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Full-time authors earning income solely from books in the U.S. 2018
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Full-time authors earning income solely from books in the U.S. 2018
Share of full-time published authors whose total income was book-related in the United States in 2018
by Amy Watson,
last edited
Feb 4, 2019
This statistic shows the share of full-time published authors whose total income was book-related in the United States in 2018. The findings reveal that just 21 percent of surveyed U.S. authors made one hundred percent of their income from books, with 57 percent having to pursue other writing-related activities on top of their book writing work.
Share of full-time published authors whose total income was book-related in the United States in 2018
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Description
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More information
by Amy Watson,
last edited
Feb 4, 2019
This statistic shows the share of full-time published authors whose total income was book-related in the United States in 2018. The findings reveal that just 21 percent of surveyed U.S. authors made one hundred percent of their income from books, with 57 percent having to pursue other writing-related activities on top of their book writing work.
- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- January 2019
- Region
- United States
- Survey time period
- June 7 to August 21, 2018
- Number of respondents
- 5,067 respondents
- Age group
- 18 years and older
- Special properties
- among professional U.S. writers including those living abroad
Source
- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- January 2019
More information
- Region
- United States
- Survey time period
- June 7 to August 21, 2018
- Number of respondents
- 5,067 respondents
- Age group
- 18 years and older
- Special properties
- among professional U.S. writers including those living abroad
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Statistics on "Book authors"
- Overview
The most important statistics
- Number of writers and authors in the United States from 2011 to 2018Number of writers and authors in the U.S. 2011-2018
- Types of publishing houses used by authors in the United States in 2018Publisher types used by authors in the U.S. 2018
- Most popular self-publishing platforms among authors in the United States in 2018Self-publishing platforms used by authors in the U.S. 2018
- Estimated revenue of book publishers in the United States from 2010 to 2017, by source (in million U.S. dollars)U.S. book publishers revenue 2010-2017, by source
- Estimated revenue of U.S. print publishing industries* from 2005 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)U.S. publishing industry - estimated revenue 2005-2017
- Largest self-publishing companies in the United States in 2017, by number of titles publishedLargest self-publishing companies in the U.S. in 2017, by number of titles published
- Leading online print book publishers in the United States in 2017, by title countBook publishers with the highest title count in the U.S. 2017
- Number of Nobel Prize winners in Literature from 1901 to 2017, by winner's nationality*Nobel Prize in Literature - nationality of winners 1901-2017
- Income
The most important statistics
- Median royalty income among published authors in the United States in 2013 and 2017, by type (in U.S. dollars)U.S. authors' average royalty income 2013-2017, by type
- Author-related income share of individual income among authors in the United States in 2013 and 2017, by typeU.S. author's income share of individual earnings 2013-2017, by type
- Share of full-time published authors whose total income was book-related in the United States in 2018Full-time authors earning income solely from books in the U.S. 2018
- Earnings of the wealthiest authors worldwide from June 2017 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)Earnings of the wealthiest authors worldwide 2018
- Annual earnings of Erika Leonard (E.L. James) from June 2012 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)E.L. James - earnings 2012-2018
- Annual earnings of Joanne Rowling (J. K. Rowling) from May 2010 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)J. K. Rowling - earnings 2010-2018
- Annual earnings of James Patterson from May 2010 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)James Patterson - earnings 2010-2018
- Annual earnings of John Grisham from May 2010 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)John Grisham - earnings 2010-2018
- Emerging vs. established authors
The most important statistics
- Average number of books published among successful and emerging authors in the United States in 2017Average number of published books by authors in the U.S. 2017
