Is there gold in them books? Guardian piece offers a worrying perspective

[MattScho]

So, the article isn't about making money as a writer, but it includes this tidbit:
"According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, writers and authors earn on average $69,510 a year, while an alarming Authors Guild survey showed that its members drew a median income of $6,080 in 2017, down 42% from 2009."
Now, the $69,500 reflects both the fact that median is a more accurate indication of what most folks make, and that the US Bureau of Labor Stats includes a lot of folks in the writers and authors grouping who would not be included in an Authors Guild effort.
But the authors guild number is one I've been hearing about for ages.
In any case, worth a discussion.

 

[Hannah F]

$69 500? You've got to be kidding! That's very much skewed by the very few mega-earners.

 

[MattScho]

$69 500? You've got to be kidding! That's very much skewed by the very few mega-earners.

Yeah, average does that while median is a more honest look.
the average of what JK and we on litopia earn each year is a something like $10 million a year. Take her out of the equation and it drops a smidge.
I also think the US BoLStats includes as a writer anyone who calls themselves a writer, which includes a lot of poeple who work in PR, journalism, technical writing, etc (all very legit fields, but places that make actual money so not really comparable in earnings to authors). the $6,080 as a median number is only surprising because it is almost exactly the number I was given by a fiction writing professor. In 1983.

 

[James Charles]

So, the article isn't about making money as a writer, but it includes this tidbit:
"According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, writers and authors earn on average $69,510 a year, while an alarming Authors Guild survey showed that its members drew a median income of $6,080 in 2017, down 42% from 2009."
Now, the $69,500 reflects both the fact that median is a more accurate indication of what most folks make, and that the US Bureau of Labor Stats includes a lot of folks in the writers and authors grouping who would not be included in an Authors Guild effort.
But the authors guild number is one I've been hearing about for ages.
In any case, worth a discussion.

Well, I knew all along I wasn't in this for the money...

 

[MattScho]

Well, I knew all along I wasn't in this for the money...

This is very true, it's just that we weren't in it to not make money. Still, as I noted, this was explained to me 40 years ago, and yet i still type

 

[CageSage]

who work in PR, journalism, technical writing

Yep. So many classified as 'writer' on the books. As a tech writer a few years ago, yay, a six figure salary. Do it by contract, and the numbers jump. It's professional writing, but not creative fiction writing.
I think the classification should be parsed by the words added to the designation of writer - eg fiction writer, essay writer, technical writer, news writer (or non-fiction/journalism writer to be explicit), etc. Without the right word to define the type of writer, the story has very little value to possibly the largest group of writers - novelists, short-story writers, poets, screenwriters, etc.
As writers, we understand the need for the exact right word for the job, and know that the numbers just don't add up.

 

[Brooke]

Well, I knew all along I wasn't in this for the money...

it's a shame that i'm good at lots of things, but none of them are actually lucrative! coupon clipping for life it is then...

 

[Jonny]

I always marvel at how badly paid a mid-list author is. I have cited Adrian McKinty previously.

A series of 6 award-winning crime novels (Theakston Prize & Braham Stoker too) A fantasy trilogy and several other standalones - but he was forced to give up and do taxiing because sales on all his novels were pulling him in about $10,000 pa.

Then the fairytale happened: From Uber driving to huge book deal: Adrian McKinty's life-changing phone call

Sadly, the fairytales are rather few and far between.

 

[MattScho]

I think it's probably not great that we refer to the stories of those who make a bit of money as "fairytales" It implies it is not the normal. which it is not.

 

[Pamela Jo]

I remember 30 years ago fiction writers averaged about 3k a year-so the news is good. I had a friend who subcontracted historical fiction for a publisher. She did a Roman series that was actually very good. I met her and her husband because I found the first two books annd wanted to read the 3rd. Luckily they had some copies in the attic and sent me one. She told me they made about 3k on each book. But really enjoyed the research.

 

[CageSage]

There are authors making money: Self-published Books & Authors Sales Statistics [2023] – WordsRated
(Usually good on data, although they do have an error in their KDP licence discussion)
I have no idea about what a trad published author earns, mainly because the publishers don't release such information willingly or widely.

And no, it's not all romance category, although it does rate high for unit sales.
Top is literature/fiction (avg 670 sales per day for EACH of the top 100 titles)
Romance (avg 611 sales per day top 100 titles)
MTS - Mystery, Thriller, Suspense (avg 316 sales per day top 100 titles)
SF&F - Science Fiction & Fantasy (fantasy is a hot mainstream category for sales, epic ranking better than high fantasy). (avg 224 sales per day top 100 titles)
These are the top selling categories on Amazon as at Jan 2023.
... Followed by general non-fiction, then:
Teen and YA (avg 64 sales per day for top 100 titles).

What does that say?
Yeah, don't lose hope. Write the best book out there and find a way to get it in front of readers (of that genre).