Add to that the TikTok “craze” in which readers were told that they should “buy, read, and return” books within seven days to avoid paying for them, and I found myself fighting a wave of despair.
Still, I’m fundamentally an optimist, so I’m going to proceed under the premise that most people simply don’t understand the bigger picture. Let’s look at it from a mystery writer’s perspective…
According to a 2023 Sisters in Crime Business of Books survey, 68% of responding authors earned less than $5k the previous year. A broader Authors Guild survey uncovered a somewhat more upbeat result, placing the median earnings for a mystery writer at roughly $10k per year. That’s after Amazon’s 30% cut or the percentage earned by agents and traditional publishers. Combine all this with the out-of-pocket costs writers incur, including but not limited to advertising, website, newsletter, conferences, hiring an editor, and purchasing a cover, and the net income for most authors falls below the poverty level.
As an indie author, when a reader returns a book, the refund comes out of my pocket. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, rest assured it’s not megacompany Amazon that takes the hit. They deduct the return from my royalties. So those who promote the “buy, read, and return” strategy are literally taking a bite out of an author’s income.
Hopefully, all this awareness will help keep people from treating booksellers like libraries.
n money to write a novel—I can’t wrap my mind around why people would expect an author to give it away. I understand economic concerns, rising costs, etc. But as I mentioned before, it’s not difficult to ask a local library to stock a book or series. A number of readers have let me know they’ve done so, and I appreciate it tremendously. It’s a win-win.
Anyway, I hope my thoughts will spark a healthy discussion. For some reason, money is a sensitive subject among authors, and I believe it would be good to talk about it more. I’d love to hear your opinions on the topic.
GRAVEN IMAGES, book 6 in the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, released April 23 and is available on Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback.
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Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in Rock Creek Village, Colorado. To find out more and to sign up for her newsletter, go to www.lorirobertsherbst.com
As a reader...this makes me furious on your behalf. Authors work hard. They should be paid for their work. And I'd argue that $10K is below the poverty line. You are there before you are paying for editors and covers, etc.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, do I snag free or highly discounted books? You betcha. I'm an accountant, I'm going to do what I can to save money. And I have so many unread books I've bought I don't need to buy more books just because. (Does that stop me? Of course not.) And yes, I will pay more for authors I enjoy when they release a new book, although I am taking full advantage of Barnes and Nobel's preorder sales these days.
On a related note, I've been amazed at the reviewers on Threads who seem to think it is crazy that they are expected to review the free ARCs they got near the book's release. Seriously, what did you expect when you got it? I get that real life gets in the way, but so many just weren't in the mood for the book so they read something else. If you can't commit to a review at release time, either communicate that or don't take the ARC. (Of course, if they aren't given enough lead time, that's another issue. Sending the ARC the week before the book comes out is too late for me to get a timely review up.)
Agree wholeheartedly, Mark! I, too, will take freebie books. And if I like them, I fully expect to buy the next ones in the series. Nothing wrong with that at all. I will also take the free piece of pie on Wednesdays at the local restaurant, with the full realization that they are trying to encourage me to buy a meal. It's capitalism!
DeleteI'd like to make two comments on your fine blog. The first is to note that in most of the surveys I have seen (and this includes the SinC survey), authors are asked to report GROSS income, not NET earnings. Thus, the $5K and $10K of author income does not reflect the expenses they pay in order to generate that income. For Indy authors that includes their editing costs, cover design, sales and marketing expenses, etc..
ReplyDeleteMy approach to people who want things for free is to not worry about them. That includes those who are willing to lie, cheat, and steal. I, too, enjoy the occasional freebie or discounted book, and I use the library. I sometimes use those sales tools to draw potential readers, recognizing I can only profit from those sales if readers like my work and choose to purchase other books.
As an author, I concentrate my efforts on pleasing those willing to pay for books they read and enjoy. Those who traffic in illegal websites to download pirated books were never going to pay for mine if they couldn't get it for free; if my book weren't available on the "free" sites, they'd read someone else's. I was never going to make a sale to those folks, and I don't waste my time and mental energy worrying about them.
You are so right, Jim. There's not enough energy in my life to spend it worrying much about the things I can't control!
DeleteIn some ways, writers face the same hurdles as professional athletes and musicians. Lots of people want to participate, and while the possibility of financial success is there, only a few people are going to reach the point of actually making a living from it.
ReplyDeleteI love to write. Of course I'd like to make money at it, but I recognize the fact that I am never going to be one of those people.
We'll always have cheaters and grifters. We don't have to pander to them, but they will be there.
Very true, Kathleen! In every field, right?
DeleteIf readers want a free book, they can use the library for books, e-books, and audiobooks. No excuses. And no reading and returning, which is the equivalent of wearing a dress to an event, reattaching the tags and returning it to a store.
ReplyDeleteExactly! And people do that, too, don't they? When I go to a movie, I don't demand my money back if I don't like the movie...
DeleteBreathtaking that someone thought you would give them another freebie, or that someone would return a book they had read. Then again, as Margaret points out above, people return worn only once dresses. Strange concept.
ReplyDeleteThe optimist in me hopes its just that people don't understand...that they think they're "sticking it to the man" and don't realize it's the "small business owner" who pays the price.
DeleteWow....I'm amazed that people expect the authors to give away their books. I buy only eBooks now which are such a bargain compared to what I use to pay for hardback books. If I start a book and don't like it I delete it I would never expect a refund. If people are concerned about the costs they can always pay the small KU fee and treat the books like a library or as others have suggested use the library. I buy my books and have wondered how authors can make any money if their books are available on KU. The average income of mystery writers is not a livable income.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! Unfortunately, the cost of KU went up recently (though the amount Amazon pays authors for those reads didn't...) It's still a bargain for fast readers! And libraries are (and always have been) such a terrific resource!
DeleteI'm not just crabby on your behalf, Lori, I'm appalled. Beyond that, I'm at a loss for words to explain that kind of thinking and behavior. I'm an optimist, too, but the nerve of some people gets all over my nerves.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, I haven't personally been the recipient of much of the behaviors mentioned! But the TikTok thing especially grates on me...
ReplyDeleteLori,
ReplyDeleteWe aren't running a lending library.