For a first-time published author, how much can one expect to...?

Question

Publishing companies typically pay an author an advace correct? How much is a first-time published author advanced- on average??

Answer 1

Honestly? Not much--if you're lucky.

Between $500 and $5000.

And not every one of them pay advances. It depends on the publisher.

And even if they did, you couldn't freely spend your monies on yourself. The money given is something of a 'loan' to help expand your market prospects.

Like extra advertising revenue.

Answer 2

No, publishers don't 'typically' pay an author an advance, particularly if the author has never published anything before.

Sometimes a first-time author will get an advance through good work by an agent, based a lot on what exactly it is the author is writing, but otherwise first-time authors must go through the regular channels to get their work published, with no advance.

You can purchase or study at a public library the book The Writer's Market to learn a lot more about this, or you can join up at $3.99 a month to read this same book online, as it evolves from month to month. The link to that is http://www.writersmarket.com ...and you may see helpful things immediately without the monthly fee. I think they may give a trial period for free as well.

The Writer's Market is the best tool I know (besides writing 'retreats' and classes) to show a first-time author every step necessary to publish, how to properly go about it, and I know that first section of the book, all about publishing, the nuts, bolts and tools, are excellent to study over and over and know well before attempting to publish.

Answer 3

For what kind of book?

Usually a contract stipulates the advance and then the writer writes the rest of the book.

If you're just sending a book to a publisher and you've never been published before, you mostly likely won't even be read. However, if you are read and by a miracle your manuscript is accepted, the contract will be minimal because you have no track record. $4000 for a literary novel, say, from a big publisher. Nothing from a small one.

Non fiction of course pays better but is usually written to spec.

Answer 4

My understanding is that the estimate of 500-5000 bucks is pretty reasonable.  

I don't know why one respondent said that the advance is a 'loan'   Even if your book didn't sell a single copy, no reputable publisher would ask for the money back.  But if your royalties would come to 4500 bucks and you received a 5000 dollar advance, you wouldn't be getting another cent from the publisher.  There are a few publishers who would might give an advance and expect some of it back, but those terms would be spelled out in a contract, and that is a contract that I wouldn't be signing.

You have to prove you can generate income for a publisher before you get reall money for an advance, unless you're Nicholas Sparks and you sell your first novel for a million bucks because it's clearly the perfectly syrupy cocktail of schmaltz that every 40-year old romance-reading housewife has been looking for.