Money. It's a Gas.
I’ve been watching the keywords for my website to see what people are looking for when they happen upon my site. The number one answer seems to be gentleman’s clubs of London. I don’t know if they’re looking for adult entertainment or my article on the clubs from the Regency, but hey, they made it to my site, so maybe they’ll buy a book. <g>
One of the things that people have queried (no one actually asks about this other than nosy relatives or other writers) is money. So, today I’m going to talk about money.
Two definitions to learn: advances and royalties.
Romance authors have a huge advantage over non-romance authors, mainly because the number of romances released outnumbers all other fiction books released by 2:1. Thus, a romance author can actually make a LIVING WAGE as a writer, which is attractive to most people when they are considering a career. And the other cool thing about romance? A good writer can make a steady living as well. Romance is the bread and butter of the publishing industry and thus, good romances are always in demand.
The more books an author has sold, the higher the advances will go. Obviously, best-selling authors get best-selling advances, but again, a good writer with a steady increase in sales, can make a solid living (i.e. no yachts) from romance.
If you’re considering becoming a writer for the money – don’t. Odds are small you’ll get published, and it takes many years for authors to turn into “over-night successes�. However, if you have talent and time and the inclination, and have a hide thick enough to get you through the rejection phase, then maybe this career is for you after all.
One of the things that people have queried (no one actually asks about this other than nosy relatives or other writers) is money. So, today I’m going to talk about money.
Two definitions to learn: advances and royalties.
- Royalties are the money paid to the author for each copy of the book sold. This usually runs between 6-10% of the cover price. Royalties are paid out starting about a year after the book hits the shelves.
- Advances are monies paid to an author in advance of the book’s publication, usually when the book is turned in. Advances for a first time romance author can range from $2000 (this is low) to $4500 (average) to $10,000 (high-average) and more (this it the publishing equivalent of hitting the lottery).
Romance authors have a huge advantage over non-romance authors, mainly because the number of romances released outnumbers all other fiction books released by 2:1. Thus, a romance author can actually make a LIVING WAGE as a writer, which is attractive to most people when they are considering a career. And the other cool thing about romance? A good writer can make a steady living as well. Romance is the bread and butter of the publishing industry and thus, good romances are always in demand.
The more books an author has sold, the higher the advances will go. Obviously, best-selling authors get best-selling advances, but again, a good writer with a steady increase in sales, can make a solid living (i.e. no yachts) from romance.
If you’re considering becoming a writer for the money – don’t. Odds are small you’ll get published, and it takes many years for authors to turn into “over-night successes�. However, if you have talent and time and the inclination, and have a hide thick enough to get you through the rejection phase, then maybe this career is for you after all.
posted by Kathleen at 9:40 PM
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