GITNUXREPORT 2026

Writing Industry Statistics

The global book industry is large but offers most authors modest earnings.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Median author advance for debut novels: $5,000-$15,000 U.S. 2023.

Statistic 2

Top 5% of authors earn 50% of total book income per 2022 study.

Statistic 3

Average U.S. author income: $20,000 annually from books 2022.

Statistic 4

Self-published authors average $1,000-$10,000 yearly royalties.

Statistic 5

Hybrid authors earn 40% more than traditional per 2023 survey.

Statistic 6

Royalty rates: Traditional print 10-15% of cover price.

Statistic 7

Ebook royalties self-pub: up to 70% on Amazon KDP 2023.

Statistic 8

Full-time authors median income $6,080 U.S. 2018, inflation-adjusted ~$8,000 2023.

Statistic 9

Bestselling authors earn $100,000+ from advances alone.

Statistic 10

UK author median income £7,000 in 2022.

Statistic 11

50% of traditionally published authors earn less than $5,000/year.

Statistic 12

Audiobook royalties average 25% of net receipts for authors.

Statistic 13

Romance authors average $12,000 yearly from writing.

Statistic 14

1% of authors earn over $100,000 annually globally.

Statistic 15

Self-pub top earners make $100k+ via multiple books.

Statistic 16

Advances recouped by only 20% of debut authors.

Statistic 17

Average author income U.S. $23,000 full-time 2023 Authors Guild.

Statistic 18

Top 10% authors capture 60% royalties U.S. 2023.

Statistic 19

Self-pub median earnings $12,749 yearly 2023 survey.

Statistic 20

Traditional advance median $13,000 debut 2023.

Statistic 21

UK authors 55% earn under £10k 2023 SoA.

Statistic 22

Hybrid authors average $45,000 income 2023.

Statistic 23

Audiobook author share 20-30% net 2023 ACX.

Statistic 24

65% authors have day jobs 2023 survey.

Statistic 25

Bestseller list authors avg $250k advances 2023.

Statistic 26

Royalty splits: 50/50 agent-author post-agent 15%.

Statistic 27

Newsletter writers 25% earn $50k+ Substack 2023.

Statistic 28

Self-pub top 1% earn $150k+ annually 2023.

Statistic 29

Earn-out rate 25% for advances over $20k 2023.

Statistic 30

Global digital book sales share 20% of total market 2023.

Statistic 31

Amazon KDP self-published 1.4 million titles in 2022.

Statistic 32

30-50% of Amazon bestseller list self-published ebooks.

Statistic 33

Smashwords distributed 500,000+ indie ebooks 2022.

Statistic 34

Audiobook self-pub via ACX grew 30% in 2022.

Statistic 35

Wattpad users published 1 billion stories collectively by 2023.

Statistic 36

Patreon supports 10,000+ writers monthly avg $500+.

Statistic 37

Substack newsletters by writers: 2 million paid subs 2023.

Statistic 38

Webtoons/manhwa digital comics: 100 million monthly users.

Statistic 39

Kindle Unlimited subscribers read 2.5 billion pages monthly 2023.

Statistic 40

Draft2Digital self-pub sales up 25% YoY 2022.

Statistic 41

Serial fiction apps like Radish pay $0.02 per unlock.

Statistic 42

NFTs for writing: 50,000+ digital book editions sold 2022.

Statistic 43

AI-assisted self-pub tools used by 40% indie authors 2023.

Statistic 44

Global ebook market $15 billion in 2023.

Statistic 45

Self-pub print books via IngramSpark: 500,000 titles live.

Statistic 46

BookBub promo reaches 20 million subscribers for indies.

Statistic 47

TikTok #BookTok drove 20% ebook sales growth 2022.

Statistic 48

Newsletter platforms: 50% writers earn $10k+ yearly.

Statistic 49

Digital ebook market $18.5 billion global 2023.

Statistic 50

KDP self-pub titles exceed 2 million live 2023.

Statistic 51

55% Amazon top 100 ebooks self-published 2023.

Statistic 52

ACX audiobooks self-pub 50,000 new 2023.

Statistic 53

Wattpad stories monetized: 1.5 million creators 2023.

Statistic 54

Patreon writers avg $1,200 monthly top 10% $10k+ 2023.

Statistic 55

Substack top writers $500k+ yearly 10% 2023.

Statistic 56

Kindle Vella episodes 100 million unlocks 2023.

Statistic 57

Webnovel pays $0.05 per coin unlock avg 2023.

Statistic 58

BookFunnel delivers 50 million books to indies 2023.

Statistic 59

U.S. book industry employed 274,000 people directly and indirectly in 2021.

