What is the average salary of a novelist? And how do I become one?

Question: What is the average salary of a novelist!? And how do I become one!?

I'm sixteen years old and I want to become a novelist!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

This is by no means easy!. If you're already famous for something else, then publishers will solicit you for a manuscript!. I tried for years to go through agents, but they all want someone known!. I mailed in submissions to lots of publishers, but they want someone known too, or someone reccomended to them by an agent!. There are success stories - JK Rowling is an outstanding success, and even Stephen King went through a long drought where he couldn't get anything published!.
You can do as I did, and publish your novel yourself for free on www!.lulu!.com!. I can't even get my friends to read my novel, let alone strangers!. I think full page ads in The New York Times or USA Today would help, but I don't have a few thousand dollars lying around!.
I don't think there is an average salary!. It all depends upon how well your book sells!.
Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

A novelist gets paid about six months after the book appears in the stores and ONLY after the book appears in the stores!. Until then, no income!. It's not a salaried position!.

It's like the guy who builds the house!. Not the carpenter or the plumber, but the guy in charge who is putting up and the money and the time to get it done!. If he doesn't finish it, he loses his investment!. If he doesn't sell it, he still loses his investment!. If he does sell it, he has a big payday once the deal is closed!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Careful here your average could be very misleading:

For example if 100 novelists earn $1,000,000 the mean average is $10,000 p!.a !.

This could mean that all 100 are earning $10,000 each but !.!.

!.!.!.if 9 are earning $100,000 each the other 91 are only earning just under $1,010 a year - well below a living wage!.

You could instead ask what the modal average is - that tells you what the biggest group of novelists earn!. ( $1!.010p!.a!.)

Or !.!.you could ask the range which gives you an idea of the distance beween the top and bottom earning!.($100,000 p!.a!. to $1,010p!.a!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com

ply put - 5% of authors earn a living at it!. The rest work at other jobs and write on the side!. Even Mr!. King lived in a trailer park and taught while he wrote his first two!.

A good example is the author Glen Cook!. Very prolific Sci Fi and fantasy author and quite good!. His Garrett, PI series has had a huge underground for the past ten years or more!. I am a huge fan!. He writes a couple other series as well!. Mr!. Cook wrote them all while working on the GM Light Truck Assembly Line building pickups!.

Another way to gauge would be to tell you that selling a short story to a magazine or anthology MAY bring you 25 dollars!. It also may bring you 5 bucks and a copy of the magazine!. That's the reality, my friend!.

The average is probably around 3 - 5 thousand dollars tops!. Make sure you have a backup job kiddo!. Writing novels will not make you rich!. I make a lot of money ghostwriting for other people!. But breaking into ghostwriting is really hard!. You have to know somebody!. I was very lucky I did!. Pax-CWww@QuestionHome@Com

Great ambitions! I think your salary is proportional to the number of books you sell!. This in turn depends on not only your book but also awards that you win, exposure, media and kudos by fellow authors and celebs!. For example, if Oprah likes your book ---- you are set for life!

Follow your dreams & good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's not about the money!. If you're ever to become a successful novelist, you won't treat it like a job, you'll treat it like a passion and a hobby!.

Depending how successful you become, the income depends also!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Novelists don't get salaries!. They get royalty payments if their books sell!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you become one by writing!. (and rewriting, but that's part of the process)

That's it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com