How much is a novelist's yearly salary?

Question

I need some websites that'll help me answer my question.

Answer 1

You asked this question twice (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApIZ7hVkTitaiUwJOufmySHsy6IX?qid=20060926164503AA0c2iQ and http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvSWTvUDGD2AwS4Dg1Be8Ersy6IX?qid=20060926163302AAAQ6Mq)
so I'll answer it twice. Your profile page says that you're just starting on Y!Answers, so it's understandable that you would do this if you're really anxious to get an answer fast, but I'll warn you that it could result in one or both questions being removed. For more information on this, check out the forum (http://messages.answers.yahoo.com/answers/forumview?bn=SEA-YahooAnswers)

Now to your question.
Authors seldom have "salaries" except for those under contract to a publishing house to produce x number of novels a year, usually under a pseudonym.

A novelist generally is writing "on spec." A first time novelist may actually wind up owing money to their publisher if sales are not sufficient.

Established authors can get large advances if they've sold well enough in the past. If the new novel sells well, they might make an appreciable amount of money over and above the advance depending on contract, but that's not salary. They're not an employee of the publishing company and cannot plan on a regular income that way.

(1) Tara K. Harper, when asked, answered this way:
"How Much Money Do You Really Make?"

"Enough to go riding whenever I want, but not enough to own all the horses.

"The Author's Guild conducted a survey recently on author income. If I recall correctly, and including the stats from those incredibly high multi-multi-million dollar contracts, the average author earns about 10,000 a year.

"However, because author incomes vary so wildly, you'll get a better picture if you look at averages within categories. From the various stats I've seen, a beginning, low-end, or one-off (one or two books only) author makes $4k to $10k a year--before taxes, before agent commissions, and before the costs of doing business. Experienced, well-established midlist authors who write a book only once every year or two seem to fall into the $20k to $40k a year range--again, before taxes, agent commissions, and the costs of doing business. For prolific authors who publish several books a year, and who have been publishing for 15 years or more, the gross income is closer to $60k to $100k. The most popular authors working regularly in media fiction (Star Trek, Star Wars, Aliens, etc.) seem to earn in a higher range from $80k to $250k a year--note that I said the most popular. The authors who blow the curve -- the Big Five -- are, of course, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, and Danielle Steele. YA author J.K. Rowling doesn't count. She's richer than the queen.

"However, remember that most authors do not make writing a career, but a sideline. "

For another view, check out the website of (2)Piers Anthony and find out what he says.

Now here's some information I didn't put in the other answer. This was taken from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' "Occupational Outlook Handbook"(3)

"Earnings

"Median annual earnings for salaried writers and authors were $44,350 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,720 and $62,930. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,330, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $91,260. Median annual earnings were $54,410 in advertising and related services and $37,010 in newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers."

This web page, which you should read to find the whole context, uses the word "salary." It also extends the writing field well beyond printed creative literature and novels, which is where the label "author" is most usually applied.

I hope this helps your homework.

Answer 2

There generally is no such salary; rather, income depends upon proceeds from book sales and the like.

Answer 3

You get paid by the book. Sadly you must publish or you will parish.