published and indie authors.

Traditionally Published Authors

A traditionally published author may or may not receive an advance on their book for $5,000 to $10,000. Once the book is published, most publishing companies will pay the author around 10% in royalties (note: this royalty is historically based on the list price, but is increasingly more often based on the wholesale price, which are two VASTLY different amounts), but you have to earn back your advance before you can get paid additional royalties. Often, those advances don’t get completely earned out, so that may be all the money you receive. Which means the larger your advance, the more likely your publisher is to market your book so they can recoup their investment.

Let’s say your publisher is selling the book at $20, a reasonable, if a bit high, price for a paperback novel. Amazon currently offers 60% royalties for print books, so let’s say the wholesale price for this book is $12.  If you then receive 10% of that, or $1.2 . That means you’d have to sell 4,167 print books to recoup a $5,000 royalty. If you’re being paid on the list price, you’ll get $2.00 a book and will have to seller fewer copies to earn out your advance.

Depending on the publisher, the author, and the genre, the lifetime sales of your book will vary. But let’s say you’ve got a pretty good publisher, you’re a good author (but you’re not well-known like J.K. Rowling), and you write in a popular genre, so your book sells 15,000 copies in its lifetime. That’s very good (though keep in mind that some books may only sell 1,500 copies, and  bestsellers may sell 30,000). With 15,000 copies sold and a $1.2 royalty, you’d make $18,000 on that book during its lifetime. If you spent a year writing and rewriting your book, and you write as many hours a day as you would for a full time job (so 40 hours a week), you would make around $8.65 an hour.

Now, all this is made more complicated by ebook sales versus print sales. Ebook sales vary greatly, but let’s say your ebook is priced at $9.99 (this is a high price for an ebook, but it will get you the highest royalties on Amazon). With this price, Amazon will minus delivery fees and give 70% royalties of the net profit. If your ebook’s delivery fee is $0.10 (it varies with the ebook’s size), that means Amazon will deliver $6.92 a book to the publisher. The publisher will likely give you around 25% royalties on that net profit, or $1.73 an ebook (based on a wholesale royalty model). Let’s say that of the 15,000 books you sold, 25% of them were the ebook, which a typical percentage for publishers. That means 3,750 copies were ebooks, and you earn $6,487.50 from those sales. The other 11,250 are paperbacks, and you earn $13,500 from those sales. The total earned is $19,987.50, for a total of $9.61 an hour.

Of course, this is made even more complicated by hardback and audiobook sales, but these numbers can help you get a feel for what you can hope to earn with a traditional publisher. Naturally, the more royalty you can negotiate, the better for your bottom line. And there are, of course, books sold by the largest publishers that sell well over a million copies of a book, but that is not commonplace.

If you can release several books in a year, your proceeds will go up, but that may not be possible. Most authors with publishers end up doing between one and three books a year.

Self-Published Authors

If you’re self-published, you get much better royalties, but you also have to take on the costs and time of creating and marketing the book.

Let’s assume that your book is good and you’ve put in the money for good editing and cover design (your book will not sell without these). You cannot sell your book for as much as a traditional publisher would, because you do not have the name backing of a traditional publisher. So instead, you may sell your paperback at $15 and your ebook at $4.99. You get all the royalties this time, so for 11,250 paperback sold ( $9 royalties minus the cost of printing which can be anywhere from $1.50 -$4.50 depending on how many you print and with whom—for our purposes, we’ll say you’re doing print-on-demand and earning only $4.5o on each book ), you’ll get $50,625, and for 3,750 ebooks sold ( $3.42 royalties ), you’ll get $12,836.25, for a total of $63,461.25. If your self-publishing costs (editing, cover design, and typesetting) are $3,000, your profit will be $60,461.25. For self-publishing, it likely won’t take you a year to write the book, but you also have to spend time on promotion, so we’ll just keep that year amount for a single book. That means you would make $29.07 an hour.

Now, that’s a good number, but as a self-published author, it’s very difficult to sell that many copies of your print book in its lifetime, especially if you’re just starting out. You don’t have a publisher selling your book to bookstores and getting it into libraries. You don’t have the authority of a well-known publisher to back your work. You may not have the time or experience to market your book enough. (Note: publishers are doing less and less to market lesser-known authors, though.) Some self-published books may only sell 100 print copies in their lifetime. But we’re assuming that your book is well written with an eye-catching cover. We’re also going to assume that you’re putting extra money aside for marketing, so you can sell more books. Let’s say that your book sells 5,000 copies over several years in all formats. As a self-published author, you’ll likely be selling far more ebooks than print books, since an ebook is cheaper and a safer bet for readers who don’t know you (and a lot of marketing sites will only market ebooks). So if 90% of your sales are ebooks, then you’ll sell 4,500 ebooks books ($15,390) and 500 print books ($2,250). That’s a profit of $17.640, minus the $3,000 in self-publishing costs, and then another, say, $500 in marketing costs. That’s net profit of $14,140, or $6.80 an hour for the time spent writing and marketing. Not a lot, but there is good news, so read on!

You can push that profit up significantly as you become a better, faster writer. Eventually, writing, publishing, and marketing a book may take you only a total of 6 months, which means you’d earn $13.60 an hour. Or maybe you publish, say, 5 books, then use marketing money to only market one, and that marketing also drives up the sales of the other books, which extends the lifetime of your book and give your more overall sales, usually in ebook. The more books you publish, the more effective your marketing will be, because it will affect sales on all of your books.

Maybe you offer the first ebook in a five-book series for free (but keep the print price the same), which takes away profit from those ebook sales, but gets readers hooked on the series. Then you could offer the next ebook for $2.99, and the next three books for $4.99. That drives up the ebook sales of your entire series, so the second book sells, say 10,000 copies in several years, the third 8,000, and the subsequent two books 5,000 copies. With these numbers, we’ll assume the same print sales stay the same (since, for simplicity’s sake, only ebook sales will increase), so 500 print copies sold of each book, for a total royalty of $11,250 for all five books ($4.5 x 500 x 5). (Note: honestly, unless you are doing school visits and book signings and pushing to get your print books in stores, your actual print numbers could be far less, and that’s okay because you can usually make up for it in the ebook sales.)

For the ebook sales, book 1 would, of course, get you $0, book 2 would get you $16,184 ([$2.99 – $0.10] x .7 x 8,000 copies), the third $20,538 ([$4.99 – $0.10] x .7 x 6,000 copies), and the fourth and fifth $10,269 each ([$4.99 – $0.10] x .7 x 3,000 copies), for a total ebook profit of $57,260. We combine that with the print royalties to get $68,510, then minus production costs ($3,000 x 5 + $500 x 5) to get $51,010, or $24.52 an hour if each book took a year, or $49.04 an hour if each book took 6 months and $73.56 if each book took 4 months. Of course, with good marketing, and MORE money spent on advertising, your books should sell even more copies, but it will take consistent effort. Some successful self-published authors sell 100 copies of one of their books per day! Other authors are doing really well to sell 30-100 of a book per month. If you have 50 books out there, that can still add up. You can extend the lifetime of your books over a decade or more, all the while adding more books. Keep in mind that if your book hasn’t been edited well and you don’t stay on top of marketing, it won’t make nearly this much. 

Another Note

All these calculations are for the lifetime of a book. In other words, you’re not recouping this money right away, but instead over the course of a lifetime. But with ebook publishing, “lifetime” in books no longer means what it used to. In the old days, publishers marketed books hard only a few months, and after three or so years, the average authors really didn’t see many sales. With ebooks, that lifetime is extended, and you can keep pushing your book indefinitely and continue making more money. Even if you don’t hit our projected lifetime sales per book in 3-10 years, that’s okay. There is still time.

But that means you need to get started on that next book right away, and if you’re writing full-time, it’s best to have money saved up to tide you over until you get enough published books to start earning a living. A lot of authors find themselves working a side job in addition to writing. Or perhaps their spouse works. Or they may start with traditional publishing so they can get that guaranteed advance until they build up enough name recognition to break away from the publisher. Other authors find that staying with a traditional publisher is best for them.

If you’re a good writer who puts effort into marketing (and, if you’re self-published, pays a great editor and designer), you can make good money as a full-time author once you’ve built up a portfolio of published books to earn money from. We don’t want to discourage you; we want you to know that it will be hard at first, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

What are your experiences with how much authors make in traditional publishing versus self-publishing? We’d love to hear in the comments below!

If you’d like to learn more about Book Cave promotions and receive more writing tips, please enter your email below and click the “Learn More” button to receive our author newsletter.

Copyright 2020 by Book Cave

Reuse notice: non-commercial users, feel free to print out “how much do authors make” for personal use or give to friends, share online, or make a meme of, as long as you attribute and link back to this post. commercial users, you may share a link to this post or quote a short excerpt from it with attribution and a link to this site, but you may not use this post in its entirety. thank you for caring about copyright., keep reading.

How to Write a Book Teaser

Short book teasers are great to use on your website to catch the readers’ attention and entice them to learn more or to buy your book. But how do you write a great, attention-grabbing teaser? Here are some simple tips!

Ebook Editing Using Macros

Ebook editing can be overwhelming, since the quality of editing can make or break a novel. There are some techniques you can use to self-edit your book, and one of these is macros. Read on to discover how to create and use macros!

Advantages to Selling Pre-orders

You may or may not have tried selling your books as pre-orders, but is selling pre-orders advantageous? Here are 11 reasons why you may want to try selling your book as a pre-order.

Leave a Reply

I self published a book five years ago on Smashwords and sold less than 50 eBooks. While surfing the web I found my book was being offered by an outfit called ebookent whose headquarters is in San Bernardino, California. According to their website over 7000 of my ebooks were sold and readers gave the book a four star rating out of a possible five. I never heard of ebookent or gave anyone permission to sell the book other than dealing with Smashwords. What happened?

I’ve got a feeling your paperback calculations are based on POD royalties through Amazon. Trad pub outfits don’t use POD. They have their own printers and suppliers and can also offer mass-market paperbacks as opposed to only POD trade paperbacks. Still, your final numbers are likely in the right ballpark as the author doesn’t get much on the sale of each unit (maybe less than what you are calculating – what trad authors receive is pretty poor and led to a solid argument for better royalties from eBooks).

BIG NEWS: ConvertKit is becoming Kit. Learn more BIG NEWS: ConvertKit is becoming Kit. Learn more

10 ideas on how to make money as an author or writer besides selling books

In this Article

• Can you make good money as an author or writer?
• Reasons for writers and authors to diversify their offerings
• 10 practical ways to monetize your writing skills successfully (+ niche examples)
• Authors and writers who successfully diversified their product offerings

Make a living selling your work

ConvertKit Commerce makes it easy for creators to get paid for their work and earn a living online without needing a complicated ecommerce website.

Afoma Umesi

Afoma Umesi is a freelance writer for software companies and businesses in the marketing industry. When she's not tapping away at her keyboard, you'll find her reading a good book or experimenting in the kitchen.

How to ask clients for a testimonial in 7 steps and build your social proof [+ testimonial templates]

Book marketing for self-published authors: how to master the 4 phases of a successful book launch

VIDEO COURSE

Finish your draft in our 3-month master class. Sign up now to watch a free lesson!

Learn How to Write a Novel

Finish your draft in our 3-month master class. Enroll now for daily lessons, weekly critique, and live events. Your first lesson is free!

Blog • Understanding Publishing

Last updated on Sep 01, 2023

How to Make Money by Writing Books: 8 Tips for Success

Of course, making money by writing books should ideally involve publishing well-received and popular works. But for most authors, it also means activating several income streams that stem from your career as an author. By supplementing royalty earnings with additional writerly activities, many authors can quit their 9-5 jobs and make a living. 

If you’re dreaming of making money by writing books, here are 8 tips to help you out: 

1. Write a lot, and to market 

Contrary to popular belief, a bestseller isn't loved by everyone, but rather by a niche audience obsessed with it . As bestselling author Suzy K Quinn says, “Best-sellers target a pre-made audience.” The ‘pre-made’ audience can be genre readers, sub-genre readers or a very specific demographic that a book will resonate with. As Quinn pointed out in  her talk at SPS Live 2022 , Eat, Pray, Love targeted single women in their 30s — and their enthusiasm for this book helped create a buzz around it. 

In other words, if you want to write a book that sells, it’s key to write for a niche group that will truly resonate with it.  Reedsy’s Ricardo Fayet said at the same event that this is the equivalent of the startup world’s “Product-market fit — when a company creates a product that is perfect for a specific market.”

Touch on themes that resonate with your genre’s readers

Each genre tends to be associated with certain themes — sci-fi with justice, oppression, and freedom; fantasy with good and evil; romance with hope and love, etc. So, one way to ensure your book is well targeted to your market is to look at the themes associated with your genre. If you aren't sure how to go about this, reflect on the books within your genre that you’ve read and try to connect them with common plot themes .

Consider using genre tropes

Genre fiction frequently uses tropes that readers are already familiar with, as they keep returning for new books with the same tropes they've previously liked. In fact, many of the traction that books pick up on TikTok is based on popular tropes — romance tropes such as ‘ enemies to lovers ’ or fantasy tropes like ‘ the reluctant hero ’. Moreover, tropes have become significant to the extent that authors have started to incorporate them into their marketing too, as evident in this marketing material from author Ali Hazelwood.

