Author Earnings & Careers

Authors are happy with profits even when sales are lower than expected.

My book, The Business of Being a Writer Second Edition, releases in April 2025. To mark the occasion, I’m offering a free, email-based course.

An experienced crowdfunding author offers an overview of the current landscape and tips for how a novice can plan a successful campaign.

The tarot is a powerful brand building tool for creatives, because it gives us a rich language for finding—and articulating—ourselves.

Insight into the complexity and customization of royalty statements.

Sanderson was able to bring Audible to the table to negotiate new terms not just for him, but for all self-publishing authors.

The new publisher looks positioned to offer top authors a bespoke experience. How will they do with unknown authors? Will they take unknowns? We’ll see.

On the release of her sophomore novel, one year after her debut, a writer reflects on what she’s learned about the business of authorship.

A reality check on inconsistent, incomplete, and misleading commentary.

Literary citizenship—freely sharing your knowledge with those in need—can reap substantial rewards for authors and editors.

One key takeaway: There isn’t a clear financial advantage to traditional publishing for commercial fiction. Another takeaway: author hustle matters.

Those familiar with past Authors Guild income surveys may be tempted to write off this latest edition, but it’s worth a closer look.

In May 2023, Amazon raised prices on Kindle Unlimited from $9.99 per month to $11.99 per month for readers.

Today is the day you start building financial habits to acknowledge the inherent monetary worth of your writing.

Primary concerns are like those of the WGA: the problematic economics of streaming and the use of AI.

As of May 1, Findaway Voices has eliminated its 20 percent distribution fee for audiobooks purchased on Spotify; authors will

ALLi offers insights into the often-ignored self-publishing market.

Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited payouts to self-published authors—determined after the reading takes place—took a recent nosedive.

Whether or not AI-generated content becomes copyrightable skirts the issue of whether the tools themselves are committing infringement.

Here’s how two self-published authors have been successful in their marketing and promotion efforts on TikTok.

Writers often view themselves as without power, but you can’t wait for permission or the “right time” to negotiate a better deal for yourself.

One author builds profitable direct sales using Shopify, ThriveCart, and BookFunnel.

ACX, a service used by self-publishing authors to distribute and sell audiobooks on Audible, recently emailed creators about price changes.

Authors’ Place Press, a small, US-based independent publisher, is accused of failing to pay royalties or send royalty statements.

The new feature, for pro tier users only, allows you to turn any story, photo, or video file into something people have to pay for online.