Author

How Much Money Do Authors Make? (2024)

Pat Walls

•

Updated: June 23rd, 2024

TL;DR:

Based on our data, authors can make between $200-$1,500,000 per month.
The average revenue for a successful author is $227K per month.
The highest grossing author in our records makes over $18,000,000 per year.
Author owners salaries can vary wildly depending on industry, niche, and size of the business

So you're thinking about starting an author?

And now you're wondering how much author owners actually make...

Well, let’s dive in!

Here are example of real authors and how much money they make - as reported by the founders themselves:

1. Forbes Books ($18M/year)

Adam Witty, the Founder & CEO of Advantage|ForbesBooks, came up with the idea for his business while working at a publishing company during his high school summer internship. Inspired by the creation, marketing, and sales of books, he later partnered with his boss to start a publishing company for entrepreneurs. He realized the power of a book as a marketing tool and developed Advantage into one of the largest business book publishers in America, offering a range of publishing and marketing services to help authors grow their businesses.

How much money it makes: $18M/year

2. Scribe Media ($15.6M/year)

Tucker Max, a successful author himself, came up with the idea for Scribe Media when a fellow entrepreneur challenged him to find a solution for busy individuals who wanted to write a book but lacked the time or patience to go through the traditional publishing process. He realized that by using interview-based conversations and transcriptions, he could capture their ideas and words, allowing them to "talk" their book into existence. Since its launch in 2014, Scribe Media has worked with over 1,500 authors and generated over $1.3 million in monthly revenue.

How much money it makes: $15.6M/year

3. QWANTIFY ($7.2M/year)

Keith Lynch, the Founder and CEO of Qwantify, came up with the idea for his digital development and marketing agency after receiving requests from colleagues, family, and friends to develop profitable websites for them. With his knowledge, experience, and skills in digital marketing, he launched Qwantify in 2016 and offered a unique selling proposition of a revenue guarantee, which set him apart from the competition. Today, Qwantify is a multi-million dollar per year agency that attracts hundreds of new partner inquiries every month.

How much money it makes: $7.2M/year

4. Platypus Publishing ($3.84M/year)

Matt Rudnitsky, founder of Platypus Publishing, came up with the idea for his business after self-publishing his own book and realizing the potential in helping others do the same. He began by offering editing and coaching services, and eventually expanded to offer a done-for-you book service and an online course. Through organic growth and personalized outreach, Matt has built his business without the need for a formal launch or large budgets.

How much money it makes: $3.84M/year

5. Thomas Frank ($2.1M/year)

In 2010, while in college, Thomas started a blog to share his experiments in getting the most out of college. Since then, he's applied his interests in productivity and self-development to YouTube, several podcasts, a book, and more. He got the idea of this business when he was trying to build a company's wiki and with the difficulties he faced with Google docs, discovering Notion blew his mind.

How much money it makes: $2.1M/year

6. Dean Bokhari ($1.44M/year)

Dean Bokhari, founder of DeanBokhari.com, was working as a marketer for a tobacco company until he had an emotional breakdown and decided to pursue meaningful work. After years of personal development and taking action, he started sharing what he had learned through writing, podcasting, and speaking, which eventually led him to start his membership platform. Now, with over half a million readers and monthly revenues exceeding $100,000, Dean is helping others improve their lives and achieve their goals.

How much money it makes: $1.44M/year

7. Nomadic Matt ($744K/year)

In July 2006, Matt set off on a global adventure. As an early travel blogger, he encountered backpackers who demonstrated that he didn't need to be tied down to a job or be wealthy to travel long-term on a budget. They showed him that millions of people did it every year. After this trip, he returned home with the idea of creating a website to teach people how to "travel better for less".

How much money it makes: $744K/year

8. Cary Jack - The Happy Hustle ($300K/year)

Cary Jack, founder of The Happy Hustle, experienced burnout while working 100+ hour weeks for his tech startup. After rejecting a 7-figure funding deal and taking time off in Thailand, he developed a way to find happiness within the hustle and created The Happy Hustle™ to help entrepreneurs achieve work-life balance. Through various revenue streams, such as podcasting, books, and mastermind adventures, Cary has built a successful business that focuses on serving his tribe and creating positive impact.

How much money it makes: $300K/year

9. Conundrum Publishing ($240K/year)

Nick Thacker stumbled into full-time writing after realizing he was making more from writing novels than from his 9-5 job. He started by self-publishing his books and honing his craft, eventually building a full-service book production firm and earning around $10,000 to $20,000 per month in royalties from his thriller and action-adventure novels.

How much money it makes: $240K/year

10. Front Line Publishing Inc ($228K/year)

James Rosone, a former military interrogator, turned to writing as a form of PTSD therapy. After realizing a gap in the market for authentic military thrillers, he and his wife co-wrote and self-published their own books. Since their debut in 2015, they have published eighteen books and earned an impressive $47,365 in a single month.

How much money it makes: $228K/year