Release new titles as often as possible

Writing to market is just one part of the equation. To make serious money by writing, word of mouth about your books has to build momentum, which can only happen if you write multiple titles or a trilogy or series that keeps readers coming back . So, keep writing, and don’t get dejected if your first book doesn’t immediately skyrocket to success. For more tips on  boosting your writerly productivity , head to the linked post about writing faster.

For fictional series, consider the following:

• What might happen to your main character(s) after the events of this book? Is their story truly finished? Maybe their arc in Book 1 is only the first stage of a much larger journey — this could become a longer series.
• Could you shift the focus to a secondary character? Another common approach for series, especially in romance , is to write sequels based on secondary characters from previous books — keeping a familiar cast while giving the story a fresh spin.
• What about a brand-new story in the same universe? This would technically become a new “interlinking” series, but it would still draw readers from the original books.

 Alternatively, for a nonfiction series:

• Do I have anything more to say on this topic? Is there an area you didn’t have time to research or space to expand on? Make it the subject of your next, related work.
• What’s the natural progression from here? Think of your books as how-to steps. Say your first book is about how to set up a small business; your second might be about how to grow that business over the next five years.
• What else would my readers find interesting? Return to your target market and figure out what they want! For instance, if your first book were true crime, you’d likely find that your target readers are gobbling up more of the same — which might compel you to write another book about a different case.

To help keep up your writing pace and release new titles in a timely manner, check out this course on how to establish a writing routine:

FREE COURSE

How to Build a Solid Writing Routine

In 10 days, learn to change your habits to support your writing.

2. Polish your manuscript with an editor

There’s a reason that the highest-earning authors, without exception, work with professional editors. Authors are often too close to their story to see their work’s flaws without biases  — and they usually also don’t have the years of experience that an editor can bring to the task. A developmental editor can tell you whether your book’s big-picture progression makes sense, spot any plot holes or incomplete character arcs, and consider how your book compares to competitor titles in its genres. 

Give your book the help it deserves

The best editors, designers, and book marketers are on Reedsy. Sign up for free and meet them.

Learn how Reedsy can help you craft a beautiful book.

Here are some stories of other authors who’ve worked with Reedsy editors:

• How My Nonfiction Book Became a Reputable Tech Resource by Marlon Buchanan
• My Reedsy-Edited Memoir Landed Me a TEDx Talk by Niyati Tamaskar
• Lifting the Stigma: How My Reedsy Editor Helped Me Structure My Mental Health Memoir by Ahiddibah Tsinnie
• How the Right Editor Helped Me Grow as a Bestselling Fantasy Author by Antoine Bandele

3. Keep as many of the royalties as possible

The royalties you receive depend on whether you self-publish or traditionally publish your book. Both options have their pros and cons, but self-pub tends to come out on top in terms of profit.

Because while self-publishing requires that you invest in editing, cover design, and book marketing upfront, you also get to keep the rights to your book and a significantly higher amount of the royalties — for books that prove commercially popular, that usually proves lucrative.

To give you a rough estimate of how much authors make, self-publishing allows you to keep 50-70% of the royalties, while traditional publishing gives you 5-20% (assuming you ‘earn out’ your advance). Indie authors often go solo out of choice not because they’ve failed to be published traditionally, but to secure a bigger share of the earnings pie .

If you’re on the fence about which path to publication is right for you, our one-minute quiz can help you out:

Is self-publishing or traditional publishing right for you?

Takes one minute!

4. Build up your author platform

To succeed financially, you must put on more than just your ‘author’ hat. As Darren Hardy (Amazon’s UK manager of Author and Editorial Programmes) emphasized at SPS Live 2022, this means “ treating your book as a business .”

Building up your author platform is a long-term investment in your writing career. While having an author website and an active social media presence is useful, setting up an author mailing list takes the cake when it comes to delivering results. A mailing list can help you build an engaged audience, announce new releases, secure pre-orders and create long-lasting relationships with your loyal fans. It helps you build credibility, establish your authority, and make offers to people who already know you and want to hear from you. 

Not sure how you go about it? No problem — just sign up for our free course on setting up a mailing list:

How to Build Your Author Mailing List

Learn how to connect with your audience and sell more books with email.

5. Make your books accessible to more readers

Making your book available in multiple formats allows you to tap into different pools of readers — some people only read ebooks, others only browse in-store, others can only listen to audiobooks for accessibility reasons (and many people just listen to audio for the fun and convenience of it). In other words, if you aren’t already offering your work in more than one format, doing so could expand your readership. 

The same principle can be applied to foreign language markets —  translating your book enables you to tap into new markets of readers in your genre. The German, French, Italian, Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese markets generally prove successful with independent authors — other markets, like Greece, not so much (Greeks somehow never fell for ebooks). 

In fact, you might even consider how to best promote your English-language book across the pond from wherever you’re based — for British authors, the American market offers massive potential, and British readership is always a nice added bonus for American authors. Think about doing a marketing push in a new territory, considering things like digital ads, book cover aesthetics, and your book’s title. 

💡 Fun fact: British author Emma Jane Unsworth’s novel Adults was published as Grown Ups in the USA. Clearly, her publishers thought the difference mattered!

6. Promote new releases as well as your backlist

Promoting your backlist along with your newest release can dramatically increase your overall sales. This can be done by creating a book bundle — offering your older books at a discounted price when people buy your newest book. This is especially useful if you have a series and put a discount on the first few books 一 you readers will have to pay full price to know how it all ends! So hook new readers and get them invested in your collection. 

You can play around with different price points, but make it a time-bound offer and make the discount evident. Use your email list, newsletter, and social media to promote this to your best capabilities. Another popular tactic authors use is setting up their latest book for pre-order and then running targeted ad campaigns. This helps generate a certain buzz around your book even before it’s out.  

Looking for more marketing ideas and insights? You can grab a free copy of How to Market a Book by Reedsy co-founder Ricardo Fayet below.

7. Offer services related to your product

Authors do make money from writing books, but they also make money from all the related services they can offer once they’ve built up their platform.  These could take the form of speaking engagements where you share your journey as an author, seminars and courses teaching the craft of writing, or even consulting services (especially for non-fiction authors). 

Speaking engagements

Val Breit, founder of The Common Cents Club , didn’t think she’d be invited to do any public speaking: “Without any mention of speaking on my website, social media, or in my book, I received paid invitations to speak just a few months after publishing. Albeit nerve-racking, I connected with new readers, expanded my author platform, and even paid a few bills!”

If you already know you’re interested in doing speaking engagements, do mention this in your author website’s Contact page. This can be presented in a few different ways:

• “For speaking enquiries, contact me at [email address]” 
• “I am available for speaking engagements on the topic of X, Y, and Z.”
• “Previous speaking engagements” section, followed by photos or videos of you speaking.

Coaching or consulting (if you’re a nonfiction author) 

Many established authors offer coaching services to new authors, assisting them with things like project plans, feedback on their writing, and navigating the confusing world of publishing. You could even offer to tutor language students in English .

Also, if you’ve written a book on a nonfiction subject, you can earn money by consulting on it. Publishing a book (or multiple books) in your field has already established you as an expert; it’s only natural to leverage that status into consulting.

Free course: Grow Your Influence as a Nonfiction Author

Find out how to build your platform and grow your influence base as a non-fiction author.

Courses and seminars 

While one-on-one coaching and consulting sessions are great, you might be better off hosting courses and seminars multiple people can take at once. For these, you’d put together more in-depth, widely applicable content on a topic of your choice — for example, “How to Write Sparkling Dialogue” or “How to Turn Your Blog Into a Book” — and market it to other writers, either through a multi-part course or an interactive presentation. 

Ghostwriting and/or editing services

If you’ve got the skills to pay the bills, ghostwriting and editing can be very lucrative — but getting through projects can also be quite time-consuming, so prepare to commit at least several hours a week if you go this route . Reedsy’s marketplace can provide you with a reliable source of freelance projects:

Get editing & ghostwriting requests sent to your inbox

There are 500,000+ authors on Reedsy need help publishing their book

Learn more about how Reedsy can help.

8. Study how other authors make money 

Many authors today are finding creative ways to make more money with their books — be it starting a crowdfunding campaign or selling books directly to readers. Brandon Sanderson raised a record-setting $41 million on Kickstarter for 4 books he wrote during the pandemic — and many other authors can finance their books with the help of their fans. If you want to learn how they do it, sign up to our free course below.

Free course: Crowdfunding for authors

Kill two birds with one stone: pay for your production costs and sell your first 1,000 copies before you've printed a single copy.

Another tactic independent authors are starting to turn to is direct sales, as mentioned by Joanna Penn at the SPS Live conference in 2022 . This involves directly selling your book to readers through e-commerce platforms , allowing you to keep the entire cut of the sale instead of just the royalties . Here’s Ricardo Fayet’s analysis from his weekly book marketing newsletter — which you can sign up to here :

The first benefit of direct sales is obvious: you make more money per copy sold. It won’t be 100% of the list price, as there are always taxes and payment processing fees, but it certainly is a lot more than 70%… It’s not just about the money, though. There are many other benefits that come from selling direct, which can be even more valuable than the extra $ you gain: You own the customer data. When a reader buys your book on Amazon (or any other retailer), you have no idea who they are. You don’t get their email address, nor their name — nothing. When you sell direct, however, you do collect this data. Which means that you can immediately add them to your mailing list (prior consent), and even segment your list based on their purchase. You own the retail interface. Discoverability on retailers works both ways: while readers might come across your book while searching for another one, they might also find another book when looking for yours. On your website, the only books that readers will see are yours. You own the tracking. One of the reasons why advertising books is so complicated is that you can’t track anything that happens after the reader clicks on your ad and lands on your book page. Except, of course, if that book page is on your website — in which case you can use tracking tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc. You can even optimize your ads for conversion (more on that in a future email). So why isn’t everyone selling their books directly through their website already? Because there’s a big tradeoff: discoverability. 

Fayet goes on to explain that direct sales are an appealing option for authors who already have a following, and don’t need to rely on retailers — though you do need to be aware that with the increased earnings may come decreased visibility on Amazon, whose algorithms won’t pick up as much traction for your book.

If this isn’t making much sense, take our free course on Amazon algorithms to demystify the way the platform spotlights certain books:

Amazon Algorithms for Authors

Learn to optimize your book description, pick categories, and sell more books.

We hope you now feel more confident in terms of being able to make money with your book. Remember, create the best possible version of the book you can (for a tailored audience), take yourself seriously, learn from others, and don’t hold back on promoting your book. Good luck!

Continue reading

Recommended posts from the Reedsy Blog

How to Format a Book in Google Docs in 7 Simple Steps

While there are much better alternatives, here's how you can format a book in Google's popular writing app.

The 6 Best Ghostwriting Companies to Write Your Book

Learn which companies you can trust if you want to find a ghostwriter to write your next book.

How to Publish a Book For Free: The 7 Best Sites

If you want to publish your book without spending a single dime, check out this handy list of 7 free self-publishing services.

5 Ways to Save on Your Self-Publishing Budget

If you want to self-publish a book without breaking the bank, here are 5 tips to ensure you still get the best result possible.

30 Great Book Dedication Examples to Inspire Your Own

A list of 30 of the best book dedications in the business that'll have you crying, laughing, and crying laughing.

Expository Writing: The Craft of Sharing Information

Expository writing is a fundamental part of how we learn and make sense of the world. Learn all about it in this post.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Are you ready to self-publish?

Take our 1 minute quiz to find out.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

How Much Do Authors Make Per Book & The 4 Most Profitable Genres

• February 22, 2022

As with any career choice, one of the first questions a person asks before diving headfirst into a career is: How much money can be made? It does not matter how passionate you are about the career. Whether or not you can make enough money from the career you wish to enter is crucial as it determines if you can survive or even thrive.

There is simply not a clear cut answer when it comes to writing. Many factors come into play when calculating potential income as an author. First, you need to decide if you want to join the ranks of traditionally published authors or be a self-published author. Self-published authors have started to profit with their careers, giving the traditional publishing industry a run for its money. Let us take a closer look at the question, How much do authors make per book?

Self-Publishing and Self-Published Authors

To understand how self-publishing went from almost taboo to trendy and profitable, you have to understand what happened in the world of traditional publishing and the publishing industry.

How Traditionally Published Authors Make Money

Traditional publishing used to be the only way to make any real money as an author. Traditional publishing would offer advance payments on a book they were interested in, and your income as an author would largely depend on book sales. How well your book sold, whether you had multiple books to market, and how quickly you could pay your advance back in royalties determined most of your income if you were traditionally published. Then things got ugly for new authors.

A Narrow Market

Around the 21st century, the traditional publishing industry turned on new authors. They started to shut them out, giving all their attention to best-selling authors like Stephen King, John Grisham, James Patterson, and the like.

If you were a traditionally published author such as Stephen King and could stir out as many books that topped the bestseller list as he could, then you made more money for the publisher. This meant that the publisher invested heavily in these heavy hitters’ work and refused to take a chance on almost everyone else. Book sales of these authors went through the roof reliably, and no attention or time could be given to new or small-time authors trying to get their foot in the door.

