Surprised? Well, it’s true.

Even with 14 inspirational romance novels, 7 novellas, and 3 trade paperback novels in print…no, I don’t earn “a living.” Do I feel gratified by my accomplishments? Yes. Is my heart thrilled when I see how my work has touched other lives? Definitely! But if the average annual income here in the Midwest is $30,000.00, then I’m still below the average when it comes to what I earn writing.

And I’m not alone. I have a friend whose writing career is just beginning to take off. She has sold proposals to three major Christian (CBA) publishing houses for a grand total of five trade paperback novels. For each novel, she received approximately a $10,000.00 advance.

An “advance” is money the publisher gives writers before the book is printed. In a way, it’s like a loan. A book must earn out its advance before the author sees additional income.

In the case of my friend, she received the first half of the advance upon signing with the publisher and will get the second half once the galleys of her book have been approved by her editor. But, she still has to write the books and each is slated to run between 80,000 and 100,000 words (roughly 400 typed, double-spaced pages). My friend has agreed to write these novels over the next year and a half, which means she has three or four months in which to write each one. That’s a lot of pressure! But is it a lot of money?

Do the math. My friend received $25,000.00 when she signed all five contracts. WOW! Nice chunk of change! However, it might be a year before she gets the next $5,000.00 installment. It might be six to eight months after that before she sees another $5K. And keep in mind that handing in a manuscript isn’t the end, but the beginning. There is still the rewrite process – and extensive rewrites might take my friend weeks, even months, to complete. Meanwhile, she may get other contracts and more advance money. But, again, she’ll have to produce a quality product in a relatively short period of time. On the other hand, if her books are good sellers, she’ll earn substantial royalties.

The secular market (ABA) might pay the average fiction writer higher figures than what I’ve just quoted. But in talking to authors in that marketplace, I’ve learned the sums aren’t vastly different.

Nonfiction and corporate or technical writing, however, is a-whole-nother creature. An author who writes proposals, brochures, and other such materials for businesses can expect to earn an annual salary of $65K starting out and eventually work her way into six digit figures.

But, again, those figures are not set in stone – neither are those writing opportunities.

The business of writing is all about sowing and reaping. One must put forth the effort in writing and marketing just as a farmer must plant and water his field. As it is with growing crops, writers are not guaranteed a high yield return. Just because a publishing house purchases a book doesn’t mean it will be a bestseller, be it fiction or nonfiction.

Many writer-friends have shared their financial woes with me. They’ve wondered when they’ll hear something from an editor. Will the publishing house they’ve submitted to buy their book? They need the money! As much as I tell them I understand, I also have to tell them the realities of this business. There’s no quick paycheck. Moreover, it’s true that some writers hit it big and then go on to become bestselling authors, but that doesn’t happen to everyone. In fact, it doesn’t happen to most everyone.

The National Writers Union Guide to Freelance Rates & Standard Practice (Betterway Pubns; March 1995) states, “In the National Writers Union survey, we found that only slightly over 50 percent of responding writers had annual freelance incomes of more than $10,000. And these are not novice writers: close to 85 percent described their careers as ‘established’ or ‘moderately established.’”

So, was this information intended to discourage and depress writers? Certainly not! But the reality of this business is the competition is steep and wages are low. While we need to fuel the enthusiasm that keeps our dreams alive, we must also keep a realistic prospective. Writers need to ask themselves the following questions:

Why do I write?
For whom am I writing?
What do I hope to gain if my work is published?
Will I keep writing even if I never get paid?
Could I give up my writing?

The above are defining questions. If a writer is striving for notoriety and wealth, she’s probably in the wrong business. But if an author writes her passion, hones her craft by attending classes and writers’ conferences, if she increases her knowledge of the industry, and grows as an individual, she will reap rewards that surpass any monetary gain.

She will truly and genuinely be a writer!

© Copyright 2004 Andrea Boeshaar

BACK TO ARTICLES LIST