Position:Home>Books & Authors> How much money do book writers make from home?

Nothing!. First you have to write the books!. Then you have to edit the books!. That means for MONTHS, you'll have no income from your books!. If you're lucky enough to pick up and agent and get a deal, it will still be at least a year before your book hits the shelves!. During that year, you'll get a small sum from your publisher as an advance!. Probably around 5000!. Maybe it will sell a lot, maybe it will sell only 300 copies!. You'll only get a fraction of those sales from royalties!.

There is no money in the book-writing business unless you get lucky and hit it big!. Don't move to an expensive city where you'll have no reliable income unless you're a trust fund baby or have an alternate jobWww@QuestionHome@Com

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Not a decision I'd make, moving to a very expensive city to engage in a career I could do from anywhere!. but that's just me!.

Be aware that the publishing business is highly competitive and you're going to need a day job, probably for years, even after you're published!.

Although every writer can negotiate with a publisher, typical royalties for an unknown author might be:

Hardcover royalties of 10% on the first 5000 units sold; 12 ?% on the next 5000 units and 15% thereafter!. (Hardcover figures are rarely different, even for authors who sell well!.) Trade paperback royalties are 7 ?%!. Mass market royalties are for 8% for the first 150,000 units sold and 10% thereafter!.

First printings for the unknown author lucky enough to get hardbound are typically 5,000 units!. Say it sells for $25 (because we sure like our round numbers) and it sells through--all 5,000 copies sell!.

$25 x 10% = $2!.50 per book in royalties
$2!.50 x 5,000 = $12,500--not much considering that it probably took a year to research and write the book, and quite possibly longer!. A full time minimum-wage job would earn the author more money!.

More often, the unknown author gets trade paperback!. They’re usually about $15!.00

$15 x 7 ?% = $1!.12 per book in royalties--not even half what the hardbound earns!.
$1!.12 x 5,000 = $5,600

Or maybe the unknown author goes straight to mass market paperback!. They’re often about $8!.00

$8 x 8% = 64 cents per book in royalties
$0!.64 x 5,000 = $3,200

Of course, if you happen to write the huge novel of the moment, maybe you sell a half million copies instead!.

Of maybe you only sell 2500!.

I know several authors online and a handful in meatspace, and only three derive all their income from their fiction!. Most either keep their day jobs or have another source of income, like a working spouse or savings!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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How long is a piece of string!?

No one can predict the sales from books, not even publishers - and they have most influence!.

As an unknown you'll probably have no publicity budget - that's kept for the cream!. It's a sad fact that out of 150,000 books published each year, 100,000 will sell LESS than 100 copies (quote from author, Steve Weber )!.

Hardly sufficient to live in luxury!.

If I were you, I'd treat writing as a hobby until you can prove otherwise!. Get some success under your belt first - then decide what your plan is!.

Anthony James Barnett - authorWww@QuestionHome@Com

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