The Rise of Self Publishing and the Self Published Author

Since traditional publishing was a shut-out, giving deals only to heavy-hitting and best-selling traditionally published authors, self-publishing picked up more steam. Writers who desperately wanted to share their work with the world and earn a little money at the same time started to turn to self-publishing. Self-published authors began making a name for themselves, and once it became clear that a self-published author could make decent money and also end up a household name, the rise of self-published authors started.

Fifty Shades of Profitability

E.L. James was one of the first self-published authors to make a huge profit with her self-published books originally intended to be fan fiction for the Twilight series. Her self-published book  Fifty Shades of Grey  made more money than she could have ever imagined: over ten million dollars. She also sold rights to the movies, and she wrote two more novels that turned her books into a series. She and a handful of other indie authors started to change authors’ minds. It was evident now that a self-published author could profit and end up just as successful as a traditionally published writer.

How Much Do Authors Make per Book?

If you want to be a full-time author, you have to treat writing like a full-time job. Your writing life is your professional life, in other words. If you are dedicated to making a career out of writing books, you certainly can, but you probably still wonder what the pay-off is for all of that hard work. After all, it usually takes at least a year to write and publish a book.

A Lot of Factors Are Involved

There are many factors involved in making money from a book sale. Depending upon the initial royalty rate the publisher selling your book gives you, the number of books sold will determine your income. You also have to decide on your book price, genre, a known author, and many other factors.

Publishing Companies vs Self Publishing Income

Traditional publishing houses are the only way to get an advance on a book. However, you have to pay that back. You will not see any profit until the book has made enough money to recoup that advance. Then you start to collect revenue on book sales after that point.

Royalty rates are also wildly different. They are much higher if you are a traditionally published author. Therefore, you stand to make a much higher amount due to lesser royalties with a self-published book. There is no exact answer to how much you will make, but you can start making money immediately upon publishing with self-publishing. It takes time (sometimes years) to make the same amount or any profit as traditional publishers.

How Much Do Authors Make For a Best Seller?

We have covered the bases as far as the two different routes you can take with publishing, but what about writing a bestseller? How much can you expect to make if you make a bestseller list? First, to get on one of these lists and be considered a best-selling author, you need to know what the term means.

What Does It Mean to Be On a Bestseller List?

To make money or end up one of the highest-paid authors in the industry, you usually need to have a novel or book that has made it onto a bestseller list. This includes lists through the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, New York Times, or USA Today. This is done by having copies sold of your book, great book concepts that have caught the attention of and good reviews by professional book reviewers and other bestselling authors, and your marketing strategy . Most bestsellers are books that have at least 40,000 copies sold per year.

Traditional authors work with a marketing team, a publisher, an editor, and an agent to keep track of where the book sales are, the standing of the book, and the entire process of making it on a list and gaining more attention and prestige. It is a goal that every author would like to reach. There are often perks included in a publishing contract with a traditional publisher that guarantee you more money, a further book deal for the future, and more attention from the publisher if you make these lists.

If you sell 40,000 print books or ebooks in a year, you are selling books at a fast enough rate to get noticed by one or more of the publications that make these lists many writers strive to be on. If your book sells this many copies, you sell approximately 5,000 books a week for a year. This means that any advance you have been paid was recouped very quickly. With a 15% median royalty rate, you are looking at an annual profit of between $50,000 and $200,000 with a traditional publisher. Still, the profit does not end there.

Book Signings and Speeches

When you have a bestseller, you get more invitations to give speeches, give book readings, and participate in book signings that can make you a decent amount of money, especially since the people who go to these events buy the print books while there.

Film Rights

If you have seen  A Time to Kill, Pet Sematary, The Shining, Harry Potter, A Painted House, Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, The Hunger Games,  etc., you know that you can make money by selling the film rights to your book. There are about 90 short films, television miniseries, and feature-length films based on King books alone. J.K. Rowling wrote seven books about a wizard boy, and there was a movie made for each one of them. Authors stand to make much money from selling the film rights to their books. One bestseller can bring additional royalties when turned into a film.

What Genres Bring the Most Profit?

Of course, trends change. Not too many years ago, vampire novels were all the rage, and vampire stories were everywhere. The wild popularity of Stephanie Meyer’s  Twilight  series had us all rooting for Team Edward or Team Jacob and engrossed in the love triangle of human, vampire, and werewolf. There will always be literary trends that come and go, but the most popular genres hold a steady, significant net profit. The following are the most profitable genres.

If there is one thing to be said for romance novel readers, they are voracious. The same person will easily read a dozen books a month of this genre and get antsy waiting for the next one to hit the bookstores. Printing costs for these books are not usually very high, and ebooks of this genre sell well, too. Fans of this genre are constantly demanding more books. If you are a good writer and can write quickly, writing romance novels may affect sales enough to allow you to write full time.

2. Thriller and Mystery

Many publishers seek out and give precedence to good authors who can write mysteries and suspense well. Heavy hitters such as Agatha Christie, James Patterson, John Grisham, Arthur Conan Doyle, and King have built this genre to include horror, romance, drama, and humor, making it a well-loved staple of readers of all ages.

3. Fantasy and Science Fiction

This includes  Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings , and  Game of Thrones . While fantasy and science fiction have always been popular genres, it has certainly picked up steam and shows no signs of slowing down in recent decades. Science fiction authors make a significant profit from their books, graphic novels, and film rights. These additional royalties add up to a substantial salary.

4. Children’s Books

Adult readers and writers alike often overlook authors of children’s books , but they sell more books than some other genres combined. A starred review on a children’s book can catapult it into fame, and parents, teachers, counselors, and youth organizations will buy it up at its press release. Many children’s book series also become television shows, adding to the amount these authors make. Think Marc Brown, A.A. Milne, and Dr. Seuss.

How Much Do Children’s Book Authors Make?

Children’s book authors stand to make quite a bit of money off their books alone before you ever touch things like film rights, school appearances, or other paid appearances. The median annual earnings for a children’s book author in the United States is anywhere between $30k and $70k.

Some Things to Keep In Mind

While it is important to know what you can make from just one book, other things can affect how much profit you will see with your novel or story. You can also do something as an author, outside writing, that can help your book climb the ladder of sales and make you a bigger paycheck.

1. Sales Accumulate

When you decide that writing is the profession for you, keep in mind that you do not write a book, publish it, and then a year later, move on to the next book. Each book that you write, from the very first to the very last, makes money for the length of its existence on the market. Think of it this way: King writes a bestseller just about every year, but he is still making money off his first published novel,  Carrie.  J.K. Rowling is still making money every time a copy of  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone  is sold.

If you can write several books at a reasonably quick pace, you can start to see the money pile up as the profits accumulate not just from your latest book but all of your books.

2. Market Like It Is Your Job

Before you begin writing for a book or story, you should start the marketing process . Tell everyone you know that you are writing a book. Tell them the genre, tell them how great it will be, and ask them for your support.

Start an author website, create a blog post about your writing, and market your books like crazy. Make social media pages and manage them to regularly promote your writing, past work, current work for sale, and upcoming work. Attend social events and plug your book. Consider sending copies of your book to newspapers, friends, other writers, internet and social media influencers, literally anyone who might read it, and plug it for you. Talk about it on Twitter. Promote it on Facebook. Show off your book cover on Instagram. Talk about and promote your book so much that you get sick of your book, and then promote it some more.

3. Research Publishing Options

Not all publishers are created equally. Even among the Big Five publishers, there are significant differences in standard book contracts, the publisher’s expectations, the royalty rates, and other technical details. While it is not the most fun thing you will do in the writing process, you need to do your homework and see which publisher is interested in your work and is the right fit for you.

The same can be said of literary agents. Finding the one who works best with and for you is paramount to your success. Be sure to ask for specifics and make the best decisions to publish your book traditionally.

The same is true of self-publishing. There are many self-publishing services you can choose from, and they each have their differences. Whether you write urban fantasy or contemporary romance, look into the top-selling books and genres through each self-publishing service, and see if you fit in there. You do not want to be on your third book with a publisher and realize that they are not the right fit for you.

4. It Can Take Years to “Make It”

It is very easy to see  The Shining  or  The Pelican Brief  or  And Then There Were None  on a shelf and think to yourself that you could make money in the same ballpark as these outliers can have and do. That is simply not realistic, especially for a new author.

You sometimes have to work at it for years before you make any real money in the industry, and even then, you may find yourself in a position where you have to have at least another part-time income. Many authors who have mildly successful books out still have spouses or partners who work full time to help support them or provide them with things like health insurance.

5. Sometimes It Costs Money to Make Money

Many authors have to spend some of their own money to help promote and successfully launch a book. Sometimes, you end up spending more than you make, at least initially. However, if you believe in your book and have the income to do so, spending money on marketing and advertising can help you turn a more significant profit.

Many writers do not realize that most books start costing the author money initially, and when they write their novel, they are hit with this information out of nowhere. Be prepared to use your own money to get your book noticed and off the ground, especially self-publishing, as you will not have a marketing team behind you or a literary agent to set up events and promotions and interviews and appearances for you.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign up to our newsletter!

Related articles

120 Motivational Quotes About Writing To Inspire A New Writer Like You

How To Register A Kindle On Amazon To Enjoy Your Ebooks In 4 Easy Ways

How To Market A Self-Published Book And Be Profitable In 9 Easy Ways

Writing a Book? Here’s How Authors Make Money

Ever wondered how authors make money? This short article discusses the two basic ways authors earn money-book sales and side…

By Ivana Taylor

Published on December 16, 2016

In This Article

Have you been thinking about writing a book? Then you want to know how authors make money. Well, get ready because you’ll find out that and:

• How much money does an author make per book?
• Whether you write books on how to make money or romance novels, this advice is actionable.

What’s the difference between authors and writers?

There is a big difference between authors and writers. Authors are people who write books, while writers are people who write for a living. Many times, authors are also journalists, bloggers, or screenwriters.

Do writers make good money?

YES! Writers often make more money than authors. I haven’t found any formal statistics on this topic, but in my 25 years experience in online publishing, I can tell you that writers who specialize on a topic will make more than general writers.

For example, an industry expert writer can make as much as $500 per 1000 word articles. Assuming that their content is high quality.

In this article, I’m going to focus on book authors. So, if that’s you, you’ll learn about the best ways to make money from your book.

As a regular book reviewer for Small Business Trends, and someone who helps authors market their books, I’ve found one trend that has been steadily increasing. Now more than ever, authors are expected to market their own books, regardless of whether they were published by a traditional house or self-published.

That means that you’re not only expected to be an author, but a marketer as well.  Now that we have that out of the way — it’s time to talk about money!

How Much Do Authors Make?

According to data from a new survey from Digital Book World and Writer’s Digest, the median income range for self-published authors is under $5,000 and nearly 20% of self-published authors report deriving no income from their writing. By comparison, authors published by traditional publishers had a median income range of $5,000 to $9,999 and “hybrid authors” (those who both self-publish and publish with established publishers) had a median income range of $15,000 to $19,999. At the high end of the spectrum, 1.8% of self-published authors made over $100,000 from their writing last year, compared with 8.8% of traditionally published authors and 13.2% of hybrid authors. (Source: Forbes )

How much do best selling authors make per book?

A best selling author can make about $3.50 for every book they sell. So, if you wanted an author salary of $200,000 per year, you’d have to sell more than 57,000 books every year.

A traditionally published best selling book makes 5-20% royalties for the author on their print books.

Can You Make a Living as an Author

Most people assume that there are two types of authors when it comes to money, best-selling authors (like J.K. Rowling or Dan Brown ) who get millions of dollars in their publishing contract or the struggling author who only gets income when he bribes a family member to buy a copy.

The truth is, there isn’t a fixed number you can estimate because there are a lot of factors that go into an author’s potential income. There are a few authors who make millions, more that make thousands, and a lot more t hat can’t reach the $500 threshold . Some authors even lose money .

In order to understand whether you can make a living as an author, it’s helpful to examine different types of books and the people who write them.

• Fiction writers. The most famous writers of fiction, like Tom Clancy, JK Rowling, or Stephen King, make millions of dollars from their books. They enjoy large advances from traditional publishing companies that allow them to support themselves exclusively by writing fiction. However, they are a tiny minority of the people who want to make a living writing fiction, and it can take decades of work and luck to achieve that kind of success in traditional publishing. On the other hand, many fiction writers earn a living writing full time by self-publishing e-books and marketing them directly to readers. They may never get famous, but they can earn a steady $5,000-$8,000 per month .
• Non-fiction writers. When people think of “authors”, they often think of famous novelists. However, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People continues to sell over 250,000 copies a year, a hundred years after it was written. Non-fiction writing can be a great way to make money, particularly if you can offer useful, meaningful information to your readers. Subjects like health and wellness, money and finance, and dating and relationships can help authors earn up to six figures a year.
• E-books as digital products. Today, there is a specialized form of non-fiction writing that is specifically focused on a product. For example, an instructor may sell online courses and create an e-book as part of the course material. An entrepreneur may create an e-book as a testimonial or marketing collateral for their products and services. A business may produce an e-book as a free gift to new or returning customers. In these cases, the book is a component of a larger business or marketing strategy , and can be a powerful way to meet those business objectives.

As an author, it is up to you to determine how to profit from your hard work. For some people, just publishing a book is enough. Most authors, however, wouldn’t mind earning some cash for their words.

How Do Authors Make Money?