Statistic 60

There were 2,156 full-time employees in U.S. trade publishing houses in 2022.

Statistic 61

Average salary for editors in U.S. publishing was $68,500 in 2023.

Statistic 62

75% of publishing professionals in the UK are women, per 2022 data.

Statistic 63

Freelance writers in the U.S. numbered approximately 130,000 in 2022.

Statistic 64

Public relations specialists in writing-related fields grew 6% from 2021-2031.

Statistic 65

Technical writers employment projected to grow 7% by 2031 in U.S., with 47,800 jobs.

Statistic 66

64% of U.S. authors are self-employed, per 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Statistic 67

UK publishing sector employed 30,000 people in 2022.

Statistic 68

Diversity in publishing: 76% white workforce in U.S. trade publishing 2022.

Statistic 69

Median salary for literary agents in U.S. was $62,000 in 2023 survey.

Statistic 70

Copy editors average hourly wage $32.50 in U.S. 2023.

Statistic 71

45% of publishing jobs require a bachelor's degree minimum.

Statistic 72

Ghostwriters in U.S. earn median $69,510 annually per BLS 2022.

Statistic 73

Publishing internships: 60% unpaid in U.S. per 2022 reports.

Statistic 74

U.S. publishing workforce totals 768,000 including indirect jobs 2023 estimate.

Statistic 75

28% increase in publishing job postings on LinkedIn U.S. 2023.

Statistic 76

Women hold 74% of editorial roles in Big Five publishers 2023.

Statistic 77

Average U.S. publishing salary rose 4.2% to $72,300 in 2023.

Statistic 78

Freelance writing jobs grew 12% on Upwork platform 2023.

Statistic 79

Technical writing employment 52,100 jobs U.S. 2023 BLS.

Statistic 80

82% of NYC publishing employees have college degrees 2023.

Statistic 81

Literary agents: 1,200 active in U.S. with median salary $75k 2023.

Statistic 82

Remote work in publishing: 45% full-time remote post-2023.

Statistic 83

POC representation in publishing workforce 19% U.S. 2023.

Statistic 84

In 2022, the global book publishing market was valued at $143.57 billion USD, growing at a CAGR of 2.5% from 2017-2022.

Statistic 85

The U.S. trade publishing revenue reached $25.7 billion in 2022, with adult fiction accounting for 32% of total sales.

Statistic 86

eBook sales in the U.S. generated $2.09 billion in 2022, representing 9.7% of total book sales revenue.

Statistic 87

The UK publishing industry turnover was £6.64 billion in 2022, up 3% from the previous year.

Statistic 88

Global self-publishing market size was estimated at $1.25 billion in 2023, projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2030.

Statistic 89

Children's book sales in the U.S. totaled $2.6 billion in 2022, comprising 12.5% of the market.

Statistic 90

Audiobook revenue worldwide hit $6.5 billion in 2022, growing 28% year-over-year.

Statistic 91

Print book unit sales in the U.S. were 767.3 million in 2022, up 1% from 2021.

Statistic 92

The academic publishing market was worth $25.2 billion globally in 2022.

Statistic 93

Romance genre sales generated $1.44 billion in the U.S. in 2022, leading all fiction categories.

Statistic 94

Mystery/crime fiction sales reached $780 million in the U.S. in 2022.

Statistic 95

Religious presses reported $1.3 billion in U.S. sales in 2022.

Statistic 96

Professional publishing revenue in the U.S. was $4.2 billion in 2022.

Statistic 97

K-12 instructional materials market in the U.S. valued at $8.1 billion in 2022.

Statistic 98

Global publishing market projected to reach $170 billion by 2027 at 3.2% CAGR.

Statistic 99

Global book publishing market valued at $143.57 billion in 2022 with projected CAGR of 1.8% to 2027.

Statistic 100

U.S. book sales revenue increased by 1.8% to $28.1 billion in 2023.

Statistic 101

Children's and young adult books generated $3.1 billion in U.S. 2023.

Statistic 102

Audiobook market grew to $1.8 billion in U.S. sales alone in 2023.

Statistic 103

Trade e-books sales reached $2.3 billion in U.S. 2023, up 6%.

Statistic 104

Global academic and professional publishing hit $26.5 billion 2023.

Statistic 105

Self-publishing platform revenue estimated at $1.68 billion globally 2023.

Statistic 106

UK book market sales volume up 1% to 202 million units 2023.

Statistic 107

Print books accounted for 88% of U.S. sales revenue 2023.

Statistic 108

Religious book sales down 5% to $1.07 billion U.S. 2023.

