A couple years ago the Author’s Guild released a survey revealing that very few writers earn a liveable wage based on their income from writing. In fact, most earn less than the poverty line.

Publishers Weekly reported the findings this way: “The survey, which drew responses from 5,699 published authors, found that in 2022, their median gross pretax income from their books was $2,000. When combined with other writing-related income, the total annual median income was $5,000.”

What is the “Poverty Line”? The U.S. federal government defines it as a single person making less than $14,981 per year.

Before you get too excited about that number, one must look behind the numbers. The highlights from the Author’s Guild survey can be found at this link. In fact, other statistics said established traditional authors made $15,000, which was more than indie (self-published) authors ($10,500).

That means today’s blog headline was a little sarcastic. The survey isn’t really “news,” but it serves as a starting point on a larger topic.

When teaching writers, I often ask a question near the end of a session: “Can you make a living as a writer?” Inevitably, the room goes still and silent; every eye and ear are anticipating my answer. I usually turn and write on the board, “D. Q. Y. D. J.” and declare, “Here is your answer! Don’t. Quit. Your. Day. Job.” This is usually greeted with nervous laughter.

The writing life is one of solitude and toil for little compensation, especially in the beginning. We have many clients who make a nice living as a writer; some are even the major, if not the sole, source of income for their families. Income for a writer has ALWAYS been a challenge. It’s one reason why it’s called “work.”

But others are not as well compensated. In every case, there is usually another source of income that takes care of financial needs. It is not unusual or uncommon. Some might fall under the poverty threshold if all they count is their writing income. The above-linked Publishers Weekly article said, “The importance of nonbook writing-related income to authors cannot be overstated: 56% of respondents reported that such activities as journalism, conducting events, editing, ghostwriting, and teaching more than doubled their income.”

I know of a writer who, for over a decade, got up at 5 am and wrote until 7 am, and then helped the kids get to school. Afterward, he went to work at his day job. He wrote nearly 10 books during those early morning hours, and they all sold fairly well. But they never earned enough to quit the day job.

As literary agents, we work hard to maximize the potential earnings for our clients. Advances, royalties, subright licensing, etc. We are on the lookout for new opportunities and hybrid alternatives to the traditional models. But it isn’t easy.

No matter if you are traditionally or indie published, you are still competing for eyeballs and pocketbooks. Publishers and aggressive indie authors use every skill at their disposal to generate sales.

This begs the question, “Are you writing for the money?” or “Are you writing because you are called to write?” One well-known author said she hesitates to calculate how many hours she has devoted to her writing and divide it into the amount of revenue she has earned. She jokingly said that $5 an hour might be a generous result of the calculation. But she still writes and works hard. Why? Because she is called to it. She can’t not write.

The point of this article is not to depress you. It is to review your motivation. And to set expectations realistically. Taking online classes, reading books on craft and marketing, going to conferences to meet editors and other writers, is an investment. Not necessarily to receive that “return-on-investment” but to improve your work so that when it gets read (note I wrote “when” not “if”), the impact will be that much greater.

I’m also not saying you shouldn’t be compensated for your work. The Bible says, “The worker deserves his wages” (1 Timothy 5:18 NIV). But I am asking, “What is your primary motivation for writing?” If you are anticipating the armored truck full of dollars to pull into your driveway, you might be in for a long wait.