Authors typically make money either through a traditional book publishing company, or through a self-publishing marketplace. In either instance, the author earns money based on how many copies of the book are sold. In traditional publishing, the company often gives a writer an advance on their book, so they can cover their cost of living while they write, and then they repay the advance from royalties on the finished book.

Some writers also choose to be ghostwriters, where they earn a flat fee for writing the book, then allow the person who hired them to claim authorship and earn revenue from the book sales. Let’s take a closer look at the two main methods authors use to make money.

Your first step is to learn how to get that cash. As an author, there are two basic ways you earn money, from book sales or stuff you sell based on your book’s content.

Method 1: : Direct Book Sales with Traditional Publishing

[tweet_dis]Authors earn money from their book sales in two ways, royalties and/or an advance[/tweet_dis].

What is a book advance?

An advance is money that is given to an author from a publishing company before the book comes out. Advances are usually given to authors who have a track record of publishing best-selling books or have a very high possibility of becoming a best-seller. Only authors with a publishing contract can earn advances.

For an average author with a first-time book deal, receiving an advance is very rare. It’s usually $5,000 to $20,000. It’s called an advance because you have to pay it back with your book sales.

The average author with a first-time book deal can expect to receive an advance of $5,000 to $15,000. Once your book is released, you won’t see another dime until you have earned back that advance–$1.25 at a time—until the advance is paid back in full.

What are royalties?

Both self-published and authors working with a publishing company can earn royalties . Royalties are money given to an author after a book is published and sold. As an authors, you receive a percentage of the sale, depending on how you published your book.

If you work with a publishing company, a part of your royalties must go the publisher, an agent, and then you. If you are a self-published author, you still have to pay the company that helped your book get published. In many cases, this is Amazon. By ditching a professional publisher, you get a higher percentage of your book sales.

Another strategy to make more money on direct book sales is to create your book in different formats. This includes  digital, paperback, hardback, and audio.  This will help you reach a larger audience, because each consumer chooses the format they’re more comfortable with.

How much do authors make per book?

On average, traditional publishing houses pay authors $1.25 per copy sold. Clearly, you’ll need to sell a ton of books to earn a nice paycheck for your work. Of course, with a large publishing house backing your book, you may have no problem selling tons of inventory. One other thing to consider–that $1.25 per book–is only yours after you’ve covered the cost of your advance.

Alternatively, most self published authors are paying $5 to a company like Amazon per copy of their books sold.

How do you know which is right for you? Let’s assume your book retails for $20. If you go through a publisher, you’re getting $1.25 per copy. If you self-publish you’re getting $15 per copy.

While the math makes self-publishing look like a better deal, keep in mind the benefits you may get with a major publisher–like their in-house PR team and editors.

Which genres make the most money for authors?

While there is a huge range of earning potential for different types of books, the genres that earn the most money are non-fiction health and wellness, money and finance, and dating and relationships. In fiction, the genres that earn the most money are:

• Romance and erotica. Romance and erotica novels earn nearly $1.5 billion every year
• Crime and mystery. Thrilling crime and mystery novels earn more than $725 million annually
• Religious and inspirational. Inspirational texts earn about $720 million a year
• Science fiction and fantasy. Sci-fi and fantasy novels earn about $590 million every year
• Horror. Horror novels earn just under $80 million a year

While there’s no doubt that some genres have larger existing markets than others, it’s also important to remember that the success of a book is also based on a variety of other factors, and that authors who use smart marketing techniques have a much better chance of financial success, no matter which genre they write in.

Method #2: Generate Sales Based on the Content of Your Self-Published Book

Savvy authors look for income opportunities beyond their book sales. The major reason is the limited sales capacity of a book. After you sell a book, the transaction is over until you write another book. If, however, you sell things based on the book’s content, you have an unlimited number of ways to earn money.

What do I mean by earning income from your book’s content? Seven examples include:

• Product sales
• Speaking gigs
• Crowdfunding
• Special events and travel tours

There are several well-known authors who do all of these things. For example, look at Dave Ramsey. He’s famous for his books on how to make money, pay off debt, and create a legacy of wealth.

He parlayed the success of his first book, The Total Money Makeover , into multiple revenue streams. These include podcasts, live events, workshops, and digital courses . With a net worth estimated at $200 million, you can see he’s done great work marketing his books.

But, most of his income is based on his content, not the actual book copies. He makes his money from his online courses and advertising revenue for his radio show and podcasts.

How much money do authors make on ebooks?

Before considering how much money authors typically make on ebooks, it’s important to clear up some misconceptions about self-publishing. While it is possible to write and publish an ebook with no out-of-pocket costs, most successful self-publishing authors invest capital in their books in order to boost sales. Just like in traditional publishing, factors like cover art, writing quality, and page layout can influence sales.

In online marketplaces, ratings and reviews are incredibly influential, so creating a book that satisfies the reader is worth an up front investment. Successful ebook authors hire editing services, book cover designers, professional formatting, and typically invest in marketing and paid advertising, all of which cost money that impacts the total profits of the book.

Every ebook publishing platform has different revenue agreements with authors. Retailers like iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble/NOOK, and the like, all offer different royalty rates. These platforms also reach different markets on different devices, which affects a writer’s target audience. Despite all these differences, authors can expect to earn 40 – 70% of the cover price for every copy sold, which often amounts to ~$1.25 – $2.00 per copy.

How much money do authors make per book on Amazon?

Amazon controls about 80% of the ebook market, which makes it almost impossible for authors to ignore. Amazon’s publishing agreement is multi-layered and should be read carefully. Broadly speaking, authors agree to give Amazon exclusive distribution rights to their book, in return for access to a preferred Kindle marketplace and participation in the Kindle Lending Library. A standard Amazon agreement usually offers authors royalties of 35 – 70% of the cover price per copy sold.

Kindle Unlimited and Lending programs pay authors by the number of pages read, rather than by the number of book copies sold.

People who want to create physical copies of their book can also use Amazon’s CreateSpace to create paperback copies of their book for distribution in physical bookstores and access to an expanded paperback marketplace through Amazon’s programs. The CreateSpace agreement usually charges authors a fixed fee, a per-page cost, and Amazon’s commission of 40-60% per copy sold.

More than 40% of the authors on Amazon are self-published ebook authors, and only about 1% of them earn more than $10,000 per year. On the other hand, there are many success stories of authors who are happily working as full time writers and supporting themselves through Amazon.

Is self-publishing or traditional publishing right for you?

If you dream of becoming a full-time author, you may wonder whether you should pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing. Here are some of the key factors to consider:

Traditional book publishing:

• Harder to get into. The book publishing industry is most interested in books with broad appeal and high commercial potential.
• Slower to achieve results. It can take years to create a book from initial treatment through to bookstore shelves. It can take even longer for a traditional book to start earning royalties that are paid to the author. New authors typically receive only small book advances, so expect to maintain a part-time job to cover your cost of living for quite a long time.
• More prestigious. Traditionally produced books are more visible and more prestigious, and traditional book authors are more likely to go on book tours, earn award nominations, and have more media visibility.

Self-publishing:

• Fewer barriers to entry. Instead of trying to secure an agent and get a publishing deal, authors can simply write their books and publish them.
• Narrower audience. Self-published books can be a faster and more effective way to target specific audiences and interest groups.
• Broader skill range. While traditional book publishers take care of the details of finishing a book, like editing, publishing, and marketing, self-published authors need to do that work themselves. Authors need to hire or design their own cover art, hire or do their own editing and proof reading, and manage their own marketing and advertising.

However, authors don’t always have to make either-or decisions. Famously, Fifty Shades of Grey and Eragon were originally self-published before they were picked up by traditional publishers. If you can’t decide which option is best for you, try discussing your book idea with a literary agent and exploring your options.

6 Creative Ways to Make Money from Your Book

• Sell T-shirts, coffee mugs,  or other promotional items  with characters or phrases from the book on your website. You can also sell on sites like CafePress or Zazzle . If you’re particularly crafty, try Etsy .
• Offer traveling tours where the author takes a group of readers through the places that inspired your book. Use a site like Vayable .
• Set up a crowdfunding campaign on sites like Indiegogo to raise money for expenses.
• Sell exclusive bonus material, such as additional or extra chapters, poems, or short stories through your website or  Fiverr .
• Get advertising income. Sell ads based on your book on sites such as Wattpad Futures . Or try earning through affiliate programs like Amazon Associates
• Offer a fiction-writing workshop.
• If you’re a nonfiction author, create and sell an online course. Or use one as a lead generator for your consulting services. Use sites like Udem y or Skillshare .

Book Marketing Ideas That Work

Unless you’re already a celebrity or best-selling author, traditional publishers will expect you to do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to promoting your book.  No matter what you’re writing; fiction, non-fiction, ebooks or even blog posts, if you want to make money, you’ll have to become a marketer.

Many authors feel lost when it comes to marketing their book and so they will hire a PR person to pitch and promote their book to reviewers and media outlets.

Follow these tips before you go out and hire any type of marketing or PR professional.  You’ll find that there are quite a few book marketing ideas that you can do yourself . For the ones that you’re going to delegate, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of time and money by already doing the bulk of the research and strategic work.

Understand that you’re in the marketing business, not the writing business.

This is helpful even BEFORE you sit down to write your first word.  When you think of yourself as being a marketer first and an author or writer second, you’ll immediately focus on what matters; your audience. What problem are they facing? And how you can help them solve it?

This is true for fiction writers as well.  John Locke , who has sold millions of ebooks on amazon and made more than a million dollars by selling $.99 books did it exactly this way.

He saw that many successful authors were charging almost $10  for a book and decided that he would undercut them – selling his own efforts for $.99 cents. Even in 2019, most of his books retail for $2.99. That’s far below average price.

Locke had a business background. He thought very carefully about who his ideal audience was, how they spent their days, what frustrated them and what type of content they would be most likely to consume.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an easy process. And he had his trial-and-error moments. But you can see that by simply writing from the context of your writing being a money-making venture rather than simply a creative exercise can be helpful.

Create a simple marketing plan for your content

You’re probably wondering why YOU should have to do this when you intend to hire a marketing expert to do this for you. You should do this yourself first SO THAT you can choose the right book marketing person or PR person who will help you make money from your book.

Here’s the template — Click on the image and then either download it for yourself or make a copy to your own Google Drive.

With this plan in hand, you’re ready to start playing around with some specific marketing ideas for making money from your writing.

Create a video trailer: A book is nothing more than a movie you play in your mind. Create a short video trailer to get people excited about your book.  You can use tools like Adobe Spark, Animoto or Magisto .

Do a virtual book tour: In addition to sending copies of your book to book reviewers and book review sites like Goodreads, create a list of podcasts, tweet chats, and Facebook live sessions..  Anywhere people are talking about your topic, you want to be there and you want to be there during a blast. This virtual tour should last 4-6 weeks.

Create a Facebook Group or Fan Page: Create a space where your audience, fans and potential readers can engage with you.

Build a website: You can create a simple book or author website on your own for less than $100.  Invest in great design, book image and head shots. Also provide some free content such as a table of contents, a chapter or two or even better — create a series of downloadable resources and tools for your audience.

These items are just the tip of the iceberg because authors who know how to leverage their content make more money with less work. As an author, you’re not limited to sitting around and waiting for your book to make you money. You can use your book’s content to create income opportunities. The only limits are your time and imagination.

More From Forbes

How to make money writing – 6 ideas.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Learn how to get paid to write for beginners and much more.

Strategies For Earning Money By Writing

Ghost writing, copywriting, technical writing, social media writing, magazine and newspaper writing, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Do you have a way with words? You could turn your prowess with pronouns, verbs and adjectives into a lucrative side hustle when you learn how to make money by writing. Many large and small websites hire freelance writers to produce their content, offering you a platform to share your insights and an opportunity to make some extra dough. Even those who have never written anything besides personal social media posts or journal entries can find a place to sell their writing. This list provides a step-by-step guide to how to earn money by writing and will answer all your questions, whether you’re a beginning or veteran scribe.

You can make money by writing in many different ways, including blogging, ghost writing, penning reviews and working for small businesses. You have a greater chance of being published by pursuing several options simultaneously instead of prioritizing one. It’s like baiting multiple fishhooks. The more you cast, the better your odds of pulling something in.

You will make the most money by working for bigger sites and businesses, and you can do nearly all of it remotely. Ghostwriting pays better than blogging because businesses want more polished, focused writing. Blogging, however, may take less time and allow you the chance to complete more assignments. Journalism gives you greater opportunities for creativity in your work, and social media writing appeals to those who like pithy, funny writing. Copywriting and technical writing can be drier, but they also provide higher payment and steadier work than other writing. Here is a breakdown of the main ways to make money while writing.

Blogging means publishing content online written especially for that publication. Individuals, businesses, journalists, influencers, homemakers and many more publish blogs, which are often but not always written in first person. Anyone can write their own blog and publish it through a self-publishing platform, such as Medium, Blogger or WordPress.

