Dreams of being an author

I went into this thought of being an author figuring I would find an agent, then a publisher, and get a five-figure advance and royalties. My ex-boyfriends (all geeks) would see my name in the science fiction section of the bookstore and be forced to have some respect for me. I could quit my day job.

The sobering reality

The truth of the matter is that the scenario for writers is far less rosy. According to the Authors Guild 2018 poll:

• Median income for all authors (full vs part, traditional vs self-published) was $6080 in 2017
• Median income for full-time authors for all writing-related activities, however, was $20,300 
• Self-published authors earned less than traditionally published authors
• Publishers are paying lower advances to authors who are not celebrity or leading authors

And then there’s the part where Amazon has pretty much taken over the bookselling and publishing market, likely pushing all these trends. And the fact that the typical self-publisher will sell only 250 books.

This is a lot to absorb. If I’m going to be an author (I already am), I have to have honest and good reasons to do so. The biggest thing I need to do is dispel my illusions:

• I will not make a lot of money doing this.
• Most of my friends will not have read my work.
• My work will likely not sit on a bookshelf.
• I may never get picked up by an agent or be traditionally published.
• No matter how much effort I put into being a published author, I may never sell more than 250 books.

This is all sobering information. If I write, I have to write for a reason other than external validation of sales and recognition, because I may not get those no matter how well I write. I will never be able to support myself this way, although it might be a nice addition to retirement income.

I have to write for myself. I have to write for the love of it. I have to write for the desire to improve my art, because I can’t count on being the shining exception to the rule.