Get the latest tech news

Published Doesn't Mean Paid

I want to talk about money. (Ugh, I know. How crass.) Specifically, how much money authors make, or more accurately, don’t. I signed my publishing deal in 2023. My advance was £2,500. That’s it. I was paid £1,250 on signing, which, spread over 18 months (writing

Even if my book sells 3,000 hardbacks and 5,000 paperbacks, which would be considered a huge success for a debut from a small press, I might earn only a couple of thousand pounds above my original advance. This is how publishing works for the vast majority of authors, especially those who are working-class, disabled, chronically ill, or parenting without much support. Even hitting something like the Sunday Times bestseller list, which sounds huge, doesn’t necessarily mean big earnings.

Get the Android app