Being a Writer Is the Fastest Way to Starve to Death

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Updated 2/22/24

When my son was contemplating various professions, I told him, "Whatever you do, don't become a writer. It's the fastest way to starve to death." It turns out I was right. (I hate being right all the time.)

The Authors Guild, of which I am a proud member, has released a report on writing income for American authors. Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said the newest author income survey “paints a sobering picture of the financial realities authors face today.”

So, all you young and old writers, keep your day job. You're gonna need it.

(My son, much to my chagrin, is a writer. He is starving to death in Los Angeles.)

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Writing Books Remains a Tough Way to Make a Living

By Jim Milliot, September 29, 2023

A new author income study released by the Authors Guild provides a dizzying array of numbers and breakdowns about how all types of authors—traditionally published and self-published, full-time and part-time—fared financially in 2022. With such a deep trove of statistics, the survey offers something for everyone, but the main takeaway is that most authors have a hard time earning a living from their craft.

The survey, which drew responses from 5,699 published authors, found that in 2022, their median gross pre-tax income from their books was $2,000. When combined with other writing-related income, the total annual median income was $5,000. The median book-related income for survey respondents in 2022 was up 9% from 2018, adjusted for inflation, with all the increase coming from full-time authors, whose income was up 20%, compared to a 4% decline for part-time authors.

Read the rest of this depressing article HERE.