Statistic 109

Total U.S. ISBNs issued: 2.3 million in 2022 for self-published books.

Statistic 110

Global new book titles published: 2.2 million in 2021.

Statistic 111

UK published 212,000 new books in 2022.

Statistic 112

Self-published books accounted for 40-50% of U.S. ebook sales in 2022.

Statistic 113

Print-on-demand books produced 1.5 million units monthly worldwide 2023.

Statistic 114

Children's books: 15,000 new titles annually in U.S.

Statistic 115

Academic journals published 3 million articles globally in 2022.

Statistic 116

Romance novels: 12,000 new titles released in U.S. 2022.

Statistic 117

Nonfiction books outsold fiction 2:1 in U.S. print sales 2022.

Statistic 118

Audiobooks produced: 100,000+ new titles in 2022 U.S.

Statistic 119

Translated books: 20,000 new titles globally 2021.

Statistic 120

Indie presses published 50,000 titles in U.S. 2022.

Statistic 121

Bestsellers: 500 titles sold over 100,000 copies U.S. 2022.

Statistic 122

Ebooks: 1.8 million new titles self-published globally 2022.

Statistic 123

University presses output 30,000 scholarly books yearly.

Statistic 124

Graphic novels/manga: 25,000 new U.S. titles 2022.

Statistic 125

2.4 million ISBNs issued U.S. 2023, 90% self-published.

Statistic 126

225,000 new books published UK 2023.

Statistic 127

Global new titles 2.3 million annually 2023 estimate.

Statistic 128

YA novels: 8,000 new U.S. titles 2023.

Statistic 129

Sci-fi/fantasy outputs up 15% to 15,000 titles U.S. 2023.

Statistic 130

University presses: 32,500 new books 2023.

Statistic 131

Translated fiction: 28,000 new global titles 2023.

Statistic 132

Graphic novels: 28,000 new U.S. releases 2023.

Statistic 133

Indie publishers output 55,000 titles U.S. 2023.

Statistic 134

Bestsellers over 100k copies: 550 in U.S. 2023.

Statistic 135

Romance new titles: 14,000 U.S. 2023.

Statistic 136

STM journals: 3.5 million articles 2023.

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Sources

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Beyond the quiet cliché of the struggling writer, the modern writing industry is a vibrant, multi-billion-dollar global engine where audiobooks are booming, self-publishing empires are rising, and the romance on the page fuels a real-world market worth over a billion dollars.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, the global book publishing market was valued at $143.57 billion USD, growing at a CAGR of 2.5% from 2017-2022.
The U.S. trade publishing revenue reached $25.7 billion in 2022, with adult fiction accounting for 32% of total sales.
eBook sales in the U.S. generated $2.09 billion in 2022, representing 9.7% of total book sales revenue.
U.S. book industry employed 274,000 people directly and indirectly in 2021.
There were 2,156 full-time employees in U.S. trade publishing houses in 2022.
Average salary for editors in U.S. publishing was $68,500 in 2023.
Total U.S. ISBNs issued: 2.3 million in 2022 for self-published books.
Global new book titles published: 2.2 million in 2021.
UK published 212,000 new books in 2022.
Median author advance for debut novels: $5,000-$15,000 U.S. 2023.
Top 5% of authors earn 50% of total book income per 2022 study.
Average U.S. author income: $20,000 annually from books 2022.
Global digital book sales share 20% of total market 2023.
Amazon KDP self-published 1.4 million titles in 2022.
30-50% of Amazon bestseller list self-published ebooks.

The global book industry is large but offers most authors modest earnings.

Author Income & Royalties

Median author advance for debut novels: $5,000-$15,000 U.S. 2023.
Top 5% of authors earn 50% of total book income per 2022 study.
Average U.S. author income: $20,000 annually from books 2022.
Self-published authors average $1,000-$10,000 yearly royalties.
Hybrid authors earn 40% more than traditional per 2023 survey.
Royalty rates: Traditional print 10-15% of cover price.
Ebook royalties self-pub: up to 70% on Amazon KDP 2023.
Full-time authors median income $6,080 U.S. 2018, inflation-adjusted ~$8,000 2023.
Bestselling authors earn $100,000+ from advances alone.
UK author median income £7,000 in 2022.
50% of traditionally published authors earn less than $5,000/year.
Audiobook royalties average 25% of net receipts for authors.
Romance authors average $12,000 yearly from writing.
1% of authors earn over $100,000 annually globally.
Self-pub top earners make $100k+ via multiple books.
Advances recouped by only 20% of debut authors.
Average author income U.S. $23,000 full-time 2023 Authors Guild.
Top 10% authors capture 60% royalties U.S. 2023.
Self-pub median earnings $12,749 yearly 2023 survey.
Traditional advance median $13,000 debut 2023.
UK authors 55% earn under £10k 2023 SoA.
Hybrid authors average $45,000 income 2023.
Audiobook author share 20-30% net 2023 ACX.
65% authors have day jobs 2023 survey.
Bestseller list authors avg $250k advances 2023.
Royalty splits: 50/50 agent-author post-agent 15%.
Newsletter writers 25% earn $50k+ Substack 2023.
Self-pub top 1% earn $150k+ annually 2023.
Earn-out rate 25% for advances over $20k 2023.