- Amount paid for editing services among successful and emerging authors in the United States in 2017Editing costs for successful and emerging authors in the U.S. 2017
- Amount paid for book cover designs among successful and emerging authors in the United States in 2017Book cover design costs for successful and emerging authors in the U.S. 2017
- Share of successful and emerging authors working day jobs to support their income in the United States in 2017Authors with day jobs in the U.S. 2017
- Young adult authors
The most important statistics
- Unit sales of juvenile fiction books in the United States in 2017, by category (in millions)Juvenile fiction books sales in the U.S. 2017, by genre
- Unit sales of juvenile nonfiction books in the United States in 2017, by category (in millions)Juvenile nonfiction books sales in the U.S. 2017, by genre
- Average number of debut book copies sold by publishing houses among young adult authors in the United States as of September 2017Books sold by publishing houses among YA authors U.S. 2017
- Number of publisher rejections before first book sale among young adult authors in the United States as of September 2017Number of publisher rejections before debut book sale among YA authors U.S. 2017
- Time taken to sell first book after signing with a literary agent among young adult authors in the United States as of September 2017Speed of debut book sale after signing with an agent among YA authors U.S. 2017
- Canadian data
The most important statistics
- Number of books sold in Canada from 2013 to 2018 (in million units)Canada unit book sales 2013-2018
- Percentage of book sales in Canada from 2013 to 2018, by subjectCanada share of book sales 2013-2018, by subject
- Leading Canadian-authored book formats bought by readers in Canada in 2017Leading Canadian-authored book formats bought by readers in 2017
- Share of Canadian book buyers reading Canadian authors in 2012 and 2017Canadian book buyers reading Canadian authors in 2012-2017
- Readership of Canadian-authored books among adults in Canada who buy books from selected channels as of June 2017Book buyers using selected purchasing channels who read Canadian-authored books 2017
- Most popular Canadian book authors named by Canadian readers as of June 2017Most popular Canadian book authors named by readers in 2017
- Share of book readers in Canada interested in books which were nominated for a literary award as of January 2018Canadians' interest in reading award-nominated books 2018
- Writing styles
The most important statistics
- Authors with the longest average first sentences worldwide as of 2017Longest first sentences of novels by author 2017
- Authors with the shortest first sentences worldwide as of 2017Shortest first sentences to novels by author 2017
- Number of clichés per 100,000 words among selected authors worldwide as of 2017 Number of clichés used by authors worldwide 2017
- Number of exclamation points per 100,000 words by selected authors worldwide as of 2017Number of exclamation points in novels worldwide 2017, by author
- Number of –ly adverbs per 10,000 words among selected authors worldwide as of 2017Number of adverbs in novels worldwide 2017, by author
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Further Content: Statistics, Studies, and Topic Pages
Statistics
- Top earning children’s authors 2016
- Book sales revenue in Sweden cumulated 2016, by format
- Book market revenue in Iceland 2006-2016
- Book trade revenue development in Germany 2019
- Adult books sales revenue in the U.S 2014-2015, by format
- Speed of debut sale after signing with an agent among middle grade authors U.S. 2017
- Books sold by publishing houses among middle grade authors U.S. 2017
- Publisher rejections before debut book sale among middle grade authors U.S. 2017
- Authors who mention weather in first sentence of books worldwide 2017
- Most clichéd popular modern books worldwide 2017
- Number of domestic book titles published in Finland 2006-2016
- Mainly purchased types of books in Germany 2015-2019
- Sales revenue from domestic adult fiction books in Norway 2018, by genre
- Adult trade book publishing revenue in the U.S. 2005-2017
- Sales revenue from Norwegian children’s fiction books 2018, by genre
- Number of books in UAE public libraries 2014-2016
- Value of book imports and exports to and from China 2017
- Total import value of the publishing industry in Spain in 2015, by country
- Italy: number of libraries in Tuscany by number of books stored 2014
- Public library members in the Netherlands 2007-2017
Studies
- Book authors
- Book market in Belgium
- Book reading habits in Italy
- E-book market in the Netherlands
- Book market in the Netherlands
- Children's reading habits in Italy
- Book market in Italy
- Book market in Norway
- Book market in Denmark
- Book market in the U.S.
