Research shows median income for all authors is now below $5,000, though ‘hybrid’ authors who use both traditional and self-publishing are doing best

Almost a third of published authors make less than $500 (£350) a year from their writing, according to a new survey, with around a half of writers dissatisfied with their writing income.

In the wake of a year that has seen a bitter war of words rage between traditionally published and self-published authors, the survey shows that the old way of doing things continues to reap the most financial rewards for writers, with traditionally published authors making a median annual income of $3,000–$4,999, and independent writers a median of $500–$999. So-called hybrid authors, however – those who publish in both ways – did best, earning $7,500–$9,999 a year.

Digital Book World’s new survey gathered responses online from 1,879 published authors, 56% of whom took the indie approach, 13% of whom only traditionally published, and 31% of whom did both. The “vast majority” of respondents are novelists, with romance the most popular category they publish in.

“Being an author is hard going for a great many, with the monetary outcome of each publishing model leaving much to be desired on average,” wrote author Dana Beth Weinberg, professor of sociology at Queens College, CUNY, as she revealed her findings.

She told the Guardian: “We see for the third year in a row – even though we made a strong effort to get representation in the survey from successful indie authors – that most authors aren’t making much money and most books sell very few copies. We also find that traditionally published authors and authors who combine traditional and indie publishing have higher annual incomes on average than indie-only authors. Last year, we took a lot of heat for these unpopular findings, especially from the indie community.”

The writer Hugh Howey, who hit bestseller charts with his self-published dystopian novel Wool, had criticised last year’s survey for “not captur[ing] the fact that self-publishing is going through a renaissance”, and for “cloud[ing] how nearly impossible it is to make a single cent through traditional publishing”.

But this year, said Weinberg, “even some of our loudest critics have acknowledged the harsh realities of the book market”.

“Yes, it would be wonderful to be wealthy or even to support oneself from writing, but if few books sell, then having few sales is not a badge of dishonour,” she said. “Without the heartache of unrealistic expectations, it’s easier to focus on why we write in the first place and to stay in touch with the joy of it. With more realistic expectations (no matter how high the hopes), it’s also easier to take a more measured view of our options, for example, in terms of deciding to work with a publisher or determining how much to invest in marketing and promotion.”

Overall, half of the writers – traditional and independent – surveyed this year earned $1,000– $2,999 or less. At the top end, almost 10% earned $100,000 or more, with 4.1% earning $250,000 or more.

A survey of almost 2,500 writers commissioned by the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society last year found that the median income of the professional author (one who dedicates most of their time to writing) in 2013 was £11,000, down 29% on 2005. Including all writers, this fell to £4,000 in 2013.

Digital Book World researchers found that around half of writers responding to the survey were “dissatisfied to very dissatisfied with their writing income”, with 21.8% “satisfied to very satisfied”.

Notably, it was independent authors who reported being the most satisfied with their publishing experience, even when they earned less than writers who published with advance-paying publishers.

The survey also found that while roughly half of traditionally-published authors would prefer to follow the same route for their next book, two thirds of independently-published writers wanted to indie publish again.

“In opening and running their own publishing companies, these authors are finding that they can do things on their own terms and do better for themselves on average than many traditional publishers who might not have the same kind of commitment or investment in their work. That has to be very satisfying,” said Weinberg. “Having taken little monetary risk in their publishing endeavours, these authors may be pleased to earn even a little money.”

Traditionally published authors, meanwhile, are paid royalties and give up rights in exchange for the risk the publisher takes. They therefore “are likely to expect the publisher to deliver much more than they could do for themselves”, said Weinberg.

“There is frustration and disappointment when authors have given up control or future rewards and don’t receive the investment or see the results they expected. This finding speaks to the optimism in indie publishing that comes with the control and investment choices of indie authors, and I see it in my own experiences publishing fiction as DB Shuster,” said Weinberg.

“I know that if my book doesn’t sell today, there’s more I can do to promote it tomorrow, or maybe it will see a boost when my next book comes out. The time horizon is longer for indie authors: I don’t have to worry that the book doesn’t do well in the first few weeks because my publisher (me) is totally committed to my work and will continue to promote it even years from now. Finally, I’m in control of my own definition of success, and I’m not limited to particular sales numbers and dollar figures.”