Author Income & Royalties Interpretation

Despite the fantasy of instant bestseller wealth, the brutal math of publishing reveals a pyramid scheme where a tiny elite sits atop a vast base of authors who essentially pay, through their labor and dreams, for the privilege of being called professionals.

Digital & Self-Publishing

Global digital book sales share 20% of total market 2023.
Amazon KDP self-published 1.4 million titles in 2022.
30-50% of Amazon bestseller list self-published ebooks.
Smashwords distributed 500,000+ indie ebooks 2022.
Audiobook self-pub via ACX grew 30% in 2022.
Wattpad users published 1 billion stories collectively by 2023.
Patreon supports 10,000+ writers monthly avg $500+.
Substack newsletters by writers: 2 million paid subs 2023.
Webtoons/manhwa digital comics: 100 million monthly users.
Kindle Unlimited subscribers read 2.5 billion pages monthly 2023.
Draft2Digital self-pub sales up 25% YoY 2022.
Serial fiction apps like Radish pay $0.02 per unlock.
NFTs for writing: 50,000+ digital book editions sold 2022.
AI-assisted self-pub tools used by 40% indie authors 2023.
Global ebook market $15 billion in 2023.
Self-pub print books via IngramSpark: 500,000 titles live.
BookBub promo reaches 20 million subscribers for indies.
TikTok #BookTok drove 20% ebook sales growth 2022.
Newsletter platforms: 50% writers earn $10k+ yearly.
Digital ebook market $18.5 billion global 2023.
KDP self-pub titles exceed 2 million live 2023.
55% Amazon top 100 ebooks self-published 2023.
ACX audiobooks self-pub 50,000 new 2023.
Wattpad stories monetized: 1.5 million creators 2023.
Patreon writers avg $1,200 monthly top 10% $10k+ 2023.
Substack top writers $500k+ yearly 10% 2023.
Kindle Vella episodes 100 million unlocks 2023.
Webnovel pays $0.05 per coin unlock avg 2023.
BookFunnel delivers 50 million books to indies 2023.

Digital & Self-Publishing Interpretation

The traditional publishing gate is rusting off its hinges as a self-made, digitally-savvy, and directly-monetized army of storytellers storms the castle from every screen, proving the pen is mightier when it's connected to a global platform and a paying reader.

Employment & Workforce

U.S. book industry employed 274,000 people directly and indirectly in 2021.
There were 2,156 full-time employees in U.S. trade publishing houses in 2022.
Average salary for editors in U.S. publishing was $68,500 in 2023.
75% of publishing professionals in the UK are women, per 2022 data.
Freelance writers in the U.S. numbered approximately 130,000 in 2022.
Public relations specialists in writing-related fields grew 6% from 2021-2031.
Technical writers employment projected to grow 7% by 2031 in U.S., with 47,800 jobs.
64% of U.S. authors are self-employed, per 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics.
UK publishing sector employed 30,000 people in 2022.
Diversity in publishing: 76% white workforce in U.S. trade publishing 2022.
Median salary for literary agents in U.S. was $62,000 in 2023 survey.
Copy editors average hourly wage $32.50 in U.S. 2023.
45% of publishing jobs require a bachelor's degree minimum.
Ghostwriters in U.S. earn median $69,510 annually per BLS 2022.
Publishing internships: 60% unpaid in U.S. per 2022 reports.
U.S. publishing workforce totals 768,000 including indirect jobs 2023 estimate.
28% increase in publishing job postings on LinkedIn U.S. 2023.
Women hold 74% of editorial roles in Big Five publishers 2023.
Average U.S. publishing salary rose 4.2% to $72,300 in 2023.
Freelance writing jobs grew 12% on Upwork platform 2023.
Technical writing employment 52,100 jobs U.S. 2023 BLS.
82% of NYC publishing employees have college degrees 2023.
Literary agents: 1,200 active in U.S. with median salary $75k 2023.
Remote work in publishing: 45% full-time remote post-2023.
POC representation in publishing workforce 19% U.S. 2023.

