Those familiar with past Authors Guild income surveys may be tempted to write off this latest edition, but it’s worth a closer look. This survey has been done in collaboration with many other partners, including traditional publishers and writing organizations. And perhaps most important: The survey has divided authors into more refined categories, such as full-time authors working in specific genres, self-published authors, and income by race. Learn more. We’re planning a future item to explore the results of this survey. Stay tuned.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
