Depressing word from ALCS, where New research into authors' earnings released, their survey What Are Words Worth Now ? (warning ! dreaded pdf format !) finding, from the near-2500 authors that responded, that the answer is: not so much.
Median income has fallen dramatically since 2005, and very few earn their incomes solely from writing.
The survey also finds: "69% of respondents said their contracts allowed them to retain copyright all or most of the time" -- with adult fiction the best protected category (91 per cent -- which I found shockingly low).
Also interesting: "57% of respondents had signed contracts that included a 'rights reversion' clause", and of those 38 per cent had used/relied on the clause.
Also; 25 per cent reported having self-published a work -- and: "86% of those who had self-published said they would do so again"
The survey also finds: "69% of respondents said their contracts allowed them to retain copyright all or most of the time" -- with adult fiction the best protected category (91 per cent -- which I found shockingly low).
Also interesting: "57% of respondents had signed contracts that included a 'rights reversion' clause", and of those 38 per cent had used/relied on the clause.
Also; 25 per cent reported having self-published a work -- and: "86% of those who had self-published said they would do so again"