Employment & Workforce Interpretation

Despite its glittering image, the modern publishing industry is a realm of stark contradictions: it’s a sprawling, quarter-million-person ecosystem propped up by underpaid, predominantly female, and overwhelmingly white gatekeepers, while armies of self-employed authors and freelancers orbit its core, chasing a dream that increasingly demands you work for free to get a foot in the door.

Market Size & Growth

In 2022, the global book publishing market was valued at $143.57 billion USD, growing at a CAGR of 2.5% from 2017-2022.
The U.S. trade publishing revenue reached $25.7 billion in 2022, with adult fiction accounting for 32% of total sales.
eBook sales in the U.S. generated $2.09 billion in 2022, representing 9.7% of total book sales revenue.
The UK publishing industry turnover was £6.64 billion in 2022, up 3% from the previous year.
Global self-publishing market size was estimated at $1.25 billion in 2023, projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2030.
Children's book sales in the U.S. totaled $2.6 billion in 2022, comprising 12.5% of the market.
Audiobook revenue worldwide hit $6.5 billion in 2022, growing 28% year-over-year.
Print book unit sales in the U.S. were 767.3 million in 2022, up 1% from 2021.
The academic publishing market was worth $25.2 billion globally in 2022.
Romance genre sales generated $1.44 billion in the U.S. in 2022, leading all fiction categories.
Mystery/crime fiction sales reached $780 million in the U.S. in 2022.
Religious presses reported $1.3 billion in U.S. sales in 2022.
Professional publishing revenue in the U.S. was $4.2 billion in 2022.
K-12 instructional materials market in the U.S. valued at $8.1 billion in 2022.
Global publishing market projected to reach $170 billion by 2027 at 3.2% CAGR.
Global book publishing market valued at $143.57 billion in 2022 with projected CAGR of 1.8% to 2027.
U.S. book sales revenue increased by 1.8% to $28.1 billion in 2023.
Children's and young adult books generated $3.1 billion in U.S. 2023.
Audiobook market grew to $1.8 billion in U.S. sales alone in 2023.
Trade e-books sales reached $2.3 billion in U.S. 2023, up 6%.
Global academic and professional publishing hit $26.5 billion 2023.
Self-publishing platform revenue estimated at $1.68 billion globally 2023.
UK book market sales volume up 1% to 202 million units 2023.
Print books accounted for 88% of U.S. sales revenue 2023.
Religious book sales down 5% to $1.07 billion U.S. 2023.

Market Size & Growth Interpretation

While the supposedly imperiled print book quietly flexes as an 88% market-share behemoth, the real publishing story is a cacophony of growth: audiobooks are having a moment, self-publishing is becoming a serious industry, and romance novels are funding the whole operation.

Publishing Outputs

Total U.S. ISBNs issued: 2.3 million in 2022 for self-published books.
Global new book titles published: 2.2 million in 2021.
UK published 212,000 new books in 2022.
Self-published books accounted for 40-50% of U.S. ebook sales in 2022.
Print-on-demand books produced 1.5 million units monthly worldwide 2023.
Children's books: 15,000 new titles annually in U.S.
Academic journals published 3 million articles globally in 2022.
Romance novels: 12,000 new titles released in U.S. 2022.
Nonfiction books outsold fiction 2:1 in U.S. print sales 2022.
Audiobooks produced: 100,000+ new titles in 2022 U.S.
Translated books: 20,000 new titles globally 2021.
Indie presses published 50,000 titles in U.S. 2022.
Bestsellers: 500 titles sold over 100,000 copies U.S. 2022.
Ebooks: 1.8 million new titles self-published globally 2022.
University presses output 30,000 scholarly books yearly.
Graphic novels/manga: 25,000 new U.S. titles 2022.
2.4 million ISBNs issued U.S. 2023, 90% self-published.
225,000 new books published UK 2023.
Global new titles 2.3 million annually 2023 estimate.
YA novels: 8,000 new U.S. titles 2023.
Sci-fi/fantasy outputs up 15% to 15,000 titles U.S. 2023.
University presses: 32,500 new books 2023.
Translated fiction: 28,000 new global titles 2023.
Graphic novels: 28,000 new U.S. releases 2023.
Indie publishers output 55,000 titles U.S. 2023.
Bestsellers over 100k copies: 550 in U.S. 2023.
Romance new titles: 14,000 U.S. 2023.
STM journals: 3.5 million articles 2023.

Publishing Outputs Interpretation

The publishing industry is an impossibly vast ocean where a tsunami of self-published titles crashes against the sturdy but modest shores of traditional output, proving that while everyone has written a book, almost no one has read most of them.