For decades, the myth of the starving artist has haunted aspiring writers like a ghost with a pen. But what if that myth is more self-fulfilling than inevitable? This article is part two of the How to Become a Career Writer series. Be sure to check out How To Become a Career Writer Part 1: Think Like a Business.

Today, we’ll dismantle the fantasy that success comes only through writing a runaway bestseller. There is a practical roadmap to earning a living from your books without selling your soul.

You’re not a starving artist but an author earning enough to pay rent, mortgage, or food bills. So how do you earn money? Can you just write a bestseller?

Thomas: No. You can’t just write a bestseller. To hit the New York Times bestseller list, you need to sell about 50,000 copies in a short period. If your book sells 50,000 copies in two weeks, lands on the New York Times bestseller list, and is traditionally published, you might earn 80 cents per copy, which means you’ll earn around $40,000 to $45,000. That’s roughly a teacher’s salary in rural Idaho. It’s not the income most envision for a career author, even at bestseller numbers.

Only a runaway bestseller brings substantial money.

There is money in selling books, but it follows a Pareto distribution, where a small percentage of authors earn most of the profits.

One exciting aspect of writing is the potential for your book to catch fire, but it’s frustrating because it’s hard to predict. Publishing companies essentially gamble on books because they’re unable to foresee a book’s success. There are famous stories of publishers rejecting Harry Potter and others spending millions on books that flop.

Jim: You can make money before your book becomes a bestseller.

Thomas: One effective way to earn significant money is to create a popular self-published series and make the first book permafree. This draws in new readers continuously. With self-publishing, you earn more per copy, potentially $4 to $5 per book, depending on the price and revenue share, compared to 80 cents to $1 for traditionally published books. It’s easier to turn $5 per copy into a living wage than 80 cents per copy. The math works demonstrates that higher per-unit earnings mean bigger numbers, even with fewer sales.

How can I maximize revenue on my book?

Publish Prolifically

Jim: To maximize book profits, publish prolifically. Releasing multiple books boosts sales for your entire catalog. The best advertisement for your next book is your previous one. If readers enjoy it, they’ll buy your next.

With ebooks, you can include links to your other books in the back matter. On my Kindle, when I finish a book, many authors provide links to their other titles. Even Kindle itself suggests other books by the author without prompting.

Thomas: Writing speed is critical to your income. If a book takes two or three years to write and you expect it to cover your entire income, it must generate multiple years’ salary. That’s a tall order for one book. You also need discipline to save that money.

A literary agent friend told me about clients who receive huge contracts and then spend it all on a fancy car or extravagant vacation. Months later, they’re begging for more money, having blown $100,000.

Self-publishing helps because payments come in smaller, steadier amounts, requiring less saving discipline. Career authors I know, the well-fed ones, write quickly. They often use outlining systems, like Susan May Warren’s at My Book Therapy. Her students produce higher-quality books faster, which is crucial for putting food on the table.

Jim: In this era of binge-watching TV, readers expect the next book quickly, just like the next episode. My latest novel, The Five Times I Met Myself, came out in November, and two weeks later, readers emailed me asking, “When’s the next one?” I’d say, “It just came out!” But they’d already finished it and wanted more. This is a challenge, but planning long-term and consistently releasing books helps build your career.

Thomas: Some pushback arises when we discuss writing quickly. Certain authors believe speed compromises quality, and we might earn one-star reviews for saying this. Speed can lower quality if you cut corners, but true excellence is quality plus speed. Anyone can produce quality, given enough time. There’s a saying that a monkey could write Shakespeare with enough time and a typewriter—though I doubt it due to chaos theory. Still, the point holds: excellence is achieving high quality quickly. A novice electrician might take two hours for a job, charging less per hour. A master electrician does it in 15 minutes, likely better, and charges more for their expertise. As a writer, aim to write quickly.