- Book market in the United Kingdom (UK)
- Book market in Sweden
- Books in France
- Book market in Finland
- E-books in Germany
Statistics on "Book authors"
- Number of writers and authors in the United States from 2011 to 2018
- Types of publishing houses used by authors in the United States in 2018
- Most popular self-publishing platforms among authors in the United States in 2018
- Estimated revenue of book publishers in the United States from 2010 to 2017, by source (in million U.S. dollars)
- Estimated revenue of U.S. print publishing industries* from 2005 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Largest self-publishing companies in the United States in 2017, by number of titles published
- Leading online print book publishers in the United States in 2017, by title count
- Number of Nobel Prize winners in Literature from 1901 to 2017, by winner's nationality*
- Share of adults who have read the work of selected poets in the United States as of April 2017
- Median royalty income among published authors in the United States in 2013 and 2017, by type (in U.S. dollars)
- Author-related income share of individual income among authors in the United States in 2013 and 2017, by type
- Share of full-time published authors whose total income was book-related in the United States in 2018
- Earnings of the wealthiest authors worldwide from June 2017 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Annual earnings of Erika Leonard (E.L. James) from June 2012 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Annual earnings of Joanne Rowling (J. K. Rowling) from May 2010 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Annual earnings of James Patterson from May 2010 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Annual earnings of John Grisham from May 2010 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Annual earnings of Nora Roberts from May 2011 to June 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Average number of books published among successful and emerging authors in the United States in 2017
- Amount paid for editing services among successful and emerging authors in the United States in 2017
- Amount paid for book cover designs among successful and emerging authors in the United States in 2017
- Share of successful and emerging authors working day jobs to support their income in the United States in 2017
- Unit sales of juvenile fiction books in the United States in 2017, by category (in millions)
- Unit sales of juvenile nonfiction books in the United States in 2017, by category (in millions)
- Average number of debut book copies sold by publishing houses among young adult authors in the United States as of September 2017
- Number of publisher rejections before first book sale among young adult authors in the United States as of September 2017
- Time taken to sell first book after signing with a literary agent among young adult authors in the United States as of September 2017
- Number of books sold in Canada from 2013 to 2018 (in million units)
- Percentage of book sales in Canada from 2013 to 2018, by subject
- Leading Canadian-authored book formats bought by readers in Canada in 2017
- Share of Canadian book buyers reading Canadian authors in 2012 and 2017
- Readership of Canadian-authored books among adults in Canada who buy books from selected channels as of June 2017
- Most popular Canadian book authors named by Canadian readers as of June 2017
- Share of book readers in Canada interested in books which were nominated for a literary award as of January 2018
- Authors with the longest average first sentences worldwide as of 2017
- Authors with the shortest first sentences worldwide as of 2017
- Number of clichés per 100,000 words among selected authors worldwide as of 2017
- Number of exclamation points per 100,000 words by selected authors worldwide as of 2017
- Number of –ly adverbs per 10,000 words among selected authors worldwide as of 2017
- Earnings of the wealthiest children's authors worldwide from June 2015 to June 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Cumulated book sales revenue in Sweden from January to August 2016, by format (in million SEK)
- Book market revenue in Iceland from 2006 to 2016 (in million ISK)
- Revenue development of book trade sales channels (retail bookshops, station bookshops, department stores and e-commerce) in Germany from August 2017 to August 2019
- Adult trade books sales revenue in the United States in 2014 and 2015, by format (in million U.S. dollars)
- Time taken to sell first book after signing with a literary agent among middle grade authors in the United States as of September 2017
- Average number of debut book copies sold by publishing houses among middle grade authors in the United States as of September 2017
- Number of publisher rejections before first book sale among middle grade authors in the United States as of September 2017
- Share of novels which mention weather in the first sentence worldwide as of 2017, by author
- Popular books of the 21st century with the most number of clichés per 100,000 words worldwide as of 2017
- Number of domestic book titles published in Finland from 2006 to 2016
- Mainly purchased types of books (hardbacks or paperbacks) in Germany from 2015 to 2019 (in million people)
- Sales revenue from domestic adult fiction books in Norway in 2018, by genre (in 1,000 NOK)
- Estimated adult trade book publishing revenue in the United States from 2010 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Sales revenue from Norwegian children’s fiction books in 2018, by genre (in 1,000 NOK)
- Number of books in public libraries in the United Arab Emirates from 2014 to 2016
- Value of book imports and exports to and from China in 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Value of books imported by the Spanish publishing industry in 2015, by country (in million U.S. dollars)
- Number of libraries in the Italian region Tuscany in 2014, by number of volumes stored
- Number of public library members in the Netherlands from 2007 to 2017 (in 1,000s)
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