I’ve been asked a few times what I make from my writing. The subject makes me a little uncomfortable, but I understand the curiosity. Writing isn’t a career with a salary or hourly wage, so people have a natural interest in learning what you’re compensated for your time and efforts.
Full disclosure, I’ve never had a publisher who pays an advance upfront, so all of my money comes from sales. The royalty I receive from copies depends on the way customers purchase them. The most I make is from in-person sales, when readers buy a book at a signing directly from me. I don’t set the price on my traditionally published titles, but as of yet, I haven’t raised the cost per copy, despite rising shipping rates, aside from tacking on sales tax. Thus, my takeaway from a copy is just about enough to buy one of my cherished iced mochas from a fast-food joint.
The royalty rates vary from there, with online sales having a different one for print books and electronic editions from an array of marketplaces. Sometimes, I might make a couple of dollars or frankly, a couple of cents!
It’s not a lot to rake in, and maybe some would say, “Why bother?” A while back, someone even asked if I could just lend out copies. If you read Profitable Versus Rewarding: Are They One in the Same?, you may remember that early in my career, I had to draw off of the joy of having someone enjoy my work more so than the profit I took home. I continue to live by that, as readers’ enthusiasm for new releases or kind words about past ones do outweigh the small royalty rate I receive.
Being physically handicapped, I’ll probably never be able to enter the workforce or have the pleasure of making my own hard-earned paycheck. Writing has given me so much pleasure and fulfillment, and it’s not solely to make a buck. At the same time, it does take hours and dedication, so sure, it’s nice to make a little something from it. I never want people to purchase my books just to give me money. I do appreciate, however, when people understand this is the best I can do to try to have a fulfilling secular purpose.
Regardless of physical capabilities or career outside of writing, I reckon every author has that same enrichment. Granted, some do attain the “rich” part of that enrichment, and they work hard for it. It doesn’t always mean that they work harder in terms of effort and persistence than the rest of us, but they’ve achieved the set of circumstances that foster big-time success. Those elements include landing an agent—sometimes several different kinds—a publicist, a major publisher, and probably other forces I don’t even know.
Is the level of so-called success we attain purely a reflection of our talent, suggesting a lack of it if we don’t soar to those heights?
No. Writing is just like any other form of art or skill set in that each individual has their own goals when it comes to their personal endeavor. My dad is a carpenter by trade, and he has crafted many practical and sometimes decorative designs with his talent, including our house, two different swimming pools, and a walker for me. Along with that, he’s lent a hand to many others’ projects. While he sometimes has been paid for his labor, he never established his own business as many in the field do, simply because that wasn’t his goal. Thus, he didn’t have the same income as those with his abilities can make, but he still has loads of talent and has always been a diligent worker. Beyond that, he’s enjoyed many of his projects.
Similarly, many of us authors accrue a meager profit and don’t amass the prestige that a relatively small group garners. We all have different priorities and circumstances, and we’ll ultimately have different paychecks. The important factor is finding pleasure in what we do. Speaking for myself, I can’t overstate my appreciation for all my readers, whether you read my work in print, electronic format, or from select libraries. This has been my dream, and regardless of monetary gain, it enriches me beyond words.
KarinaBartow.com 