Published Doesn't Mean Paid

I want to talk about money. (Ugh, I know. How crass.) Specifically, how much money authors make, or more accurately, don’t. I signed my publishing deal in 2023. My advance was £2,500. That’s it. I was paid £1,250 on signing, which, spread over 18 months (writing and editing), works out at £69 a month. I’ll receive the remaining £1,250 when the book is published this August. And unless the book sells extremely well, that’s likely all I’ll ever get. For context: many debut books, especially by women, sell somewhere between 500 and 2,000 copies. Royalties are paid on the retail price. I receive: 10% on hardbacks up to 5,000 copies 12% on hardbacks after 5,000 8% on paperbacks up to 10,000 copies 10% on paperbacks after 10,000 So for a £15 hardback, I get £1.50 per copy, if it’s sold at full price. Most aren’t, my book, not even out yet, is already discounted in many places online. In reality, the royalty is often closer to £1. Sometimes less. For an £8.99 paperback, 8% works o ... Read full article.