The financial reality of publishing as an indie author
So I keep getting comments from people who either want to know why I don't publish full time or who tell me that they want to do what I do because it's aspirational, and since most authors are pretty secretive about what they make and some people consider me "successful" in the industry, I feel like it's important to be transparent about what I actually make. I'm not complaining or grieving about my money, FYI. This is purely to give some perspective on why I can't do what I do full time and why I and other authors get frustrated with the issues of piracy and being told that we're hot shots making bank who should be grateful for the free "publicity."
Minimum wage in California is $15.50 an hour. So for a full day's work, that would be about $124. I spend about four hours a day writing every evening after I get off work, which would be $62 a day at minimum wage. I do NOT make that, most days, FYI. On a typical day, if I'm doing well, I make $20-30. And that's a good day. But if we took that rate and broke it down to reflect the four hours a day of work I put in per day (on work weeks), that would be $5/ hour, which is less than 1/3 of what minimum wage would be in my state.
The average rent for apartments in my area is $1900 per month, and houses cost $784,000. (These are averages.) Granted, my state is one of the most expensive in the country, so I could move, but I also have a day job, so I can't just uplift myself and move. But writing does not make me a living wage where I live, and does not even reach minimum wage. It is a labor of love. I do it because I love it and I love the connections it brings me, and I love being able to tell stories and have a hobby that brings in additional income on top of what I make to support myself.
Again, this is not a complaint. This is a reality check. I get people who complain about the prices that I set or who tell me that I should be grateful when my books are pirated. And I understand that I exist in a place of privilege where libraries are somewhat common and ebooks are relatively cheap compared to cost of living and wages paid. But I am not "rich" from writing, and make less than what I would make cooking burgers or working retail (which I have done), and I know a lot of people on this site would like to write full time, who are still really young and trying to figure out careers, so this is my note to you urging you to have a backup plan or to set a reality check for yourself. I have been doing this for ten years, and have not broken the glass ceiling of "writing for a living" yet. Sometimes, I doubt I ever will. That's something I have accepted because I love writing, but it is still a point of frustration for me when people accuse me of asking for too much for my books or for not devoting enough time to my work when it comes to the rate at which I publish and deliver.
Most writers do not make much. I have looked up the figures and I am on the upper end of what most indie authors make. I remember reading some stats that say most indie authors sell fewer than 100 books a year. For most people, most of the time, writing is not a living wage. It might not even be enough to get taxed on for most people, which means they are making less than $600 per year. So I am just urging you to keep these figures in mind if you're considering writing full time or feeling annoyed about paying $3.99 for an ebook.
Minimum wage in California is $15.50 an hour. So for a full day's work, that would be about $124. I spend about four hours a day writing every evening after I get off work, which would be $62 a day at minimum wage. I do NOT make that, most days, FYI. On a typical day, if I'm doing well, I make $20-30. And that's a good day. But if we took that rate and broke it down to reflect the four hours a day of work I put in per day (on work weeks), that would be $5/ hour, which is less than 1/3 of what minimum wage would be in my state.
The average rent for apartments in my area is $1900 per month, and houses cost $784,000. (These are averages.) Granted, my state is one of the most expensive in the country, so I could move, but I also have a day job, so I can't just uplift myself and move. But writing does not make me a living wage where I live, and does not even reach minimum wage. It is a labor of love. I do it because I love it and I love the connections it brings me, and I love being able to tell stories and have a hobby that brings in additional income on top of what I make to support myself.
Again, this is not a complaint. This is a reality check. I get people who complain about the prices that I set or who tell me that I should be grateful when my books are pirated. And I understand that I exist in a place of privilege where libraries are somewhat common and ebooks are relatively cheap compared to cost of living and wages paid. But I am not "rich" from writing, and make less than what I would make cooking burgers or working retail (which I have done), and I know a lot of people on this site would like to write full time, who are still really young and trying to figure out careers, so this is my note to you urging you to have a backup plan or to set a reality check for yourself. I have been doing this for ten years, and have not broken the glass ceiling of "writing for a living" yet. Sometimes, I doubt I ever will. That's something I have accepted because I love writing, but it is still a point of frustration for me when people accuse me of asking for too much for my books or for not devoting enough time to my work when it comes to the rate at which I publish and deliver.
Most writers do not make much. I have looked up the figures and I am on the upper end of what most indie authors make. I remember reading some stats that say most indie authors sell fewer than 100 books a year. For most people, most of the time, writing is not a living wage. It might not even be enough to get taxed on for most people, which means they are making less than $600 per year. So I am just urging you to keep these figures in mind if you're considering writing full time or feeling annoyed about paying $3.99 for an ebook.
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Heather
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Jun 04, 2023 03:31PM
Thank you for posting this, Nenia! I tell all my young burgeoning writers the same thing, even though it’s hard sometimes to hear… getting by in reality is much much harder than it is in fiction. So, have a backup plan and write what you love because you love it! Enrichment will then come… just maybe not in cash money form 😊
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Heather wrote: "Thank you for posting this, Nenia! I tell all my young burgeoning writers the same thing, even though it’s hard sometimes to hear… getting by in reality is much much harder than it is in fiction. S..."Yeah... and I didn't even talk about taxes. Indie authors are taxed as independent contractors, iirc, so they're on the hook for like 15% in taxes. And working independently also means out of pocket health insurance, which in California is an additional 7k a year. I'm lucky enough to have a job that covers my health care but taxes often end up being a pain because of my additional forms.
I've been debating about posting about this for a while because I didn't want to look ungrateful. I am so happy to have the audience that I do and I don't take it for granted at all. I've worked very hard to get to where I am today and I'm proud of the reception my work has gotten. But I've noticed a lot of bigger name authors talking about how much they make and that simply is not the reality for most authors. A couple of my titles have thousands of ratings/reviews but that does not necessarily equate to thousands and thousands of dollars. It's a tough message to hear for sure because I think people view the writing industry with rose-tinted glasses and assume there's a lot of glamor with it. And for some that's true. But it's like winning the lottery lol.
Thanks for sharing this nenia, it will be eye opener for those who thought it is easy to be a full-time writer. To make carrier in writing all other things to be consider, yes as you said backup plan should be there.
Rupesh wrote: "Thanks for sharing this nenia, it will be eye opener for those who thought it is easy to be a full-time writer. To make carrier in writing all other things to be consider, yes as you said backup pl..."I'm glad it helped! A back-up plan is definitely a must when you are pursuing a career in the arts, sadly.
Definitely, this is so helpful. I always thought of writing as a money way as well, but realise that with a lot of prejudice still held towards writing in my area, plus having to uphold studying for expensive degrees, it's just not doable to solely support yourself on writing. For any career honestly, you need to have a million backups.
TMR wrote: "Definitely, this is so helpful. I always thought of writing as a money way as well, but realise that with a lot of prejudice still held towards writing in my area, plus having to uphold studying fo..."I'm glad it helps! There's still kind of a taboo when it comes to talking about money but I think it's important for people to realize what authors actually make. And yeah, it's definitely true that a lot of careers these days aren't living wages for people living alone.
