A recent survey of more than 2000 authors commissioned by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors, has found that self-publishing authors earn more than writers with publishers. And that independent (indie) author incomes are rising, year on year. This contradicts information from earlier author income research and is good news for authors choosing the self-publishing route. Key findings included:

• In 2022, the median income of “primary income” self-publishing authors (those who spend more than half their working time on writing and publishing activities) was $12,749.
• The average income was over $80,000 (almost a quarter had not yet started to earn, bringing in between 0 and 1K.) Some 28% earned $50k+ and almost a fifth ran six-figure publishing businesses.
• Equally significantly, self-publishing author incomes are rising, year on year.  with a 53% increase in 2022 over the previous year. By contrast, previous author income surveys, which have focused on revenues received by authors with third-party publishers, have repeatedly reported falling incomes. (see below)

You can read a longer blog post from ALLi on the findings, as well as download the full report and a summary presentation given at the London Book Fair.

With a membership made up of authors from across the world, ALLi's Ambassadors enable our organisation to think globally and act locally. Our Ambassadors are knowledgeable, motivated, experienced and professional ALLi members who help us to champion independent authors and forge new links across our core territories: Africa, Asia & the Middle East, Australia & New Zealand, Canada, European Union, South and Central America, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Follow the link to meet them and read about what they're up to.

A campaign to encourage and aid the publishing and literary industries to include self-publishing authors in their programs, events, festivals, prizes, lisings and reviews.

The campaign includes guides for different types of organisations, as well as an author guide so they can present their books and themselves professionally within the publishing industry.

A campaign to raise the average income for authors and poets through creative business practice.

The campaign also lobbies the literary and creative industries to provide more publishing and business skills education and advocates for a truly independent self-publishing sector.

A campaign to encourage diversity, accessibility and freedom of expression by bringing self-publishing skills to as many authors as possible around the world and removing physical, mental and financial barriers to the process. 

This campaign covers ethical issues that arise in the self-publishing industry, as well as an ongoing code of standards for indie authors and self-publishing services, showing their support for the principle of putting readers first and acting with transparency and courtesy. Authors display their adherence to this guiding principle through their publishing choices and by displaying ALLi’s “I am an ethical author” badge on their websites. Approved services agree to being vetted by the ALLi watchdog desk.

Current areas of focus include author safety, the emergence of AI (artificial intelligence) in the arts and Audiblegate.