This depends entirely on how the book is published and through what channel. Let’s work through the math.
Traditional Publishing Royalties
Traditional publishing: A typical royalty rate for a hardcover from a traditional publisher is 10-15% of list price, escalating with sales volume. On a $20 hardcover: roughly $2-3 per copy. After a standard advance is earned out. Most books from traditional publishers never earn out their advances, meaning many traditionally published authors make exactly their advance and no royalties beyond that.
Amazon KDP Self-Publishing
Self-publishing via Amazon KDP: KDP’s royalty structure pays 70% of list price for ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and 35% for ebooks outside that range and for print-on-demand paperbacks. A $20 paperback on KDP earns approximately 35% of the list price minus printing costs. Printing cost for a ~300-page paperback is typically $3.50-5.00. So a $20 paperback might net the author $1.50-3.50 per copy.
Expanded Distribution and Direct Sales
Self-publishing with expanded distribution (IngramSpark): Similar structure, with wholesale discount considerations. Authors selling through their own website and using direct fulfillment can significantly improve margins, sometimes earning 60-70% of cover price.
The Honest Context
The honest context: Most books — traditionally and self-published — sell fewer than 1,000 copies in their lifetime. A book selling 1,000 copies at $3 net to the author generates $3,000. That’s real money, but it’s not a living.
The authors making a living from books are either selling at volume across multiple titles, or supplementing with speaking, courses, consulting, or other revenue attached to the platform the books build. The book itself is often the lowest-margin product in a writer’s business.
This article is part of the AI & The Novel series on Indignified.com. All articles reflect the author’s research and perspective and do not constitute legal or financial advice.