What's the average advance offered by publishing houses to fiction authors?

Answer 1

The answer is subject to many variables but the fact of the matter is your advance will be in direct relation to the deemed marketability of your book. Publishers are all about the business end of the process and if they can see a huge profit, they will scoop you by offering a huge advance.

Of course, the right publisher needs to see your manuscript for this to happen as some have deeper pockets than others.

Be vary wary of publishers who offer no or little advances because they are counting on your desperation to get published to take the lions share of your income from the work and residuals down the road.

Answer 2

It varies, depending on whether the publishing house is a large conglomerate or a small independent business. One good piece of advice:
"If you sell your first novel, whatever you get for it, don't give up the day job."
I only know about Children's writing, but it may give you a clue: Writing for the children's book market is seldom as lucrative as writing for the adult market. For a 32 page picture book, you can expect to split a $3,000-$8,000 advance 50/50 with the illustrator. The publisher will then pay each of you 3.5%-5% royalties against the advance Note that your book must sell enough copies to earn back your advance before you receive any royalties. Most picture books sell from 5,000-10,000 copies in hardcover and go out of print within fourteen months. Few go into paperback. Easy readers are about the same. The royalties are not split on a novel, so you could receive approximately a $5,000 advance against 7-10% royalties. Royalties are usually based on the retail price of the book, however some publishers go by "net price" which is the price of the book after their discounts are figured in, which means, less money. Read your contract very carefully and best wishes!

Answer 3

I don't think there IS an "average advance." If somebody at a big publishing house with money to throw around thinks a book is highly sellable (celebrity author, hype-able chick-lit author, overhyped mini-celeb, etc.), then the advance could be lots of money. That's not the case with regard to most books people write, though.

Answer 4

I work in a publishing house and for first time authors the advance is rarely more than 2,000 euros - that's for a children's book