“I want to retire…

…pay off debt…

…save for a home…

…go on vacation…

…can I make enough money from my books?”

I get asked this question a lot. Heck, I’ve asked this question myself a lot. 

We have talents, we have goals. What are the realistic numbers we’ll see when we start monetizing those talents?

The answer is pretty bleak, my friends.

Most authors don’t make a living from their writing.

And most authors who do make a living have been writing for a long, long time.

The numbers will vary wildly from each author you ask and each survey you find, so I’ll leave the research to you about specific numbers. Suffice it to say today that *most* authors make very little money. Maybe enough for a dinner out occasionally. Some are even lucky enough to break even after editing, cover design, and marketing fees.

But some authors do very well for themselves. They fund the family vacation. They  buy the new laptop. They tuck away funds for retirement. They can make substantial gains toward whatever goal they choose.

The numbers are rather irrelevant, and besides, different numbers mean different things to different people. An extra $20 a month would be a fortune for some and a crushing disappointment for others, so we won’t focus on a specific financial goal. You pick how much you want to make. 

Here are some strategies of how to actually reach it.

1. Sell More

Whoever you are, I promise you that you’re not selling your book often enough. Sell it. Talk about it on Facebook, keep copies in your car, bring up your book when small chat with a stranger leads to what you do for a living.

*Most* authors don’t make a living from their books because they post them on Amazon and then leave them there. If you want to make more than most authors, you’ll have to sell more than most authors.

You’re not bothering people when you post links on your social media.

You don’t sound arrogant when you mention it to your coworkers.

Your library and school would probably love to have a visit.

Think outside the box about ways you increase your reach so that people can find your books.

Try Pinterest. Try fliers in your grocery store. Try setting up a stand at a Farmer’s Market or craft fair. The options are endless. And if you have enough of an imagination to create a whole world and a dozen new characters, then you have enough of an imagination to come up with a few ways to sell your book. Make a list, then go give them a try.

2. Learn More

Selling is an art. There are entire business degrees devoted to selling things. *Most* authors don’t know near enough about marketing as they do about writing. You’ll need both skills to reach financial success.

Learning more may mean investing in a book about marketing.

It may mean learning about relevant keywords and hashtags.

You may need to do some trial and error with Facebook or Amazon ads. 
Find some experts to follow online and follow their advice.

Don’t let your learning stop as soon as you’ve learned how to get your book on Amazon. That is only the beginning. Stopping there will put a big wall between you and financial gains. 

If you want to make more than most authors, commit to learning more than most authors.

3. Write More

When authors make money, it happens exponentially.

Let me explain. If I have one book and bring in three new readers, I could potentially make three sales — one book for each reader.

But if I’ve written three books and I bring in three new readers, I could now potentially make nine sales– in theory, each of my three readers could purchase all three of my books.

*Most* authors write one book. Some might write two. Very few write three. And the numbers continue to drop. If you want to make more than most authors, you’ve got to write more than most authors. This means continuing to write even if the sales of your first book were a disappointment.

 You can make money from your stories. Keep selling. Keep learning, and by all means, keep writing.  Then are billions of people in the world. So many of them are looking for your stories. Keep putting them out there. The money will come.

Best Wishes,

Arielle