The time and effort required for blogging depends on what you write about. For instance, if you run in your spare time and decide to start a running blog, you may be able to write several short blogs about running a race in under an hour. But if you want to explore the ethical implications of artificial intelligence using reliable sources, it could take hours to finish one post. The better the writing and sourcing, the better a post will perform, so making the extra effort to be informed and publishing grammatically correct copy is always worth it.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

You don’t need experience to become a blogger. Anyone can do it, though it may take a while for you to settle into a style and voice that becomes popular. You need readers to make money on a blog. People make money on blogs in several ways:

• Advertising : You can sign on with a blogging ad network or sell your own ads to local businesses to make money.
• Sponsorship : You can write about a sponsor’s products in return for money, though you must disclose that you received compensation for your post.
• Syndication : You can sign on with syndication networks to distribute your blog on larger networks that will pay for your work.

How much can you make from blogging? The answer varies according to how often you publish, what type of payment method you use, and the popularity of your work. Some top bloggers make six figures per year. Sponsorships with big companies like Walmart that pay people to hawk their goods can be lucrative, paying thousands of dollars. But most bloggers make a few hundred dollars per month, enough to pay off a car or credit card bill but not enough to live on.

Blogging, ghost writing, copywriting, technical writing, social media writing and newspaper and ... [+] magazine writing are six of the most lucrative ways to earn money writing.

Ghost writing is the most lucrative type of writing. Ghost writers channel the voice of a third party, writing as though they were that person or business and presenting their ideas in first person. Businesses and thought leaders use ghost writers to take their thoughts and ideas and present them in a prettier package.

Ghost writing can take many forms. You might produce communications for a company CEO or create a book about an important event for a historical society. Every job is a little different. Ghost writing usually requires several years of writing experience, though if you are a subject matter expert on something—for example, if you are a nurse asked to write articles for a nursing degree program—then you may be able to get a job without writing experience. Time spent on an assignment will vary, but it takes longer than blogging. Ghost writing demands high-level clarity, grammar and readability.

You can make money by earning an hourly or per-project rate from the client. Most ghost writing gigs pay well, from $50 per hour and more. Some ghost writers pull in six figures per year, though those have extensive experience. To get started, search LinkedIn for the words “freelance writer” or “writer.” Or think about companies you would like to work with and send an email to the hiring manager introducing yourself and spelling out your expertise. You can also sign on with agencies that hire out ghost writers to businesses. Again, send your resume and a letter of introduction (LOI) to the agency hiring manager or search job ads online.

Copywriting is similar to ghostwriting, but sometimes you will receive a byline and the writing is not always presented in first person. Copywriting includes copy on businesses’ websites, material for pamphlets, mission statements, advertising, newsletters and more. People with copywriting skills are persuasive and clear writers good at conveying information and encouraging sales.

You can start with simple copywriting jobs and work your way up to higher-paying ones. Experience is required for bigger companies, but small businesses around your town might hire an inexperienced writer. You can begin by approaching them and offering to, for instance, rewrite their website or start a monthly newsletter. As you gain knowledge and confidence, you can reach out online to larger places. Follow freelance job boards to find new opportunities, interact with companies on LinkedIn to get your name out there, and send LOIs to hiring managers wherever you want to work.

You can get a little creative to find jobs, too. Find newsletters for companies you love or share expertise with. Send them an LOI outlining your subject matter background and what you could contribute. Copywriting work requires precision and often background research, and it takes longer than many other types of writing. You can make a good living as, like with ghost writing, clients tend to pay on the higher end of the payscale for copywriters, often $40 per hour and more. The best copywriters can make more than $150,000 per year.

Technical writing refers to communicating information about niche topics, such as medicine, engineering, manufacturing or construction. It can also encompass things like the directions to put something together or operate an electronic device. The aim is to create digestible, informative content while eliminating jargon.

Technical writing requires a great deal of writing experience, but it can be lucrative. Few people have the skills to boil down information and serve it back up in the right format. It can take hours to finish even a short writing assignment because you need to get every word right and leave out extraneous ones. But most jobs are paid per hour ($60 and up for experienced writers), so the time and effort pay off.

A lot of technical writing jobs are full time. But you can find part-time opportunities using job sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster and more. Taking courses in technical writing could be a worthy investment, as that background will open up new opportunities and give you valuable experience.

Technical writing, a great way to earn money by writing, may involve simplifying jargon and ... [+] complexities for a lay audience.

Social media writing is a relatively new way to make money. Many businesses hire people to write captions on Instagram , video descriptions on YouTube , thought leadership posts on LinkedIn and much more. This is an excellent entry point for writers with little formal experience.

Social media writing pays more modestly than other types of business writing, anywhere from $15-$35 per hour. However, it takes less effort. You can often bang out lots of posts in an hour, and very little knowledge or experience is needed, beyond knowing the character limits for different social platforms. You can find jobs by looking at writing job sites or reaching out directly to businesses with LOIs. Try small businesses in your hometown first to get some examples for your resume before targeting more prominent places.

Magazine and newspaper writing is one of the more specialized forms of writing to make money. But if you have some training and are more interested in writing as a means of changing the world and informing people, it is a worthy pursuit. You can start by publishing pieces in hometown newspapers or niche magazines.

You won’t break the bank with journalism writing. Even some bigger papers and publications pay less than $1,000 per story, and you would need to string together a lot of assignments to make a living. But to make extra spending money and perhaps affect change, you can’t beat journalism. You will need to learn the publication’s style guide and adhere to it for pieces you submit. Editors make assignments, which you can get by pitching (sending a cold email) to the editor explaining your story idea and why you are the right person to write it.

Time and effort vary depending on the scope of the story. Many can be quite involved. Editors often prefer to work with people who have experience, so build up your resume with pitches to smaller publications first.

Bottom Line

Writing can be a fun way to make extra money, or you can even turn it into a high-paying career with the right experience. Whether you pen blogs, website copy or social media posts, you can find an outlet that’s “write” for you.

How Much Do Writers Make?

Writers can make a decent salary depending on their experience level and who they write for. How much writers make may depend on on where they work, how many clicks their work generates, and how long the job took. 

The salary range for a writer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , is a median of $73,690 per year, or $35.43 per hour. Income rises with higher experience levels. 

What Websites Pay You To Write?

You can find hundreds of websites that pay for writing. A few of the most popular include: 

The Penny Hoarder

Bustle  

Transitions Abroad

Vibrant Life

Scary Mommy

Paying websites look for writing they think will draw readers. Using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, such as incorporating keywords that people search for, can generate higher traffic, so be sure to mention any SEO knowledge when you apply, as that will help your chances. The more views you generate, the more money the website makes. Create a portfolio of your past work that you can share when you apply for jobs that shows your best efforts. 

How Can You Get Paid To Write Reviews?

You can get paid to write reviews across a number of platforms for products ranging from books to vacuum cleaners. Some of the most popular include Get Reviewed , Kirkus , UserTesting and Amazon Vine , though note that you get paid in products for that site. 

To become a reviewer, you may need no experience at all for many sites. They value trustworthiness and honest feedback. Some hire people they find through online reviews they have already posted. Other sites require more extensive background in writing reviews. For instance, if you want to work for DotDash, one of the largest editorial operations on the web that runs lots of reviews across its sites, you will need writing experience for a major website and product expertise. 

How Can You Get Paid To Write Letters?

You can write letters and get paid by watching for these jobs on freelance sites such as Upwork , Contently , compose.ly and Fiverr , which serve as clearinghouses to hire writers for businesses. A business may need one letter or a series. You can gain repeat work if you do a good job. 

You may have seen TikTok and YouTube videos about writing handwritten notes for businesses and earning $5 per letter. This is a scam that has been debunked by multiple websites. You won’t find companies paying you a lot of money to write handwritten letters. They want polished, professional copy for communications with clients and customers, and you must have experience doing this type of work. It falls under copywriting and can pay $40 per hour or more. 

How Can You Get Paid To Write As A Beginner?

How can you get paid to write for beginners? Breaking in with little experience can be difficult. Some aspiring writers choose to take volunteer gigs to build their portfolio, but you can probably find low-paying work that will do the same for you. 

Search job boards such as Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster and LinkedIn. You can also start a blog of your own with no experience, though it will take time to monetize it using the strategies outlined above. You could also submit poetry or prose to literary magazines, which usually pay an honorarium, or submit finished essays to magazines or newspapers. As you gain experience, you can approach higher-paying markets. 

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

10 guaranteed ways to make money writing stories

Writing stories is an artistic talent that requires creativity and a unique vision. But, did you know that this talent can be a lucrative source of income? Yes, it is possible to earn money from stories in various ways that will provide you with a stable income and open new horizons for you.

In this article, we will review nine guaranteed ways to make money from writing stories.

1. Self-publishing e-books

Nowadays, self-publishing has become easier and faster thanks to technological advancement and the availability of digital platforms. Among these platforms, Amazon Kindle stands out as one of the most popular and used. If you are a writer who aspires to make money from writing stories, Amazon Kindle provides you with a golden opportunity to achieve this goal.

You can start writing your story and prepare it for publication. It takes dedication from you to write engaging and interesting content that will attract readers. When you finish writing, comes the cover design stage. The cover should preferably be eye-catching and professional, as it plays a big role in attracting the attention of potential readers.

After preparing the book and designing the cover, comes the publishing stage. You should check the requirements for publishing on the Amazon Kindle platform. These requirements include file format, author information, and book description. It is essential to adhere to these requirements to ensure that your book is accepted and published without a hitch.

Focus on providing high-quality content. Good writing is the key to attracting readers. A good story can see you making money from stories on an ongoing basis. Make sure to review and revise your story carefully to ensure that it is free of errors and achieves the highest levels of quality.

Once the book is published on the Amazon Kindle platform, the promotion process begins. You can leverage social media, blogs, and email to reach a wider audience. Good promotion contributes to increasing book sales and thus profit from writing stories.

One of the biggest advantages of self-publishing via Amazon Kindle is the payout percentage. You receive a percentage of sales on every copy sold. This means that the efforts you put into writing and promoting your story can bring you a sustainable income. By making money writing stories, you can achieve financial independence and invest your time in more creative projects.

2. Publishing through traditional publishing houses

Although self-publishing is an excellent option, publishing through traditional publishing houses gives you greater credibility and wider reach. Collaborating with a well-known publishing house can enhance your standing as a writer and increase your chances of making money from your stories even more.

Start by searching for publishing houses that specialize in the type of stories you write. For example, if you write fantasy novels, look for publishing houses that are known for publishing such works. Prepare your manuscript carefully, making sure it is error-free and ready for submission. Send the manuscript to the publishing house along with a cover letter outlining the story and why you think it is a good fit for the publishing house.

If your manuscript is accepted, you will receive an offer from the publisher that includes a percentage of profits on sales, plus an upfront bonus. This reward is an advance payment for the copyright, and is an immediate financial incentive for you. In doing so, you can make money from the stories before the book is even published.

Publishing through traditional publishing houses not only contributes to making a profit from stories, but it also opens doors to greater opportunities, such as translation into other languages ​​or turning stories into films and series. So, although making money from writing stories through self-publishing is a good option, collaborating with traditional publishing houses can be a strategic move to enhance your literary presence and increase profit from writing stories in the long term.

3. Participation in literary competitions

Literary competitions are a great opportunity to get recognition for your literary talent and perhaps earn money from writing stories. These competitions provide a platform for writers to showcase their skills and present their work before a specialized jury, which enhances the chances of their work being widely recognized.

There are many local and international competitions that offer valuable financial prizes to the winners. These awards can be very motivating, not only because they provide financial support, but because they add to the writer's reputation and increase their credibility. Awards can include publishing contracts, invitations to participate in literary festivals, and opportunities to network with publishers and literary agents.

Searching for and applying to these contests can be an excellent way to earn extra income. Although the competition may be intense, making money from stories through these contests is an accomplishment well worth the effort. You just need to do some research to find contests that are suitable for your type and terms of writing.

There are specialized platforms and websites that collect lists of the latest literary competitions and submission details. Following these sources regularly can help you find optimal opportunities. Remember that adhering to submission deadlines and following instructions carefully increases your chances of earning money from writing stories.

By participating in these competitions, you can not only earn money from writing stories, but also build a strong literary network and develop your writing skills through the comments and evaluations you receive from the judges. Together, these experiences contribute to enhancing your literary future and open new horizons for you in making money from stories.

4. Writing for magazines and newspapers

Many magazines and newspapers are looking for distinctive story content to attract their readers. Submitting your short stories for publication on these platforms can be an effective way to make money writing stories. Magazines depend on the diversity and quality of content to attract and retain readers, and therefore always seek new and innovative literary works.

You can submit your short stories for publication in these magazines. Be sure to research magazines that publish the type of stories you write, and follow their submission instructions carefully. Submitting your short stories for publication not only ensures that you earn money from the stories, but it also gives you the opportunity to reach a wide audience and build your name as a professional writer.

Magazines typically pay writers for each story published. These amounts may vary based on the popularity and size of the magazine, but you will earn money directly from the stories with each story published. This type of publishing can also open other doors for you, such as writing contracts and various creative opportunities.

This type of publishing also gives you the opportunity to reach a wide audience and build your name as a professional writer. Over time, as you publish more stories, you will be able to build a loyal reader base that will strengthen your standing in the literary field. Profiting from stories is not limited only to money, but also includes the reputation and fame that comes with continuous publishing and literary success.

Publishing your short stories in magazines and newspapers is a strategic step to make money from writing stories and enhance your literary presence in the arena. Take advantage of this opportunity to present your best work and achieve excellence in your field.

