Before You Quit Your Day Job

The fantasy of writing (and/or translating, and/or illustrating) books for kids and teens and making a living doing so is certainly alive and well. 

We all listen to the wisdom of the award-winners and best-sellers who've achieved that -- and yet, it's helpful to set our expectations by knowing that most folks who are published are not making a living from their creative work alone.

I've heard it takes 40 books, or 100 books, or really just one that's such a huge bestseller that it changes the math.

It's always good to have some data. The Authors Guild released the results of their recent survey, and while it's on authors of everything, the results are eye-opening. Reported by Jim Milliot in Publishers Weekly on September 29, 2023, Writing Books Remains a Tough Way to Make a Living, here are a number of highlights:

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.

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. 

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.

A fascinating note about those who publish their own work:

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 full PW article is well-worth checking out.

A note as you digest this: money is just one measure of success, and it's important to include all the other measures of success creating work for kids and teens has for each of us when we think about the value of our work. 

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee