The Authors Guild (2015)
Contents
Source Details
| The Authors Guild (2015) | |
| Title: | The Wages of Writing: Key Findings from the Authors Guild 2015 Member Survey |
| Author(s): | The Authors Guild |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Citation: | The Authors Guild (2015) The Wages of Writing: Key Findings from the Authors Guild 2015 Member Survey. Available: https://www.authorsguild.org/industry-advocacy/the-wages-of-writing/ (last accessed: 24 May 2019) |
| Link(s): | Open Access |
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| About the Data | |
| Data Description: | Data were gathered via a survey of Authors Guild Members, with 1,674 complete responses. |
| Data Type: | Primary data |
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| Cross Country Study?: | No |
| Comparative Study?: | No |
| Literature review?: | No |
| Government or policy study?: | No |
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Abstract
“Earlier this year, we conducted our first member survey since 2009. Overall, the survey results showed that author incomes are down, hybrid authorship is up, and authors are spending more time marketing than ever before. In short, the business of authorship is both more varied and less profitable than just six years ago.”
Main Results of the Study
Full-time authors have experienced a 30% decrease in average earnings since 2009, reducing from $25,000 to $17,500 annually, with part-time authors experiencing a slightly steeper decrease of 38%, from $7,250 in 2009 to $4,500 annually. Full-time authors with 15+ years of experience saw the greatest declines in income, with authors in the 25-40 age bracket experiencing a 67% decrease from $28,750 to $9,500 annually. The report attributes this decrease to a multitude of factors, including an increased uptake in eBooks (and corresponding eBook piracy) and a “free” economy which seemingly justifies free excerpts and other means of remuneration. As a consequence, 39% of authors need to subsidise their writing profession with other sources of income. Elsewhere, 33% of have self-published their books, demonstrating a “hybrid” approach to publishing that avoids the use of the less diverse, and increasingly multinationally corporate, publishing industry.
Policy Implications as Stated By Author
The report concludes that overall the picture of authors’ incomes is “not pretty”, and that copyright law and policy should be adjusted to place authors’ concerns at the forefront, though does not offer any specific suggestions.
