You are fond of writing prose and poetry and want to convert this passion into a well-paid profession. You want to measure the odds. Is it worthwhile? Will you be able to make enough money as an author to earn a decent or even luxurious living?

Put simply, you wanna ask, “how much money authors make”? Good question! But here is the catch.

There isn't one simple answer to that.

There is no equation or formula that will give you a correct answer to this question. Rather, the answer may vary, and the range can be too wide.

We can break it down for you if you just be patient with us till the end of this piece.

How Much Do Authors Make?

An author's earnings depend on the type, genre, and length of the book and the publishing path they take.

Not all writers are full-time authors. Some have other full-time jobs while they write a book once in a while (every six months or year). However, some are full-time authors and their earnings solely depend on the money they make from this profession.

Anyway, let's come back to your question. You need to first understand how authors get paid, what royalties are, how much advance they get and the expected earnings for novices and established authors.

How Do Authors Get Paid?

Authors write the manuscript of their book and then get it published using one of the two commonly used ways — traditional publishing and self-publishing.

You will earn money as per the number of sales you achieve for your book in both cases. However, you also get royalties if you choose to publish your book through book publishing services in the US.

Wondering how this works?

You, as an author, and the publishing company agree on a set percentage of book sales that you will get. It is called royalty. You might also receive an advance payment on your book, which is a set amount immediately after signing the contract.

You will not start getting your book earnings until the money made by the copies sold reaches the advance amount. Once it does, you will begin to make money.

How Much Can You Make Writing A Book as A First-time Author?

First-time authors typically get an advance of approximately $1000 to $10,000.

They also get a royalty, which is an amount a publishing company pays when the author gives them the publishing rights to their book.

Take the route of self-publishing if you are in an affluent financial state. As you are the publisher in that case, you won't get any advances or upfront money. You would have to wait for the sales to roll in to start making some bucks.

Everything comes with perks and downsides. The perk of self-publishing is the amount of royalty you get, which is higher than what you get with the traditional route.

The reason is that your publishing house also takes care of your book’s promotion, distribution and cover design.

Amazon, for example, gives a 30 to 70% royalty rate for authors who publish their books through its platform.

Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing — Which One to Choose?

Now you may be thinking whether you should contact a publishing house to get your book into the world or choose to self-publish it. While the choice is yours, we will weigh both options for you.

The path you choose to publish your book affects how much you can make a writing a book. It also impacts control, timeline and autonomy you have as a writer.

Let's look at two elements that you should consider while choosing your publishing route:

Budget

Traditional publishing houses typically have marketing teams which can manage your book’s promotional efforts. But if you choose to self-publish your book, ensure you have enough capital to invest in advertising and marketing if you want to make sales.

Type of Book

You can write and publish any type and genre of book if you are self-publishing your work. However, traditional publishing companies often apologise from publishing a lot of manuscripts.

They usually have select genres and publish books only in those genres. They also have strict quality standards, and books that don't measure up are rejected.

Here is a comparison to help you understand how much money you will earn as an author and its implications.

Factors to Consider	Traditional Publishing	Self-Publishing
Average Book Income	Average Book Income$10,000	$12800
Average Author-Related Income	$20,000	$15000
Average Book Income	Average Book Income$10,000	$12800
Royalties for Hardcover Books	10 to 15%	50 to 60% (This is before printing costs are deducted)
Royalties for Paperbacks	6 to 8%	40 to 60%(This is before printing costs are deducted. Lower percentages often apply to "Expanded Distribution", where your book is available to a wider range of retailers.)
Royalties for Ebooks	25 to 40%	35 to 70% (The higher end, 70%, is usually for books priced within a specific range, e.g., $2.99 - $9.99 on Amazon KDP)
Advances for Debut Authors	$1000 to 10,000	No advance money, authors have to pay upfront costs for marketing, design and editing
Advances for Established Bestsellers	Six or seven figures
Time to Publish	1 to 3 years from manuscript acceptance to publication	Much faster Authors can publish within months or weeks

How Much Money Do Authors Make Per Book in the USA?

For Traditional Publishing
Format	Typical Royalty Rate (of list price) in %	Estimated Author Earnings Per Book (USD)
Hardcover	10 to 15	2.50 to 4.50 (for a $30 book)
Paperback	6 to 8	0.60 to 1.60 (for a $15 to $20 book)
Ebooks	25 to 40	2.50 to 4.00 (for a $10 ebook)
Audiobooks	20 to 25	2.00 to 2.50 (for a $10 audiobook)

For Self-Publishing
Format	Typical Royalty Rate (of list price) in %	Estimated Author Earnings Per Book (USD)
Hardcover	50% - 60% (after printing costs)	$3.00 - $8.00 (highly variable)
Paperback	40% - 60% (after printing costs)	$1.00 - $5.00 (highly variable)
Ebooks	35% - 70%	$1.05 - $7.00 (for a $3 - $10 ebook)

Highest Income Authors

The preceding sections may have made it clear to you that the total earnings of a book’s author depend on a myriad of factors, and the number widely varies.

So, there is no way to tell “how much money authors make per month” as different authors earn different amounts.

However, we have made an interesting list for you — the names and details of the highest-income authors. It will arouse the desire in you to one day become a best-selling author and earn millions if that's what you seek.

Here you go:

1. Stephen King

He has written multiple hit horror novels and has earned the title of the ‘King of Horror.’ He made $ 52 million in 2024 from his novels.

2. James Patterson

He is known for his book “The President is Missing”, which he co-published with former president Bill Clinton. He made $89 million last year from the royalties and sales of his thriller books.

3. JK Rowling

Who doesn't know JK Rowling? She wrote the famous novel that smashed all previous records of sales – the Harry Potter series. Her earnings were $95 million in 2017 and $31.4 million in 2024. Quite impressive, yeah!

4. Jeff Kinney

He made a whopping $23 million in 2024. He is famous for his series called “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

5. Dan Brown

In 2024, Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, made $20 million with his books.

6. Danielle Steel

You supposedly know her if you love the romance genre, as she is one of the most popular romance writers of our time. In 2024, this celebrated author earned $10 million.

7. Nora Roberts

In 2024, Nora Roberts made $30+ million with her romance novels.

Final Words

An author's earning is not set in stone. Unlike other professions, such as a software engineer or an architect, they don’t have an average salary. So, if you want to be an author, consider all the upsides and downsides of this career.

Join this profession if book writing is your unique calling, but you may face some struggles. It will not guarantee a monthly paycheck as it is not a conventional 9 to 5 job. You need to have other skills apart from your writing expertise, which include marketing, business development and technical prowess.

You can share your insights or story with the world even if you lack writing skills by hiring “book writing services near me.” A local company will help you craft a book that engages the local audience and find publishers in your area or city. We wish you good luck with your book writing endeavours!