Writer's income.?

Question

I was wondering are writers the lousiest income earners on the planet when and after they start out in the field of publishing? What does it take to make it to and stay on the best seller list when you've never written a thing in your life let alone published a thing? Yet all you have in mind is the dream of being a published well known author?

Answer 1

90% of authors can't support themselves with their writing and have to have another job, or a spouse supporting them.

Sometimes it is pure luck, and other times it is clever marketing that makes one author successful.

Answer 2

Writers are not in the field of publishing, but in the field of writing. There are many writers who haven't published a book prior to being picked up by a literary agent and have made it to the best sellers list. The whole idea is to be sure you have a good grip on grammar and spelling. A good story that grabs the agent right from the get go.

This is done with an excellent query letter sent to the agent by the writer. The synopsis must catch the agents eye and want to make him/her ask for the first three chapters of the manuscript.

Without getting on the best seller list a writer can be sure to make about 15% of each book sold. So, a $25.00 book would net him/her about $3.75. But . . . Times that by 1 million copies sold. In other words, a million seller. Then perhaps they decide to make a movie out of the novel. There goes another (at least) 6 or 7 figures on top of that. Now you're talking big bucks.

There's nothing wrong with having a dream of being a well known author. Everyone who is 'not the lazy type' has a dream or two. It's just going out and making it come true, or putting their best foot forward in a 'great' attempt to make it come true.

By the way, I was in federal law enforcement for 34 years while I was writing. In the last 3 or 4 years of my career, I began to write my first novel. So, as someone else said in their answer, some writers DO NOT make a living out of publishing their works.

Answer 3

If you read a lot, and for a long time, you might be surprised at your writing talent. At least, that's what happened to Stephenie Meyer. She had hadn't written anything in six years, then when she wrote Twilight, she had an amazing best-seller and has remained there with her last two novels as well.

Basically, you have to have a good idea that can relate and interest a wide range of people, in-depth characters, and good writing. Writing definitely isn't the most glamorous job, but it has a wide income-range. Some make as little as 100 dollars a month, maybe less, and others make a J.K. Rowling amount.