5. Create a personal blog

If you're looking for a way to have complete control over publishing your stories, you can create a personal blog. Personal blogs are an effective way to share your stories with a wide audience without having to rely on traditional publishing houses. Through this blog, you can publish your stories for free and attract readers using social media.

Building a fan base takes some time and effort, but with consistency and regular publishing of high-quality content, you will be able to attract a large number of readers interested in your literary works. Constant communication with readers through comments and emails enhances their engagement and interest in what you publish.

After building a strong fan base, you can make money from stories in multiple ways. One way is through advertising; You can run ads on your blog and receive a percentage of revenue for each click or view. This method is popular among bloggers and helps make money from writing stories.

Another way to monetize stories is to offer exclusive content to readers who pay a monthly subscription. You can create a subscription system that gives subscribers access to exclusive stories, early releases of your work, or even bonus content like interviews or tutorials on how to write stories. This model allows you to make money from stories on a sustainable basis and ensures a steady stream of income.

In the end, creating a personal blog gives you the freedom and creativity to publish your literary works and make money from stories in innovative and diverse ways. Use this opportunity to build your own audience and achieve success in the world of writing.

6. Collective writing platforms

There are online platforms that bring writers and readers together in one place, such as Wattpad. These platforms allow writers to publish their stories directly and interact with a wide audience of readers from all over the world. By publishing your stories on these platforms, you can attract a large audience that follows your work regularly and encourages you to keep writing.

Some platforms, like Wattpad, offer special programs to support featured writers. These programs allow you to make money from the stories you write by offering a percentage of profits or publishing contracts. These programs are based on evaluating the performance of your stories and their popularity among readers. The more popular your stories are and the more readers engage with them, the more chances you have to make money from stories.

Additionally, these platforms give you an opportunity to build a loyal fan base. You can communicate with your readers, receive their comments and suggestions, and edit your works based on their reactions. This type of direct interaction enhances the quality of your business and increases the chances of earning profits from stories.

It is worth noting that publishing stories on these platforms is not only limited to earning money from writing stories, but also contributes to enhancing your reputation as a writer and building a strong portfolio. You can use this opportunity to develop your writing skills and learn from the experiences of other writers who publish on the same platform.

In short, using platforms like Wattpad is an excellent option to make money writing stories and attract a large audience. Take advantage of this opportunity to build a successful career in the world of writing and make profit from stories in innovative and effective ways.

7. Teaching and presenting workshops

If you have extensive writing experience, you can profit from stories by offering educational workshops for budding writers. These workshops are an excellent opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with others who aspire to improve their writing skills. These workshops can be delivered online or in person, allowing you to reach a wide audience regardless of their geographic location.

Offering workshops online has many advantages. You can use platforms like Zoom or Google Meet to organize interactive sessions where you can present educational content and answer participants' questions. You can also record these sessions to view later for students who are unable to attend on time. This method helps you make money from stories sustainably.

In addition to live workshops, you can also create recorded courses and sell them on eLearning platforms like Udemy. These courses require comprehensive preparation that includes recording educational videos, preparing study materials such as e-books and tests, and providing necessary support to online students. Publishing your courses on these platforms can earn you money from writing stories on a regular and sustainable basis.

Profiting from stories through education is not only limited to financial returns, but also contributes to building your reputation as an expert in the field. By providing valuable content, you can attract more students and expand your customer base, allowing you to make money writing stories in diverse and effective ways.

8. Convert stories into scenarios

Many distinctive stories can be turned into scripts for films or television series. If you find in yourself the ability to write screenplays, this field opens up wide horizons for you to make money from writing stories.

Screenwriting requires a deep understanding of dramatic structure and character development, as well as the ability to transform literary texts into actionable visual scenes. If you have these skills, you can pitch your work to producers or directors looking for new and exciting content.

Submitting scenarios to production agencies can be done in several ways. You can start by attending film festivals and conferences where industry professionals gather, giving you opportunities to network directly and present your ideas. You can also use specialized online platforms that connect writers with producers and directors.

Success in this field can see you making money from stories significantly. Attractive contracts are usually offered to writers who succeed in presenting distinctive scenarios that are turned into successful works of art. This kind of success is not limited to immediate financial returns, but it can enhance your reputation and place you on the list of distinguished writers in the film and television industry.

In addition to profiting from stories, turning your stories into screenplays can have a huge impact on your career. Success in screenwriting may open new doors for you in other fields, such as writing digital series or commercials.

9. Work as a freelance writer

If you prefer freedom and working on diverse projects, you can work as a freelance writer. There are many companies and websites looking for content writers to create creative stories for ads, games or apps. This opportunity allows you to earn money from stories in many and varied ways.

Working as a freelance writer gives you the flexibility to choose projects that fit your interests and make use of your writing skills. You can work on developing short advertising stories that promote products or services, or write scripts for video games that need an exciting narrative and exciting adventures. Also, modern interactive apps require unique story content to engage users, which you can provide.

These jobs are lucrative and give you an opportunity to exploit your talent in different fields. By working as a freelance writer, you can make money directly from stories, as companies pay for every project you complete. You can also develop long-term professional relationships with your clients, ensuring a steady flow of opportunities and revenue.

The freedom that comes with freelancing also means that you control your schedule and choose projects that really interest you. This gives you time to develop new ideas and improve your writing skills, which ultimately results in you writing stories more effectively.

If you are looking to make money writing stories while enjoying the freedom to work and move between different projects, then working as a freelance writer is the ideal choice for you. Use this opportunity to expand your creativity and achieve success in various fields.

10. Writing audio books

Audiobooks have become a popular means of obtaining narrative content. You can write your stories and then turn them into audio books by collaborating with professional narrators, or even read them yourself if you have a suitable voice. This method allows you to make money from stories in new and effective ways.

Publishing audiobooks on platforms like Audible can open a new door for you to make money writing stories. These platforms allow writers to reach a wide audience of listeners who prefer to listen to stories on the go or going about their daily work. Hence, you can make money from stories by selling audiobooks directly to the audience.

The process of converting a story into an audio book requires choosing the appropriate narrator who can embody the characters and convey emotions and feelings in an attractive way. If you have the right voice and vocal talent, you can read it yourself, adding a personal and distinctive touch to your work.

Audiobooks attract a wide range of listeners, including people who do not have enough time for traditional reading. This category relies on audiobooks to enjoy stories while driving, exercising, or doing housework. Therefore, investing in this field can be profitable and significantly increase the profit from stories.

You can also take advantage of modern audio recording and editing technologies to produce a high-quality audio book. This ensures that your work reaches listeners in the best possible light and greatly enhances your chances of making money from writing stories.

Converting stories into audiobooks represents an excellent opportunity to make money from writing stories, and provides you with an effective way to reach a new and diverse audience. Use this opportunity to expand your business and achieve success in the world of voice typing.

Writing stories is not only a means of artistic expression, but it can be a great source of income. Using the methods we mentioned above, you can Make money from stories In innovative and effective ways. Whether you choose to self-publish or work as a freelance writer, the opportunities are endless. Start today by making your dreams come true Profit from writing stories !

Sources: Chapter by Audio | Book Launch | Clear Sight Books

Make money writing stories

Make money from stories

Profit from stories

Profit from writing stories

The most important topics

• Information Security
• Marketing strategies
• Advertising
• programming
• Apply for opportunities
• Distance learning
• Make Money Online

• Digital Marketing
• Most Recent
• Presentations
• Infographics
• Data Visualizations
• Forms and Surveys
• Video & Animation
• Case Studies
• Design for Business
• Design Inspiration
• Visual Thinking
• Product Updates
• Visme Webinars
• Artificial Intelligence

How to Make Money Selling Ebooks in 2024

Written by: Orana Velarde

Everyone knows that a free ebook is one of the best lead magnet strategies for businesses of any size. But if you’re an author looking to earn some income you can make money from selling ebooks. Writing ebooks for money is also a common form of passive income, preferred by some, especially after the pandemic.

In fact, ebooks are in popular demand, so much so that ebook sales have exploded in the past few years, and the growth is expected to continue to grow at a steady annual rate of 3.92% up to 2028 internationally.

Even though free ebooks offer value to the subscriber exchanging their email for the download, paid-for ebooks must deliver a wealth of valuable information plus actionable advice for the reader.

In this article, we'll help you learn why ebooks are great for earning passive income, and share tips and guidelines for where and how to sell your ebooks.

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit ebook templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

• Table of Contents

Why Ebooks Are Good For Passive Income

7 sites to help you sell ebooks, ebook file types and formatting, how to sell ebooks in 11 simple steps, selling ebooks faqs.

• Ebooks are not just for lead magnets but make a great source of passive income that can help you to make money in the long term.
• You can use several sites to sell your ebook, including Visme, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, Rakuten Kobo, Sellfy, Payhip and Gumroad.
• Choosing the right file type and formatting for your ebook is essential. File types include Printable PDF, Interactive PDF, Multimedia/Interactive HTML5 or EPUB.
• To sell your ebook, you should know your audience, get an ISBN, write and design your ebook, create an eye-catching cover design, publish and share it, price it, create a landing page, promote it, track sales and nurture leads.
• With Visme, you can choose from a wide range of beautifully designed ebook templates to get started, access intuitive editing features, or publish your ebook with a shareable link.

Passive income is one of the most sought-after sources of income today. It means you're able to generate income with minimal labor involved. In other words, work less and earn more. Who doesn’t want that, right?

Well, ebooks are a great addition to any passive income strategy. The hard work starts at the beginning, and once it’s done, all you need to do is maintain your sales and marketing. Once you create an ebook, market it and share it, it can technically sell itself.

To make money writing ebooks takes a decent amount of effort to write valuable content. Not to mention, building a strong brand that will carry your ebook to success is not an overnight task.

But when you do set everything up correctly, ebooks can help you make money for a long time. In fact, the more evergreen your content is, and the more you keep promoting and updating it, the longer the life of your ebook.

Need more convincing? Here are some reasons why ebooks are great for passive income:

They’re relatively easy digital products to make.

Even though an ebook will take work to put together and publish, it’s still a much easier digital product to create than a multi-lesson online course. You might even have most of the content in your blog post articles that can together create the foundation for an ebook.

Templates also make ebook creation a lot easier than starting from scratch. Using them also increases your chances of creating a successful ebook.

Visme, for example, offers pre-designed multipage templates in lots of different designs and for a variety of industries.

Putting the ebook together once you have the content is pretty straightforward. If you’re working with a team inside your company, then it’s even easier. Using collaboration tools makes ebook building an accessible and inspiring activity.

Plus, even if it takes you a while to create your first ebook, it will be much easier to make more. Why? Because you'll learn from the failures and successes of your last ebook (or ebooks) and make sure your future works are best-sellers.

Beyond being an easy digital product to make, you can easily sell your ebooks online. In the latter part of this article, we’ll discuss how to sell an ebook online.

Build relationships with customers and drive sales growth

• Reach out to prospects with impressive pitch decks and proposals that convert
• Monitor clients' level of engagement to see what they are most interested in
• Build a winning sales playbook to maximize your sales team's efficiency

Sign up. It’s free.

They make for great lead magnets.

Collecting leads for your business is a vital step in the marketing funnel. Ebooks are great lead magnets because you are offering value as you get the person’s email. Many people create free ebooks in exchange for a sign-up, so your paid ebook must provide more value than a free one.

The best ebooks, specifically the ones that are most suited for passive income, are the ones that offer evergreen content. A good example of evergreen content is a topic that won’t change or evolve too fast after you’ve written it.

They help with link building.

Ebook creation and promotion generally need a landing page on your website as the lead generation starting point. Add the landing page URL to relevant blog posts and other content on your site.

Likewise, other people can add your link to their content, and you can share the landing page directly on social media.

Selling ebooks needs a good and trustworthy platform. There are many publishing and distribution options, big and small. Choose the one that works for you.

If your ebook is not in the file type your publisher or distributor asks for, there are plenty of free online converters. Additionally, if you have the content and want someone else to convert it to ebook format manually, you can find many people on Fiverrr who offer this service.

In this section, we’ll show you where to sell ebooks online and how to get started.

Visme is an all-in-one design and content creation platform. Its easy-to-use platform lets users with little to no design experience create visually stunning content from scratch or with the help of professionally designed pre-made templates.

Writing and selling an ebook is a long and challenging process. Visme provides a comprehensive space for authors to finish their ebook designs confidently without the need to hire a programmer or designer.

Access ready-to-use ebook templates designed for the B2B or B2C space or Visme's AI Designer to help quickly generate a personalized template that suit your needs. For ebooks of fiction and non-fictional genres, you can bring your ebook cover ideas to life with Visme’s AI image generator or access a library of thousands of images, icons, graphics, animations and so much more.

Visme has a rich library of stock photos you can use in your ebook. If you don’t have any image that fits your context, Visme’s AI image generator is a great solution. With a descriptive prompt, you can generate unique visuals, including images, art, 3D graphics, paintings, pencil drawings and more.

“Some templates you stumble upon and are blown away that someone put the time and effort into creating them. You did not know you needed them in your life until that minute.” - Lorens K., A Graphic Designer who uses Visme .

Plus, you can easily edit your ebook’s most essential information with dynamic fields . This allows you to automatically insert or edit personalized text fields or assign any value needed without the need for painstaking manual updates.

