Can You Earn a Living as a Self-Published Writer? 5 Factors to Consider

With a self-driven writing career, you’re up early with a cup of coffee or burning the midnight oil. Your laptop’s open, you have a story to tell, and you have complete freedom. You are in control of everything from cover design to release schedules. When you publish, you have a direct connection with your audience. You have no direct supervisor.

It sounds like a dream, but writing can be stressful and lead to uncertain financial stability. One month, you may have a massive spike in book sales, and the subsequent drop will be drastic. Advances in AI mean you’re now competing with a surge of computer-generated books, which can make it harder for your human-written work to stand out. Can you make a living wage by self-publishing, or will you be a starving artist?

To replace a typical income, you’ll need more than talent and determination. The market fluctuates, and the effectiveness of marketing strategies changes constantly. You’ll need a good grasp of just what it requires to make a profit from your creative works and a plan that keeps money flowing even during lower sales periods.

Recent Data About What Self-Published Writers Make

In its last survey, the Authors Guild found the average author made $10,000 per year and $20,000 if they included non-book income. Genre also makes a difference. The same report showed full-time romance authors make a median gross income of $37,725.

Written Word Media’s 2025 Indie Author Survey revealed that authors with 25 or more books published have a median monthly income of $3,000, and 40% of them earn over $5,000 per month. One thing worth noting is that many extremely high earners with 25 or more books had many of those books within a series, so any marketing efforts resulted in read-through and higher overall sales.

Join any indie author group on Facebook or Reddit, and you’ll find stories of enormous success and ones of defeat. Those with lifelong careers understand the ups and downs of the job and learn to pivot as the book market changes. Some use a mix of traditional and self-publishing for the promotional and learning benefits. Others spend a considerable amount on marketing, treating their books as a business, and regularly reinvesting in themselves.

Why Self-Publishing Can Work — And How It Pays

Should you quit your job and go for it? If you’re considering joining the 53% of Americans who quit their jobs for a career change, you should study all the details before giving up a consistent paycheck for the life of independent publishing. Knowing the possible scenarios may determine your next steps. Self-publishing doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. You can work a 9-to-5 job and still write in your free time while building revenue.

Because royalties are paid to authors rather than publishers upon book sale, self-published authors can determine the pricing, binding, release schedule, and long-term earnings of their books. However, indie authors are also responsible for the costs of editing, book cover production, formatting,g and their own marketing and promotion. The costs of self-publishing vary based on how “hands-on” the author chooses to be with their project.

Self-publishing may have some economic advantages over customary publishing. For example, many digital self-publishers earn higher royalties. Ebook versions of self-published books can offer up to 70% royalties per book, compared to the 5% to 18% royalties publishers offer through traditional contracts.

Success happens when self-published authors treat their work like a small business by publishing regularly, pricing reasonably, targeting specific genres or audiences and marketing their work.

What Are the Odds of Making a Living as an Author?

Just because writing isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme doesn’t mean you should abandon your dreams. Several important factors determine whether self-publishing is a financial success. Knowing what influences your income and how to overcome obstacles can help you reach the number you need to survive while doing something you love. Here are the top factors to consider that can impact your revenue.

1. Genre

Some genres are more lucrative than others. Genre fiction – romance, mystery, and science fiction – is known for having very loyal readers who buy multiple books from the same author, which explains why the Authors Guild regularly places them among the top-earning categories.

2. Backlist

Although a book will rarely provide a living wage, authoring several titles over time can create a reliable income stream. The more books in circulation, the greater the potential earnings. Every book becomes additional income.

3. Consistent Marketing and Output

Visibility matters in publishing. Most successful authors invest in interior formatting, cover art, and marketing. Publishing a book is not a one-and-done task — you have to sell the pages inside.

At the same time, you need to release new books frequently. The rule of thumb on this varies as much as opinions. Some established indie authors say you should release a minimum of four times a year. Others say once or twice a year is enough. Whether writing is your full-time income will determine how much you can write and how quickly.

4. Diversified Income

Additional revenue sources for many self-published authors include freelance editing, author newsletters, Patreon, subscription income and speaking. Because these ventures require less time investment than writing itself, they can make a substantial difference in an author’s overall earnings.

5. Realistic Expectations

It is rare for any author to become an overnight success. It can take numerous books before you begin gaining a readership outside your personal circle of family and friends. Time, multiple releases, branding, and promotion all work to build your income over time.

Practical Next Steps for a Career in Self-Publishing

Calculate your costs and royalties. You need to know the costs for editing, formatting, and design. Compare that to the sales levels and projected royalties in your genre. While there are no guarantees, you can study reports and assume you’ll earn at the lowest end of projected earnings. If you wind up making more at first, you’re in an excellent position to increase your royalties from there. For greater success, choose categories with reliable readers, few rivals, and categories that are friendly to self-published authors.

If you’re ready to take the leap and pursue your dream, follow this blueprint:

• Make a long-term plan, publish on a schedule, build a backlist, and treat your writing career as a small business.
• Offer additional writing services, such as editing and ghostwriting.
• Track and measure results, such as sales figures and which promotions were most effective.
• Listen to reader feedback and make adjustments to accommodate their preferences.
• Adjust pricing and promotions as needed.

If you feel your indie author career is stalled and don’t know where to turn next, seek a mentor or book coach to spur you to the next level.

Why Some People Make a Full-Time Income, and Others Don’t

The truth is that self-publishing is best suited to those authors who have the time, care, and strategy to put into it. For a select few, it can be a viable income stream, but the income range is vast, and many earn very little. Success in publishing depends less on writing skill than on marketing ability, perseverance, and reasonable expectations.

To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish

Switching to a full-time career as an indie author should be a decision you weigh carefully. Having a solid savings fund is a must, as book royalties can be inconsistent. Making a career out of self-publishing books requires excellent business sense. Add a decent backlist, the right target audience, diversification, and a willingness to learn along the way. It’s crucial to be realistic and ensure you can cover your basic needs while pursuing a dream you’ve always had. You might be the next bestselling author.