Most writers earn less than £600 a year, survey reveals

Figures show the vast majority of authors, both traditionally and self-published, are struggling to make a living from their workThe publishing industry has never been so sharply divided. In the week when the erotica writer Sylvia Day signed a staggering eight-figure two-book deal with St Martin's Press, a survey reveals that 54% of traditionally-published authors and almost 80% of go-it-alone writers are making less than $1,000 (£600) a year.More than 9,000 writers, from aspiring authors to seasoned pros, took part in the 2014 Digital Book World and Writer's Digest Author Survey, presented at this week's Digital Book World conference. The survey divided the 9,210 respondents into four camps: aspiring, self-published only, traditionally-published only, and hybrid (both self-published and traditionally-published). More than 65% of those who filled out the survey described themselves as aspiring authors, with 18% self-published, 8% traditionally-published and 6% saying they were pursuing hybrid careers.Just over 77% of self-published writers make $1,000 or less a year, according to the survey, with a startlingly high 53.9% of traditionally-published authors, and 43.6% of hybrid authors, reporting their earnings are below the same threshold. A tiny proportion – 0.7% of self-published writers, 1.3% of traditionally-published, and 5.7% of hybrid writers – reported making more than $100,000 a year from their writing. The profile of the typical author in the sample was "a... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #conservative estimate

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Most writers earn less than £600 a year, survey reveals'


British Book awards balance art and selling power to decide best writer in 30 years

Novelists rub shoulders with presidents, chefs, comedians and thriller megastars on longlist to define the title with the biggest impact on the book worldIt could be almost the setup for a joke, but a former president, a Booker winner and an erotic fiction superstar have walked on to the British... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-02-14 06:01:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #biggest impact #booker winner #barack obama #hilary mantel #el james #30th anniversary #jacqueline wilson #julia donaldson #stephenie meyer #dragon tattoo #completely fine #jackie morris #british book #novelists


Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year - meet the shortlist

Raymond AntrobusWho/ What inspired you to start writing? I never started writing poetry with the intention of writing books until publishers approached me. I was happy to write poems and travel and read the poems for audiences. I live poem by poem. The idea of a book of poems doesn’t really... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2019-12-05 12:09:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ian fleming #james bond #high seas #first novel #children’s book #picture book #young writer


Raymond Antrobus wins 2019 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award

Multi-award winning poet Raymond Antrobus has been named winner of the 2019 Sunday Times/University of Warwick Young Writer of the Year Award for his debut The Perseverance (Penned in the Margins). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-05 08:18:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #named winner #young writer of the year award


Foyles reveals Books of the Year 2019

Books by Ocean Vuong, Lisa Taddeo and Katherine Rundell have triumphed to be named Foyles 2019 Books of the Year.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-20 23:32:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ocean vuong #lisa taddeo #katherine rundell


Blackwell's Book of the Year shortlist revealed

Blackwell's has revealed its contenders for its 2019 Book of the Year, with the all-female shortlist including titles by Booker shortlistee Elif Shafak and Candice Carty-Williams.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-07 21:37:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #candice carty-williams #book of the year


Announcing the Sunday Times PFD Young Writer of the Year Award shortlist

From meditations on the d/Deaf experience to short stories blurring the mythic and the gothic with the everyday, from mixing the personal and political to a young woman uncover the truth about her family’s past – four outstanding writers have today been named on the shortlist for The Sunday... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2019-11-04 12:55:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #20th winner #prize money #publishers submitted #award-winning poet #sarah waters #sally rooney #london library #debut novel #best-selling author #bookseller #literary editor #irish author #young writer #short stories #young writer of the year award


Antrobus, Armfield, Rodrigues Fowler and Sherwood shortlisted for ST Young Writer of the Year

Four debuts have been shortlisted for the Sunday Times/University of Warwick Young Writer of the Year Award after a record number of submissions forced an expanded judging panel. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-02 15:32:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #record number #young writer of the year award #young writer


FT and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award shortlist revealed

Six books are in the running for the £30,000 FT and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, with former winner Raghuram Rajan returning to the shortlist. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-16 07:08:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book of the year


Avon earns two nominations for RNA new writer award

The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) has announced the line-up for its Joan Hessayon Award for new writers with two Avon titles in the running. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-16 05:34:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #association rna #writer award #romantic novelists


Winners of regional Independent Bookshop of the Year Award revealed

The nine winners of the regional round of the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award have been revealed, with the 2018 overall champion, Five Leaves Bookshop, in contention to take the main prize for the second year in a row. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent bookshop #main prize


The British Book Awards Books of the Year shortlists revealed

All eight shortlists for the British Book Awards Books of the Year have been announced, with a strong focus on international writers including Michelle Obama, Michael Wolff, Sally Rooney and Leila Slimani. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #michael wolff #sally rooney #leila slimani


Crankstart revealed as new Booker Prize sponsor in five-year deal

The Booker Prize will be sponsored by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Sir Michael Moritz's charitable foundation Crankstart in a five-year deal, it has been announced. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booker prize


Shortlists for inaugural Small Press of the Year award revealed

Forty-one small presses have made it into the regional and country shortlists of The British Book Awards’ new prize for Small Presses, sponsored by the CPI Group, launched to celebrate the innovative and nimble publishers making names for themselves outside the mainstream. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #small presses #cpi group


British Book Awards reveals shortlists for Independent Bookshop of the Year

The British Book Awards, or Nibbies, has revealed the regional shortlists for the 2019 Independent Bookshop of the Year, sponsored by Gardners Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent bookshop #regional shortlists #gardners books


Jacaranda reveals plans to publish 20 black British writers in 2020

Indie publisher says its #Twentyin2020 initiative will cover fiction, non-fiction and poetry and help ‘normalise’ diverse readersA group of unnamed individuals has donated £25,000 towards an independent publisher’s initiative to publish 20 black British writers in 2020, in the hope it will... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indie publisher #independent publisher


Bluemoose reveals plans to publish only female writers in 2020

Bluemoose Books has revealed it will only publish female writers in 2020, with co-owner Kevin Duffy lamenting how “women over a certain age are overlooked in the publishing world”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #female writers #bluemoose books #publishing world


New, Larger Authors Guild Survey: Falling Incomes for US Writers

The new Authors Guild survey, larger than in the past and with input from other writing organizations, brings into question how authors are compensated and how the issue is assessed. The post New, Larger Authors Guild Survey: Falling Incomes for US Writers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #writers appeared #falling incomes


NLT launches Christmas appeal as survey reveals literacy gap

Children who have 60 or more books at home are five and a half times more likely to read above the level expected for their age than their peers who have fewer than 10 books, according to the National Literacy Trust. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The UK’s Sunday Times/PFD Award Names Adam Weymouth Young Writer of the Year

'A really outstanding new contemporary British voice': The Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer Award jurors are adamant in their praise for this year's winner. The post The UK’s Sunday Times/PFD Award Names Adam Weymouth Young Writer of the Year appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #year appeared


'Outstanding' Weymouth takes Young Writer of the Year

Travel author Adam Weymouth has scooped the £5,000 Sunday Times/Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer of the Year Award for Kings of the Yukon (Particular Books). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |