If you have millions of devoted fans before you publish your first book, we’ll talk then. There are also first-time authors who don’t get any advance at all. Yes, there are first-time authors who get more than that. Most first-time authors who get an advance can expect it to max out at $10,000. Here are some things you can expect in terms of moolah if you worked hard (and got a little lucky) with your first book and it got picked up by a publisher. I’ll fill you in on some details for the other formats further down. Note that, for the sake of convenience, I’m using paperback books in these examples. Right now, I’m going to show you how traditionally published and self-published authors make money, including some concrete rates. Stay tuned to the end of this article for some tips on landing on the right side of that median income. Some authors are making hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars a year from their books. There are plenty of authors on both sides of that spectrum, though. Though it’s a few years old now, a survey conducted by the Authors Guild in 2018 found that the median income for authors based solely on their books (i.e., no speaking gigs, teaching, etc.) was $3,100 USD. What we can look at for certain is the larger industry. You need to think about printing costs, marketing costs, production costs, advances, royalty rates, the format of the book you’re selling, and more. Like I said at the beginning, a lot goes into how much authors make per book. If you buy a whole bunch of author copies and then sell them at a book signing or a convention, you might earn a commission from the venue/retailer that’s hosting you. ‍ Commissions are like royalties earned from those reselling your book. Getting a single payment (or multiple payments for one rate) is more common for ghostwriters and those writing smaller nonfiction. ‍ Flat-rate payments are less common in the industry. Again, traditionally published authors don’t get paid royalties until they have earned out their advance. They could be paid monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. Payment schedules for royalties vary based on who is paying them. ‍ Royalties are a percentage that you earn off every book sale, minus the costs associated with producing that book (i.e., editing, cover, and printing costs). Advances must be paid back via royalties before you make money from royalties, known as earning out. These are usually divided up into three or more payments: when the contract is signed, when the manuscript is accepted, and upon publication.

‍ Advances are lump sum payments made by a publisher for an author’s book. There are four different ways a book can turn into a paycheck for you: advances, royalties, flat-rate payments, and commissions.

Let’s demystify how much an author makes per book. Honestly, I just want to put some of your worries at ease and make life a little bit easier.

Ideas for diversifying your book income.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing income.

What I have done, however, is break down a lot of great info to give you an idea of what you could earn and how you can get there. That, and I don’t want people emailing me to say I lied to them about the exact dollar amount they’re going to make from a book. There are so many different factors that contribute to a book making money that it would be impossible to give you a solid answer. I’m going to make you mad at me right away, though: there is no way to determine exactly how much money an author will make from their book. But who hasn’t dreamed of their book being in the hands of hundreds or thousands of fans? Every fledgling writer wonders, at least at some point, “How much do authors make?” Yes, many of us write because of the burning passion and creativity in the scary place that is our thoughts.

Dabble writer