Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal
Author Incomes in New Zealand
16-Oct-2007
There's this view out there that being an author is a way cool thing to do.
Well, people out there are right. It's a chance to do something creative and feel a sense of achievement without in any way being encumbered by fame and fortune.
Here's the proof. Earlier this year I participated in a New Zealand Society of Authors survey that examined incomes and needs of established authors. The key results are as follows (NZ dollars):
• only 17% of established writers, including freelancers, survive solely on their writing income.
• the mean total writers' annual income from all sources, excluding full time work, is $15,383, against a minimum wage of $23,400.
• 77% of mid-career authors earn les than $10,000 per annum. Only 7% earn over $30,000.
So enough of the fortune. What of fame? The great thing about being an author is that occasionally you meet someone who knows someone who's heard of you, but no one cares what you look like. After writing for a few years you don't care what you look like yourself.
For the record, I earn far more than the average. I could support myself full-time if I had to. But I keep telling myself I enjoy University life. I wonder when I'll realise I'm fooling myself ...