Here's a quick video tutorial to walk you through creating an ebook in Visme:

Once you’ve finished designing your ebook in Visme, whether it’s plain text, multimedia, interactive or animated, you can decide to download or share your ebook as a digital PDF or a printable PDF with bleed marks to ensure your content and words stay in their designated area when professional printed.

You can also turn it into a shareable link that you share with your readers once they’ve made a purchase on your website. As well as make your ebook a private project so you decide who gets to view or read your ebook.

You can also track the number of views on your ebooks when you share them via Visme. This is great for analyzing the performance of your content as you track sales and marketing efforts.

2. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

Amazon is one of the largest online platforms for selling digital ebooks. Most authors are proactively selling ebooks on Amazon. Publishing your own ebook is one of the most popular ways to make money on Amazon , which can potentially make $1000+ a month.

Ebooks on Amazon are published using Kindle Direct Publishing. KDP will request that you upload your manuscript, which should meet certain requirements. You can upload Microsoft Word files, EPUB and their signature Kindle file type, KPF.

Choose to publish it as an ebook, paperback or both and once it’s been accepted by Amazon, your ebook will be available to readers worldwide.

3. Smashwords

Smashwords is an ebook publisher and distributor that offers lots of solutions for new and experienced ebook writers. You can upload a Word document or an EPUB file. They turn it into a digital ebook product and distribute it to all major ebook consumer platforms.

4. Rakuten Kobo

Rakuten Kobo is another ebook publisher and distributor offering to sell your ebooks on their site and many other distribution sites. To publish with Rakuten Kobo, simply follow the steps on the website. You can upload Microsoft Word and EPUB files, among others. They also offer solutions for selling audiobooks and even have their own digital readers for sale.

Moving away from sites that concentrate on ebooks alone, there’s also Sellfy — a digital product marketplace where you can sell any digital product for download. You can sell directly from Sellfy or use the link on your website.

Another digital download marketplace is Payhip. To sell an ebook on Payhip, it has to be ready as the file type of your choice. For a site like this, you’re better off selling your ebook as an EPUB. Sell with a Payhip link or add the link to a button on a landing page.

Finally, we have Gumroad — this online marketplace allows users to create a store to sell digital products such as courses, memberships, and ebooks. You have a bit more control over where and how your ebook is marketed as well as the price for an ebook when compared to other platforms.

Ready to use any of these platforms? You can start raking in your ebook profits by pairing Visme with any of the tools we’ve shared.

People have different ways of consuming content, and that’s why your ebook should be easy to read in a variety of digital formats. Also, there’s no golden rule that says your ebook must be in a vertical orientation.

For example, reading an ebook on a laptop is easier when it’s horizontal as the entire page is visible. The choice you make depends on how you expect your readers to view the ebook.

The next choice you need to make is the format and file type. There are four commonly used ebook formats and file types:

Printable PDF

Interactive pdf, multimedia/interactive html5.

The file format you choose will mostly depend on your ebook's style. Many ebooks are just plain text, resembling a paper book but digital. Think Kindle readers, for example.

Other ebooks are highly visual and have more of a magazine feel, with large images and creative fonts. Furthermore, an ebook can be interactive with videos, animations and even sound.

But what’s the difference? Let’s take a look.

The classic printable PDF is one of the most common digital formats for transforming paper books and documents into online versions. Essentially, a PDF ebook can be printed and bound or read on a digital device.

The main downside with a static PDF ebook format is that the pages aren’t responsive on screens, and the viewer needs to zoom in and out to read small text.

Your best use of a printable PDF is to offer one as an option to the reader. Create an interactive PDF or digital experience and provide a printable PDF download as an option.

A great way to improve a regular PDF ebook is to make it interactive.  Add hyperlinks, in-document navigation, informational popups, videos and interactive data visualizations.

Downloading interactive PDFs will only keep the links; everything else will deactivate. To share the full interactive version with the reader, you’ll need to share your ebook via a link and offer the option to download the less interactive version.

Like an interactive PDF, you can share your multimedia interactive ebook  as an HTML5 file or via a live link. Of all the formatting options, this is the one we like to call “a digital experience” due to the multimedia capabilities.

Not only can you add links, videos and popups, but you can also add animated elements and transitions between pages.

EPUB is the universal ebook file format legible by most digital readers. To create an EPUB ebook, use a design tool like Adobe InDesign or Pages from Apple. Thankfully, you can also convert PDF files into EPUB files. But the best conversion suggestion is from HTML5 to EPUB.

You’re much better off publishing as an EPUB than a PDF for professional ebook publishing and distribution. EPUB ebooks are responsive and fit better on digital readers for easy reading.

Now to the good part — selling your ebook(s). Even if you’re hoping for your ebook to grow your brand awareness and be a good lead magnet, you also want it to be profitable.

Here are the steps to follow for selling ebooks that fatten up your bank account.

1. Find Out What Your Audience Wants, and Plan

To make money from ebooks, they need to be worth paying money for. Your ebooks must bring valuable information and actionable advice to the reader.

The content should be either timely or evergreen. If the content is about a current trend, you must update the ebook when needed and send previous buyers a notice to download or read the new version.

Have a planning meeting, or start a Slack channel with your team to get the ebook project off the ground and running. Use a project management document with charts to organize the tasks by importance, dependency and person in charge.

Brainstorm with your team to get a good plan going and start doing the research. Here's a project plan template you can use to organize and plan your own book writing project:

The one golden rule about ebooks is to “write what you know.” That said, it also needs to be content that your audience wants; otherwise, they won’t feel the need to buy your book.

Use tools like Google Trends, SEMrush, Answer the Public, Quora and Reddit to find out what people are searching for in topics you know about. Also, check what your current customers ask your support team; you might get some ideas there.

Here are the best-selling ebook categories on Amazon:

• Religion and Spirituality
• Biographies and Memoirs
• Business and Money
• Cookbooks, Food and Wine

Finally, look at the ebooks already available online. Take notes on the best-selling titles, their price, number of pages and what the cover looks like.

To help with the voice and message of your ebook, create a user persona profile to have a better idea of whom you’ll be writing the ebook for.

Here's a user persona template you can customize for your own use:

You might already have user personas from branding and marketing strategies; leverage those to save time. When planning the outline of the ebook, have the user persona always in mind for the messaging, wording, voice and tone.

2. Write Your Ebook

Now it’s time to write your ebook . Before you start, check if you don’t have content you can reuse from blog posts or newsletters. You can, of course, write the book with all new content.

Here are some tips for writing the content for your ebook.

Start with an outline.

Like any type of long-form content, start your ebook with an outline. The depth of subheadings and bullet points depends on your earlier choice: text-heavy or visually rich formatting.

Separate your content into chunks; for an ebook with mostly text, you’ll need main headings, similar to how chapters have titles. When creating a visual style ebook, branch down from your main headings and use subheadings, bullet points and quotes. Make a note of any image placements and their captions.

Use the main titles to draft an initial table of contents. Rule no.1 of creating the table of contents pages: Do so at the very end; you won’t know the final page numbers and titles until you’ve finished the entire ebook.

Write the content.

Using the outline, write the content. Remember we said to write what you know? Well, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to fact-check. You need to show that the statements you make are accurate and back them up with expert quotes, links to research, footnotes or proof of personal and professional experience.

When giving advice or tips, use examples of possible scenarios that apply to what you’re sharing. It’s better if the examples are real, but you can change names for anonymity. Mention and refer to case studies or previous experiences to prove that your advice works.

When you’ve got the entire ebook written, put it down for a couple of days (if you have the time) and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Read it from beginning to end and check for these things:

• Is there a flow from opening to closing?
• Is the introduction inviting and interesting?
• Does the content progress in some way from one topic to another?
• Are all the visuals supporting the content positively?
• Does all the interactive and multimedia content work as it should?
• Do the transitions between sections make sense?
• Is the conclusion concise and well-rounded?

Don’t forget to proofread!

Finally, don’t forget to proofread the text. Use tools like Grammarly or Language Tool as you write, and then do a final check with Grammarly Pro or Hemingway App to find language and grammar inconsistencies. If there’s an editor in your team, have them look through it and make changes to improve the flow, message and tone.

One of the reasons we love interactive ebooks made with Visme and shared with a live link is that all changes will reflect for the user the next time they open the ebook. This way, changes as small as a typo or as significant as a missing paragraph won’t mean republishing the ebook completely.

Having a writer's block? Or perhaps you need help proofreading your ebook. Visme’s AI text generator can help you create high-quality content. You can also use it to draft your ebook outline or proofread your content.

3. Get an ISBN For Your Ebook (Optional)

Before you design your ebook to sell, you might need an ISBN for it. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number and is what distributors and bookstores use to distinguish your ebook from others.

Most publishers and distributors need an ISBN to sell any book, including an ebook. The only exceptions are Amazon and Visme live links and some digital download sites like Gumroad.

If you self-publish a physical book and an ebook of the same manuscript, each will need a unique ISBN. The same applies to different file formats of the same ebook.

4. Design Your Ebook

Designing your ebook is next. If you decide on a text-heavy format, incorporate some visuals to break up the content here and there. For expert knowledge ebooks, don’t use random stock photos to fill up space; use data visualizations instead.

These will both add visual richness and value for the reader. If you write a fiction book with very few visuals, try adding a small illustration at the beginning of each chapter, even the title or chapter number can be creative.

For ebooks with a highly visual approach, you’ll need to consider visuals a homogeneous and balanced collection. The imagery is meant to both support and accompany the text while helping with the flow of content.

Placement of the visuals is vital for an easy-to-read pattern on every page. Take a look at some magazines to get inspired. Analyze how the text is easy to read with images and visuals dispersed in between.

Here’s a quick rundown of the pages your ebook needs:

• Content Pages

About the Author

The info page includes the copyright, ISBN, year of publication, any disclaimers, acknowledgments and primary sources of content that need mentioning.

You have two choices to begin putting everything together: start with a template or design from scratch. The choice depends on your team and how confident the person in charge feels about it.

Even if you want to start with a blank canvas, there might be a template you like the look of. Templates are great for inspiration, and if you didn’t know, even designers use templates .

Start with a template.

Templates are great for free ebooks because they’re usually shorter and include less information. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use these for longer ebooks that you will charge for.

Look for templates on sites like Visme, Behance or Renderforest and choose one that fits your content. You can add, remove and duplicate pages in templates easily.

Graphic Design Ebook

Remote Team Management Ebook

Documents Case Studies Guide

Baking Recipe Interactive Ebook

The Future of Event Marketing Ebook

Investment Fundamentals Ebook

Create your ebook View more templates

As you design the pages, you’ll notice why it was important to separate the content into clusters. Separating the content this way makes it easier to format both the text and visuals into the pages.

Take note of what content you copy into the template to avoid duplicating or missing significant sections.

Design your ebook from scratch.

Designing an ebook from scratch does need a certain level of design experience and time. If you want to add your own unique flair to your ebook, rather than using a template, then create from scratch.

You’ll need to plan the formatting first and take notes from ebook templates or ones you’ve bought or read previously.

Try out a couple of designs with sample pages and test with your team before fully finalizing all the pages. This technique will save time, much like a wireframe saves time when designing websites.

Here’s a checklist to help you complete all the steps when creating an ebook.

Tips to improve your ebook design.

Regardless of whether you’re using a template or not, these design tips will help. Each section has a link to more helpful reading about design. Open them in a new tab to read later.

• Font choice: Use no more than two fonts (or two styles of the same font) in your ebook—one for the headings and the others for body text. Great fonts for body text are; Lato, Garamond and Verdana. Choose the one that best matches your brand voice and tone.
• Color palette: Choose a color palette that won’t tire the reader. Avoid using color for the main body text and stick to black or a very dark gray. For the visuals, stick to the same balanced color palette for illustrations, data visualizations and even for photography .
• Visual hierarchy: Follow the rules of visual hierarchy on every page of your ebook. Also, apply flow hierarchy from page to page. Every section starts with a large title, maybe a smaller subtitle and then the body content in a regular size. Further down in the hierarchy could be footnotes and image captions.
• Margins and spacing: One of the biggest mistakes made by non-designs is to forget about the margins . Give your ebook page margins big enough to make the content feel like it's floating in the center of the page. Maintain the same margin for every single page. The only exceptions are full-width images.
• Page numb​​ers: Remember to number the pages in your ebook, but do so at the very end. You don’t need to put a page number on the cover, info page, or table of contents. Most document creators can number the pages automatically , look for that before trying to number the pages manually.

5. Create an Eye-Catching Ebook Cover Design

Create a clever and exciting ebook cover design with the target reader/user persona in mind. Use visuals that will be attractive or relatable to them. Remember that the cover design will not only be part of the ebook itself; you’ll also use it in a mockup to promote the ebook.

The cover design should include the following elements:

• Ebook Title
• Company Name/Logo
• Brand Colors and Imagery

Even though people say to “not judge a book by its cover,” you can bet that people will do just that, regardless. Make sure the cover is inviting and makes sense with the topic of the book.

Use visual hierarchy to organize the content. For example, the title has the largest font, then the subtitle and finally the author name. You can see this in the example below.

6. Download & Publish Your Ebook

When you’re confident that your book is ready to publish, you’ll have to get it ready to sell. Refer back to the section above, where we list the different types of ebook file types. Choose the one that’s right for you. Here are a few more tips regarding your options.

