Tell us how you earned a million dollars with your first book, Mr. Author.

[mylescorcoran]

This story is revealing about the economics of genre writing.

The typical advance for a first novel is $5000. The typical advance for
later novels, after a typical number of 5-7 years and 5-7 books is
$12,500. Having an agent at any point increases your advance.

purplecthulhu, bear this in mind as you're working to get that story accepted.

Thanks to Boing Boing for the intial pointer.

Comments

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Yes - it was an apposite time for that to come up.

But it does leave me wondering how these authors who publish a novel a year, and aren't Connie Willis or Neal Stephenson, manage to survive.

Any ideas anybody, other than writing pieces for the Penthouse Letters pages?

[mylescorcoran]

I'd say that many writers, like many musicians, make a living from other revenues than their art.

See, for example, http://www.boingboing.net/2005/02/09/musicians_dont_earn_.html, for some details about the music creation business.