A recent survey by the Author's Licensing and Collecting Society shows that in the UK, the average wage for writers is £16,531 (approx. $32,000) per year. Not great, right? Wait, there's more...the typical (median) income is only £4000 ($8000). Hmm, maybe they figured in J. K. Rowling's income when they did those 'average' calculations. In fact, the survey did state that the top 10% of authors account for more than 50% of total income.
Author Maureen Duffy, honorary president of the ALCS attacked this situation, saying that falling advances and royalty rates were hurting writers. Another factor is that gradually authors' agents have increased their take from 10% to 12.5% or 15%--shouldn't they be increasing their income by getting us more, rather than increasing their commission rate?
According to the survey, 60% of professional authors generally don't make enough from their books alone to live on. Increasingly, the books are a calling card to activities that bring in more money. These include teaching, magazine writing (not fantastically well-paid either, of course), lectures, etc.
In the middle of this, the notion of copyright is under attack. We have to be alert on this one, because copyright is all we really have. Fewer than 15% of authors have received payments for online uses of their work, the ALCS says. (Although all these figures apply to UK authors, I suspect the US figures wouldn't be very different.)
I enjoy giving away content via this blog, and my websites (www.timetowrite.com and www.brainstormnet.com) and my forthcoming podcast, but that's by choice, and with the hope that some of my readers will at some point also buy my books or ebook or other products, or come to my workshops. However, when it comes to publishers and others wanting to pay the same as they always have paid, or less, but to get additional uses of the material, we have to draw the line. To the ramparts! (Bring sandwiches.)