If you choose to download it as a PDF (static or with active links), you’ll need some way to send the ebook to your clients. Here are some ways to do that:

• Upload the PDF to your website to generate a link.
• Add the PDF file to a Dropbox folder, generate the link and when sending it to the client, change the last digit from 0 to 1, so it downloads as soon as someone clicks on it.
• Publish the ebook to the web with Visme and share the live link with customers. They’ll be able to read in Visme (without needing an account) and can download from there if they wish to do so. This option also allows for password-protected access.

Do you want to publish your book on one of the online publisher or distributor sites? You’ll need an EPUB or Word document file.

• Use an online converter to change your PDF ebook into an EPUB— the best only for mostly text publications.
• For responsive ebooks with lots of visuals, download it as an HTML5 and convert it to EPUB.
• Upload your Word document file ebook to the publishing site, and they will convert it for you.

Is your ebook a digital visual experience with multimedia, animations, videos and more? Your best bet is to use the Visme publication option mentioned above.

7. Price Your Ebook

When putting a price on your ebook, it’s crucial to do some market research. How much are other writers charging for their ebooks on similar topics?

Notice how books are priced like this: $6.76, $16.78 or $13.89. It’s all about pricing psychology and how consumers see the price in decimals as being lower than a whole number.

When you choose the platform to publish and distribute your ebook, look at how much they take as a service fee. Mark up the price to a point where you’re making a profit.

How do you know if you’re making a profit? Calculate the time and work it took to create the ebook, to begin with. How much are you planning on spending on marketing?

Is your target audience people that will pay for a higher-priced book, or not? Calculate how many books you’d like to sell before making a profit and then price according to that.

Getting your pricing strategy right means you get to rake in good ebook profits.

8. Create a Landing Page For Your Ebook

Regardless of how you publish your ebook, you’ll need a landing page to promote it and bring people into your sales funnel. There are several ways to get your customers to pay for the book. Remember that the least number of clicks is always best.

Sell ebooks via your website using an e-commerce integration. Both Shopify and WooCommerce are great options. For something more simple, just add a PayPal button to the landing page. Then either set it up for automatic download or via an email to their inbox.

If you’re using a publisher or distributor like Amazon or a digital product marketplace like Gumroad, add the product link to the button on your landing page.

The landing page below is for a book that’s for sale both as a hardcover​​ or an ebook. Each button directs to the relevant sales page.

9. Promote Your Ebook

Now that everything is ready, it’s time to promote your ebook. Some writers and marketers start promoting the book before it’s even finished, building excitement and expectation.

It’s your choice whether to start promoting before or after the ebook is ready. To advertise in advance, you have to be confident that it’ll be finished on a specific date, otherwise, a delay can harm your marketing strategies.

A great way to promote and share news about your ebook is to create a mockup graphic. Here are some ways you can promote your ebook, using the mockup in a promotional design:

• Social media posts
• Social media ads
• Newsletters and email blasts
• Outreach opportunities like guest posts on other sites
• A popup on your site
• As a footer or sidebar ad on your blog posts
• Add a link to the landing page on your email signature
• Ask readers to leave honest reviews which you can share

When you have more than one ebook, create a landing page for all of them together like an archive. Add the main page with all ebooks to your website’s primary menu as an essential resource for your visitors.

Need help with ebook marketing? This comprehensive guide has everything you need to know about marketing your ebook.

10. Track Ebook Sales

Tracking ebook sales performance is essential to know how to proceed with promotional strategies or further ebook creation. Use a combination of techniques to track sales and reading time; that way, you can find out if the people who buy the book are actually reading it or just letting it sit in their inbox.

Most of the sites to sell ebooks in the list above offer some type of analytics. You’ll have to see what each of them has in store when you look at the pros and cons of choosing. Visme, for example, has an analytics tool that shows visitors, views and demographics.

Use Google Analytics to track who visits the landing page but doesn’t buy. Add a UTM parameter to the landing page link when sharing it on social media or anywhere else. Create unique UTM parameters to track where the visits are coming from specifically.

11. Nurture Your Readers

If someone bought one of your ebooks, they’d likely buy another. Once you’ve captured their email and contact through email or via a Facebook pixel, nurture the communication with them.

Use an email provider to send newsletters about upcoming books and personalize messages relevant information to their interests.

Use Facebook ads to retarget people that have visited your site, landing page or Facebook page before. Use mockups with your cover design to make your ebook look inviting, interesting and worth buying. Send repeat buyers the first couple of chapters of an upcoming book, asking them to have first access when it goes live.

Q. Where Can I Sell My Ebooks?

There are various online platforms where you can sell your ebook. Some of the top platforms to consider are Visme, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, Rakuten Kobo, Sellfy, Payhip and Gumroad.

Q. Is It Profitable to Sell Ebooks?

Ebooks are profitable, but simply publishing one is not enough. eBooks are profitable when they are marketed and sold properly with intent. Some authors who use Amazon to publish their ebooks can potentially make $1000+ a month.

Q. How Much Can You Make Selling Ebooks?

You can make a lot of money selling ebooks. However, the question—how much do ebooks make?—isn't cut and dried. The amount of money you make from selling ebooks depends on a lot of factors, including the cost of your book, additional expenses such as ebook platform fees and how well it’s received by its audience.

Q. Which Ebooks Sell the Most?

Bubble Cow found that the five top-selling ebook categories were religion and spirituality, biographies and memoirs, business and money, self-help and cookbooks or those focused on food and wine.

Write and Sell Ebooks to Generate Passive Income

Ready to start making money selling ebooks? In this guide, we've shared how to write an ebook and make money, from writing, designing and publishing an ebook to several possible sites to sell your ebook through.

Adding an ebook to your passive income strategy might be just what you need for the next quarter. There’s surely a wealth of knowledge you could share with readers, or maybe a fictional story or memoir you’ve been working on. Inspiring ebooks do well also in both business and self-help circles.

If you’re looking for a platform to create an ebook to sell, try out Visme's online ebook creator . You can easily create a multimedia ebook to share as a live link or convert to EPUB. Or, create a static or interactive PDF ebook to download and share in various ways.

Create beautiful, engaging content your audience will love.

Trusted by leading brands

Recommended content for you:

Create Stunning Content!

Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

Orana is a multi-faceted creative. She is a content writer, artist, and designer. She travels the world with her family and is currently in Istanbul. Find out more about her work at oranavelarde.com

Hollywood’s Top Donors Freak Out After Biden’s Debate: ‘If He Doesn’t Drop Out, We’re Not Giving Any More Money to Democrats’

By Tatiana Siegel

Tatiana Siegel

• Hollywood’s Top Donors Freak Out After Biden’s Debate: ‘If He Doesn’t Drop Out, We’re Not Giving Any More Money to Democrats’ 5 days ago
• Hollywood Jews Slam Violence Outside L.A. Synagogue as ‘Horrifying,’ Vow to ‘Mobilize’ 1 week ago
• Why ‘Baby Reindeer’ and Other ‘True Story’ Netflix Shows Keep Landing in Legal Trouble 2 weeks ago

It was meant to be a night to assuage Hollywood’s donor class’ concerns about President Joe Biden ’s fitness. But it quickly turned into a nightmare for some of the industry’s biggest Democratic backers.

Top donors from the media and entertainment business are panicking about Biden’s performance after he stumbled through a 90-minute debate against former President Donald Trump that was watched by some 51 million people.

Related Stories

Regulators shouldn’t blow the whistle on venu sports just yet, box office: 'inside out 2' blasts past 'dune 2' as 2024's biggest movie, 'bikeriders' revs $4 million opening day, popular on variety.

The Friday hangover coincides with four separate New York Times opinion pieces Friday morning that added fuel to the entertainment industry’s angst: “Joe Biden Is a Good Man and a Good President. He Must Bow Out of the Race”; “Biden Cannot Go on Like This”; “I’m Hearing High Anxiety From Democrats Over Biden’s Debate Performance”; and “Is Biden Too Old? America Got Its Answer.”

Despite the alarming media coverage, other Hollywood donors took a less dramatic position, with one calling Biden’s CNN debate showing “concerning” but vowing to remain in his corner, while another notes that the town’s check-writers will back the Democratic Party regardless of whether the sitting president is atop the ticket or not. It’s also worth noting that many of the donors contacted by Variety were responding to the torrent of criticism and concern raining down on the party’s presumptive nominee in the immediate aftermath of the debate. Faced with the prospect of another Trump term, their feelings could soften and they might return to the fold and to raising money for the president.

The Biden campaign announced it had raised $14 million in the 14 hours after the debate. Michael Tyler, a campaign spokesman, told reporters there are “no conversations” about Biden stepping aside, and said the president is committed to doing the second debate in September.

“He didn’t have the best night on the debate stage,” Tyler said. “But you’d rather have one bad night than a candidate with a bad vision for where he wants to take the country.”

But in Hollywood, all eyes are on Jeffrey Katzenberg , the town’s most active Democratic fundraiser, who organized the recent fete that brought Biden and former President Barack Obama to L.A. and drew the likes of George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel and Jack Black. Sources close to Katzenberg say he is taking a wait-and-see approach to how Biden’s debate performance plays out in the coming days. The same is true for media mogul Haim Saban, traditionally one of the Democratic Party’s most prolific donors. Saban has kept a low profile after someone, presumably within the White House, leaked an email he sent to two Biden aides criticizing the president’s move to withhold some military support to Israel. Both Katzenberg and Saban declined to comment.

Hannah Linkenhoker, a political adviser to Hollywood donors, said she was dismayed that Biden did not forcefully make the case on protecting abortion rights.

“We need a champion who can properly hold Trump accountable and articulate what’s going on and be crisp on this issue above all else,” she said. “It’s just really hard to see how we keep supporting him. He needs to dig deep about whether he can in good conscience be our nominee.”

Biden needs a unified and enthusiastic Hollywood behind him, given that some Silicon Valley donors already have begun migrating to Trump in recent months. To that end, there was a fundraiser on Thursday night in L.A. with Govs. Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan), Andy Beshear (Kentucky) and J.B. Pritzker (Illinois) and hosted by ambassador James Costos and his husband Michael Smith. Still, some of the donors who are ready to break with Biden expressed enthusiasm for the idea of Whitmer, Gov. Gavin Newsom (California) or even the return of Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket. Of course, it won’t be up to them to decide who might be the standard-bearer since Biden’s fate remains in his own hands and replacing the president as the nominee comes with its own challenges .

Vice President Kamala Harris will be on hand tomorrow for a Pride month presidential fundraiser in Los Angeles, with Idina Menzel scheduled to perform.

But the push for a new candidate isn’t just being whispered behind closed doors. Andrew Yang, who ran for the Democratic Party presidential primaries in 2020, wrote on X: “Guys, the Dems should nominate someone else – before it’s too late. #swapJoeout.”

“It needs to be a democratic process,” she said. “There’s an incredible bench of highly qualified Democrats to fill his place.”

Michael Trujillo, an L.A.-based political consultant, argued Biden’s delegates would be naturally disposed toward Harris, and that talk of installing some other alternative at a brokered convention is unrealistic.

“That’s someone hoping for a ‘West Wing’ episode,” he said. “That ain’t going to hunt.”

Biden sought to reassure supporters at a public rally on Friday in North Carolina.

“I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to,” he said on stage. “I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth.”

Some feel the collective freak-out over Biden’s ability to go the distance will subside. But it will be hard to walk back the negative headlines, scathing social media posts and pundit panic from the past 18 hours. Even Friday’s episode of “The View,” typically a venue of unwavering support for Biden, featured two co-hosts, Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin, calling for Biden to step aside. Their colleague Sunny Hostin said Biden “maybe” needs to go.

But co-host Ana Navarro offered a take reflected by a slice of Hollywood’s donor class, saying, “Until Joe Biden tells me he’s giving up, I’m not giving up on Joe Biden,” adding, “I’m not going to judge Joe Biden on 90 bad minutes.”

Outside Hollywood, some believe Hollywood needs to be less rigid when it comes to backing a presidential candidate. “Funders have the tendency to be sucked into the duopolistic status quo instead of imagining what the future should look like. Now, they have the opportunity to enlist sorely missing vibrant and charismatic voices in a game-changing convention,” says Alexander Heffner, PBS and Bloomberg host who is releasing a new series July 4, “Breaking Bread With Alexander,” which features next-gen U.S. politicians including Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Raphael Warnock. “It’s a Hollywood dream come true if they realize the urgency of the moment.”

(Marc Malkin and Gene Maddaus contributed to this report.)

More from Variety

Busta rhymes on his ray-ban campaign, little simz collab and walk of fame star: ‘it was one of the most emotional moments of my career’, why the academy museum’s antisemitism criticism is overblown, reality stars plan their own funerals in new u.k. show ‘celebrity send off’, junaid khan-starring ‘maharaj’ is ratings success for netflix, yash raj films (exclusive), peak tv: here’s how deep streamers cut originals output in 1h 2024, ‘outer range’ canceled at amazon after two seasons, more from our brands, neil gaiman denies sexual assault allegations made by two women, uber is letting riders book private yachts and water limos in europe, lebron james returning to lakers on 2-year deal with player option, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, outer range cancelled at prime video, verify it's you, please log in.