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Home > News > Publisher News

Writing Books Remains a Tough Way to Make a Living

A new Authors Guild survey finds that median book and writing-related
income for authors in 2022 was below the poverty level.

By Jim Milliot |
Sep 29, 2023

A new author income study released by the Authors Guild provides a
dizzying array of numbers and breakdowns about how all types of
authors--traditionally published and self-published, full-time and
part-time--fared financially in 2022. With such a deep trove of
statistics, the survey offers something for everyone, but the main
takeaway is that most authors have a hard time earning a living from
their craft.

The survey, which drew responses from 5,699 published authors, found
that in 2022, their median gross pre-tax income from their books was
$2,000. When combined with other writing-related income, the total
annual median income was $5,000. The median book-related income for
survey respondents in 2022 was up 9% from 2018, adjusted for
inflation, with all the increase coming from full-time authors, whose
income was up 20%, compared to a 4% decline for part-time authors.

While the combined income (book income plus other writing-related
income) of full-time, established authors (those who had written a
book in 2018 or before) rose 21% in 2022 (to $23,329) from 2018, the
median income was still below poverty level. Earnings solely from
book-related sources increased from $9,997 to $12,000 in that period.
The importance of nonbook writing-related income to authors cannot be
overstated: 56% of respondents reported that such activities as
journalism, conducting events, editing, ghostwriting, and teaching
more than doubled their income.

The report did have some good news for aspiring authors, finding that
the top 10% of established authors who participated in the survey had
median book income of $275,000 last year. On the flip side, the
bottom 50% had median book income of $1,300.

The survey, conducted by the Codex Group, also took a close look at
how traditionally published authors fared compared to self-published
authors. Here, the report delivers what appears to be an important
emerging trend. While in 2022, the median book-related income for
full-time self-published authors was $10,200--much less than full-time
traditionally published trade authors, who earned $15,000--established
(five-plus years of publishing experience) full-time self-published
authors more than doubled their book income in 2022 compared to 2018,
to $19,000. Over that time, established full-time traditionally
published trade authors' book income only rose 11%, to $15,000,
demonstrating that experienced self-published authors are now
significantly more effective at boosting their earnings than their
experienced traditionally published counterparts.

The survey suggests, however, that publishers may be paying more
attention to the threat from self-publishing. Newer full-time
traditionally published authors (those who published their first book
in 2019 or later) saw their income rise in 2022 to $18,000, compared
to $15,000 for their established counterparts. Publishers have plenty
of incentive to lure self-published authors. The survey found that
the overwhelming majority of authors under 55 years old earned the
majority of their book income by self-publishing. Even among authors
65 and older (which comprised the largest reporting demographic), 41%
reported earning the majority of income from self-publishing.

Other key survey findings

* 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.

* Among full-time authors, Kindle Unlimited users tied full-time
traditionally published authors in 2022 median book-related income.
However, traditionally published authors had 22% higher combined
median income thanks to their far greater reliance on nonbook
writing-related income.

* Romance authors had the highest median gross income from their
books, out-earning mystery, thriller, and suspense writers by more
than three-fold and literary fiction authors nine-fold. Graphic
novelists ranked second in book-related income, leading in combined
book and nonbook earnings.

* Black authors' 2022 median book-related income was $800 vs. white
authors' $2,000. Participating white authors were 36% more likely to
be traditionally published than Black authors (38% vs. 28%).

*The audiobook format is a dramatically underpublished growth
opportunity: 55% of traditional and 64% of self-published authors
have none of their books in audiobook format.

Demographics

While 80% of respondents considered themselves to be professional
authors, only 35% said they were full-time authors while 53% said
they were part-time authors (with the balance being one-book authors
or undecided). The primary writing occupation of part-time authors
outside of publishing books was professor/academic (8.5%), followed
by book illustrator/author (4.2%), editor (2.9%), poet (2.4%),
journalist (2%), teacher (2%), and entrepreneur (1.5%).

By far the largest percentage of respondents, 79%, were white,
followed by 8% Black, 4% Hispanic, 2% AAPI, and 2% Native American.
Twelve percent identified as LGBTQIA+ and 11% identified as disabled,
meeting the ADA's definition. The survey did find that diversity
efforts were beginning to bear fruit--Black, AAPI, and Hispanic
authorship has increased the most since 2019, and LGBTQIA+ and
nonbinary authors were also above average among new authors.
Sixty-one percent of respondents were women, 34% men, and 5%
nonbinary.

A sobering picture

Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said the newest author income
survey "paints a sobering picture of the financial realities authors
face today." The low earnings "underscore why the Authors Guild's
advocacy is so critical on issues like fair contracts, copyright,
freedom of expression, and livable incomes for creators." She added
that the survey results document that "50% of full-time authors
continue to earn below minimum wage in many states," and that the
guild cannot accept a status quo in which Black authors earn
substantially less than white authors.

And even as difficult as it is now for authors to earn a living, new
challenges like exploitative AI, unconscionable contracts, and book
bans are applying new pressure on authors' livelihoods, Rasenberger
said. "Lawmakers, publishers, and the public must recognize authors
as professionals deserving fair pay and dignity. We urge collective
action to build a system that properly values the essential
contributions of writers to society. The Authors Guild will continue
this fight until the stark income disparities revealed in our survey
are remedied by overdue reforms."

A version of this article appeared in the 10/02/2023 issue of
Publishers Weekly under the headline: A Tough Way to Make a Living
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