Comments on: Survey Results: The State of Indie Authorship https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/ Promote your book to Written Word Media's audience of over one million readers. Read our blog for information on all things self-publishing. Tue, 04 Feb 2025 11:59:08 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5 By: Raymond Barr https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-291666 Tue, 04 Feb 2025 11:59:08 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-291666 Just came across your email. Have to admit that it was the most informative and in-depth site for writers I have come across. It has been a bit of a struggle for me as I have to support my family as well as trying to finish my book(Trilogy) along with the other issues that go into writing and publishing and sales. Any tips you may have for someone who is in the same situation as I am, would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again.

]]> By: Douglas Flowers https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-270097 Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:06:47 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-270097 This is extremely helpful. Many thanks to all!

]]> By: Monday Morgan https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-226612 Sat, 02 Mar 2024 16:46:10 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-226612 In reply to Jo Anne Barnes.

I am a beginner trying to start publishing. I will want you to guide me.

]]> By: Joanne Hedger https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-222627 Sat, 20 Jan 2024 16:19:44 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-222627 Thanks for this – really interesting and given me another “to do” list to work through which is great. I second the opinion that non-fiction are poorly represented in the report. It would be good to see some specifics on this group of authors too.

]]> By: A.P. Andes https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-218946 Sun, 17 Dec 2023 12:59:53 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-218946 Well. While waiting to be approved so my post and the queries within it could be published since writing last week, I finally seem to have (mostly) answered my own question after a number of searches. According to a page on wordsrated.com:

Overall, Amazon’s store contains over 32.8 million published titles.
English language books make up 52.44% of all published titles, followed by French and German with 6.1% each.

The article, published on January 12, 2023, gives this breakdown:

Amazon currently lists 32.8 million books for sale comprising: Paperbacks 22.9m. Hardcover 8.1M. Kindle 1.2m.

That is a LOT more titles than I thought. So I guess saying I’m at the very rock bottom isn’t quite true.

]]> By: Clayton Noblit https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-218664 Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:05:39 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-218664 In reply to Kath.

Thanks for the suggestion, Kath!

]]> By: Fiona https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-218522 Wed, 13 Dec 2023 04:10:56 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-218522 In reply to Ricardo.

Bookbub has announced in the past they offer 50/50 trad/indie spots each month and my experience as an indie backs that up.

Don’t give up applying. Took me years to snag a US one and it has been invaluable.

]]> By: Kath https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-218470 Tue, 12 Dec 2023 19:38:23 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-218470 Great data! Next year I’d love to see a question on whether authors make their books available by subscription platforms such as Patreon or Ream, if so whether exclusively or in combination with other sales platforms, how many subscribers they have, and what the income split is.

]]> By: Kim https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-218293 Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:14:55 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-218293 Thank you for this awesome article! It’s great to see what other authors are doing and to have some idea of where you stand.

]]> By: A.P. Andes https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/survey-results-the-state-of-indie-authorship/#comment-218261 Mon, 11 Dec 2023 07:57:32 +0000 https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/?p=63993#comment-218261 Thank you for this! Most of this was familiar, but a few findings were illuminating. This may not be possible or practical, but I wish there were some figures on Amazon rankings available; I am currently writing a literary historical fiction series (and this is only my second published book), so I never expected my rankings–ever–to be high or even respectable in my first couple outings, but my numbers have been abysmal–like tens of thousands of leagues below the Titanic: my highest ranking ever was around 55,000th on the first book, when ALL my family, friends, and colleagues bought it, and my books have mostly languished since then in the millions. This is in spite of a couple rave reviews and even a couple in-store book signings with sales. I don’t have much money for marketing. I’d love to know if possible what percentages among the cohort exist for rankings: for example, the lowest and the highest ranking each author has experienced. My most recent book was only just released on Oct. 3 and it is already in the 4 millions! And that is with a number of sales (not a bunch obviously, but also NOT 0 or even 4 or 5). Tremendously depressing. I’m also curious what the absolute bottom is: are there people whose books are ranked 15,000,000th? Or am I pretty much at the statistical rock bottom?

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