How Much Money Does an Author Make?

As an author, I'm asked a lot of questions . . .

• Where do you get your ideas?
• Can you help me get published?
• Do we have any marshmallows in the house? No, really. I was just asked this like five minutes ago.

But the question I'm asked most often is how much money do you make?

I know. I see you. You're leaning toward the screen, holding your breath, looking for a dollar sign and six figures following. Hate to burst your balloon, Bucko, but I maybe know two authors who rake in that kind of moolah.

Here are some facts from The Guardian:

• Half of the writers surveyed (both traditional and indie) earned $1,000-$2,999 or less.
• Barely 10% earned $100,000 or more.
• Only 4% of all writers earned $250,000 or more.

And from a Digital Book World survey:

• Independent authors make about $500-$999 a year.
• Published authors earn an average of $3,000-$4,999 a year.
• Hybrid authors (using traditional and independent routes) take in $7,500-$9,999 a year.

I'd say those figures are pretty dang close to accurate, varying in proportion to how many books an author has on the market. 

Being an author sounds like a glamorous gig, hanging out in your jammies all day, drinking java until you're all jazzed, but the truth is that most authors also have a day job.