Quick Answer Most authors earn under $1,000/year from their books; the median self-published author earns about $1,000–$5,000/year, while top 10% earners make $50,000+. (Updated May 2026.) A common question I see on Facebook or in writing groups from newbie authors is, “How much can I expect to earn publishing my book?” This...
I’ve wanted to be a 5-figure author since I hung out with Tom Corson-Knowles in Vancouver. He had dozens of books out and was making 10K a month in book sales. How amazing would it be to write books full time, and never need to work for anyone else? Last year I started publishing fiction.
Since I write young adult fiction, for the last few months I’ve been trying to build up stable, long term traffic to a few of my websites. The advantage of having your own traffic is that you don’t need to chase down readers, spend money on advertising or promote your books on social media. You
An author friend of mine used a phrase this week I hadn’t heard before: he said I need to make sure “my also-boughts were clean.” If you just drive your friends and family to your book during launch, your book will start showing up next to whatever else they bought on Amazon recently. Also-boughts are
This is a long post, because it’s about two very important things that are essential to your successful writing career. Part One Two things happened recently that you may not know about. Lewis Howes, pro athlete turned “School of Greatness” podcaster interviewed Anthony Robbins, to promote Tony’s new book, “Money...
A couple nights ago I met up with Hugh Howey Fan Fic writer Wes Davies over pizza and beer in Tainan, Taiwan; as indie authors we discussed marketing and pricing strategies. The best plan (I continue to affirm) is cheap or free – especially at the beginning, and especially as a lead-in to a series.