Write Consistently

Brandon Sanderson, a prolific author I admire, releases books frequently. He’s not fast; he’s consistent, writing daily. Professional writers treat writing like a job, sitting down daily to produce, eventually turning paragraphs into chapters and chapters into books worth selling.

Jim: Authors often ask me, “How did you write your first book while raising two young sons and running a business?” I committed to 20 minutes of writing daily. You can do anything for 20 minutes. Often, that 20 minutes became 40, but I got at least 20 in every day. If someone says, “I don’t have time to write,” I tell them to tally their weekly TV time. There’s at least 20 minutes in there. Consistency makes it possible.

Write Early

Thomas: Another tip is to write early in the day. Studies show your creative energy, which is tied to glucose and willpower, peaks in the morning. Plus, writing first protects your work from daily chaos or crises. If you’ve already written, you tackle the day’s challenges knowing your priorities are done, boosting your confidence. Many authors wrote their first books from 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM before their kids woke up. Once successful, they could shift to part-time work, finding more writing time. Stephen King writes first thing every day, and it’s working for him.

Jim: I have a theory that prioritizing big tasks like writing expands your time later in the day.

Thomas: That’s true. Writing early frees your mind to focus on other tasks.

Learn to Sell

Thomas: To maximize book profits, don’t dwell on a two- or three-year-old book. The best way to promote an old book is to release a new one, giving you fresh content to pitch. Selling is a vital skill. The New York Times doesn’t have a best writers list; it’s a bestsellers list. Learn to pitch your book.

Listen to podcasts like this one. Invest in a book on sales. My favorite is Go-Givers Sell More, which is based on the parable The Go-Giver. It’s a non-sleazy approach, focusing on serving others. If your book isn’t right for someone, recommend a competitor’s. This benefits others, feels good, and is effective.

Jim: It’s a great book, told as a parable, so the story sticks. Sales has a negative connotation. People think of used-car salesmen or pushy vendors. Instead of “selling,” think of helping people effectively. Do that, and sales will follow.

Use Amazon Affiliates

Thomas: Finally, use Amazon Affiliates or other affiliate programs. Amazon pays a bounty for directing readers to buy your book from them instead of competitors. Most competitors offer similar bounties. Using tools like My Book Table or a custom page with affiliate links, you earn extra regardless of where readers buy. Amazon also gives you a cut of the entire cart—if readers buy your book plus a camera, iPhone case, or other items, you get a percentage. For traditionally published authors, affiliate earnings can be their only income before their advance is earned out.

Learn more about affiliate sales in our episode How to Double Book Profits Through Affiliate Revenue.

Think Long-Term

Lastly, think long-term. Don’t focus on one book; consider your entire catalog. Write series or books in a shared world, like Jim’s, where books reference each other, creating multiple entry points for readers. Each book promotes the others, building your career.

Jim: I’ve intentionally woven Easter eggs into my books so fans notice references across titles. In my upcoming August release, I mention the coffee Black Fedora from The Five Times I Met Myself. This cohesion makes my books feel like a unified world, encouraging readers to explore more.

Think of yourself as a brand, not just a book. On Shark Tank, investors often say, “You have a product, not a business.” Your book is a product; your career is the business, with multiple products underneath.

Thomas: At Author Media, we’ve worked with authors for years, building websites and helping them become career authors. We developed MyBookTable, a WordPress plugin that helps authors monetize their books and websites. Many authors weren’t selling enough books on their sites or earning much from sales. MyBookTable makes selling easier, integrates with affiliate programs, and boosts profits with royalties plus bounties. The free version includes many features, but the paid version lets you use your own affiliate codes.

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MyBookTable

One great to boost the money you make on your book is with MyBookTable. This plugin is one of the cheapest ways to upgrade your website and boost your book sales. It also helps you make more money per book by integrating with Amazon’s Affiliate program. It pays for itself after just 50 books sold. If you use the coupon code “novelmarketing” on checkout, you can get 10% off.