Under 10% of self-published authors earn a living from their writing

Self-published writers who have an agent, or who use the DIY route to get a traditional deal, earn much more than the average self-published writer, according to a survey of more than 1,000 self-published writers (72% USA, 9% UK). But less than 10% make enough to live off their earnings.

Despite the relatively low earnings, the survey found that there had been an “explosion” in the number of titles being self-published; 53% of the respondents self-published for the first time in 2011, with 20% making their début in 2010.