[Jan Strnad]

PM'd you!

 

[Hugh Howey]

Man, this is awesome. Thanks for the PMs, people. I've XXXX'ed out the titles and your names in a few of these stories so there's no identification and passed them along to a journalist. I'm trying to see if he would be interested in writing about this. If so, I would put him in contact with people and see if any of you would be interested.

Now, absolutely nothing could come of this. He might say, "Yeah, fine, fine, but tell us about Ridley Scott. Is Harrison Ford going to reprise his role in Blade Runner?" or something like that.

But I'm trying.

 

[H. S. St. Ours]

But I'm trying.

Which is why we not only respect you, Hugh, but even like you (maybe just a little).

 

[Maria Hooley]

With all outlets put together, I usually make about 1500.00 in a slower month.  I just crossed the 50,000 novels sold point last month.

 

[Hugh Howey]

Which is why we not only respect you, Hugh, but even like you (maybe just a little).

Writers are known to be a little crazy. I suspect that's true of you people.

 

[gljones]

I'm making more than $500 a month, but then again, I write erotica, so mine may be a story a journalist wouldn't want to tell.

Off topic I know but your Icon has been freaking me out for a while, I have to know, what the heck is that?

 

[Mike McIntyre]

I had a trad-pubbed title back in the '90s, and my indie sales now earn me more. In fact, my indie income for 2012 has already surpassed my best year in my former career as a full-time journalist for various metro daily newspapers. While I have one mystery, most of my income is derived from two non-fiction titles (travelogues). I charge $4.95 for these, so it doesn't take eye-popping volume for $ to add up. I have done zero marketing: no web site, no blogging, no Facebook. I don't have a list of readers I can contact, and I don't know how I would compile one. My "midlist" success is solely due to Amazon and Select. KOLL income by itself totals more that $500 per month. I don't know how long this will last, but it has been fun.

 

[Rachel Schurig]

Have you seen this web page, Hugh? It started out in this thread here in the Cafe. It's a list of self-published writers who have sold more than 50,000 books.

How that translates into cash is harder to say due to different book prices, and of course some of those folks have sold a LOT more than 50k books, but it's still a remarkably long list so it presents an argument that 50k books is not really an outlier any more.

Keep in mind that website hasn't been updated since May. I'm sure there's been even more indie successes since then!

Making above the $500 a month but sent you a PM anyhow

 

[Amanda Brice]

I'm earning anywhere from about $300-3000 per month, with the average being around $500. Of course, this doesn't come anywhere close to paying our bills since we live in such an expensive city, but it's a nice chunk of change to add to the kids' 529 plans.

I still work full-time and will do so even if I start to bring in significantly more.

 

[Rick Gualtieri]

For the past two months I've made more than my day job.  Have been making >$500 / month since early this year.  I use my oldest son's gymnastics lessons as a baseline.  If I can pay for them, I'm golden. 

 

[David Adams]

Making about $300 a month at the moment. Fortunately it is increasing, on average, every month so hooray.

 

[TexasGirl]

I started making $1500 a month this year. I always make at least that, and some months spike to 3K.

I went full time early this year, although I have a few photography clients I will still shoot for, but I work at 25% of my old levels. I'm also shooting my own covers and just last week started putting the extra shots up as stock to supplement.

I'll consider myself making a living when $2.5k is the lowest month. It's my goal to hit that by summer.

 

[Nicole M]

I haven't self-published yet but I just wanted to thank you for starting this thread. It really gives me hope. And thank you all for being so open about your sales.

 

[Kay Bratt]

I can't comment on royalties from the Amazon pubbed titles, but with my Indie + AP titles combined, I make a very good full-time living from writing. I know without a doubt that my Amazon-Published titles help push my Indie books up in the rankings/sales. Ie: my Indie business side benefits from the power of Amazon marketing.

For example, my newest AP title, A Thread Unbroken, released just yesterday and this morning all my Indie books also got a huge boost, too.

 

[the quiet one]

PM sent with more detail but first two full months published have been >$500. Hoping nobody pinches me and wakes me up. Also, it might hurt.

 

[Dean Murray]

Hi, Hugh.  I just sent you a PM.

 

[SRecht]

Too early in the process for me to meet the criteria, but working hard to finish my next book and hope to join all of you one day.  

 

[martaszemik]

Started making above $500 two months ago. This month will be more than $750. I'm not counting the paperbacks and other retailers.The last title just released so really, that's based on only first three (and first one of them is perma free). It's not a lot, but I'm working hard with hope to be able to support my family within the year. Next year I'm planning to release 5 more novels.

I lurk around WC every day and love hearing writers making income

This is just under this pen name. I also write ER and first release was two weeks ago. It's getting some traction now

 

[Michael R. Hicks]

I started in May 2008 with three sales of my first book that month. Fast forward to August 2011, when I left my day job in the federal government as a GG-15 (executive grade) employee to write full time because my royalties were more than I was making in the government, and 2012 was even better. Hallelujah!  

 

[Hugh Howey]

You all are awesome. I'm trying to respond to all the PMs, but there are dozens in just the last hour, so take this as a blanket thank-you. I sent a dozen of the emails (nothing identifying, just in case that wouldn't be okay with you), along to this journalist. If nothing else, compiling this in this thread (I know there have been others) seems to bear out what many of us have been hoping for: a sign that writing is a viable hobby or side job. One that can even lead to a full-time job.

My mother has a yarn shop in Charleston, SC. She's also a painter. She spends a LOT of time and a little bit of money painting. Her clients spend a LOT of time and quite a bit of money knitting. Millions of people do this, or garden. They put their veggies and paintings and sweaters up for sale in various places, do craft shows, sit at farmers markets with the tailgate down. All of them are hoping to make back a fraction of their costs with a hobby they enjoy. We celebrate all of these endeavors. "Oh, you sculpt? That's awesome! And you have some of your wares for sale at that co-opt off Main? How cool!"

Indie publishing, by my wild-ass estimation, is blowing the doors off these other hobbies-we-hope-can-turn-into-real-jobs. Look at food trucks. This is a new rage. I'm willing to bet many of them never turn a profit, but the owners have fun! And they make a little bit!

So why is writing seen differently? I think it has become, thanks largely to Amazon and the Kindle, the most viable of these creative endeavors. That's the story. It's not: Get Rich Quick. Or: This Will Happen to You. It's: This is Possible. And increasingly morso.