But what if you're not?

Based on the image in this post, doesn't it seem as though writing and marketing your own books is a good way to make a living? All you have to do is read one of these "how-to" books, self-publish, and deposit royalty payments.

I've been following a few subreddits where first-time, unknown authors ask questions about writing, self-publishing, and book marketing.

If you are an unknown self-published author hoping or assuming you will make money selling your books, here are the current statistics for sales:

• The absolute baseline average for a self-published book is roughly 250 copies over its lifetime.  
• Approximately 90% of self-published books sell fewer than 100 copies in total. For many debut titles, the majority of initial traction (often fewer than 20–50 copies in the first month) comes almost exclusively from friends and family.
• 75% of self-published authors earn less than $1,000 per year from their catalog. Eighteen percent earn between $1,000 and $10,000 annually. Only about 7% earn more than $10,000 a year, which usually requires a multi-book catalog or backlist.

I am you, and these statistics apply to me as much as they do to you, with one exception. My Unlived Lives books in all three formats have sold over 1,700 copies to date. How?

I invested serious marketing money to make that happen, and as of now, the Unlived Lives project is neither profitable nor at break-even. I didn't expect it to be. I did it to build awareness for future sales once all three books were available in all three formats.

They are now; it remains to be seen how good an investment that will be.

​I'm not trying to discourage you from writing. On the contrary, if you enjoy writing, write! But do so with realistic expectations about the financial side.

Don't spend money you need for other aspects of your life. Earning a living writing is an extremely tough game. You could be one of the very few who make it work, but what if you're not?

You've worked hard writing your book, now work even harder/smarter with reasonable expectations for how and what it will cost to market it.