Do authors in control of everything really make more money? ALLi’s 2025 Indie Author Income Survey — drawing on responses from authors who spend at least half their working time on writing and self-publishing — found that the median self-published author income was US$13,500, growing at a healthy 6% year-on-year. For context, the typical traditionally published author earned only US$6,000–$8,000 and that figure was trending down. (Alliance of Independent Authors). In Australia, the 2025 Australian Society of Authors Annual Member Survey (which covers both traditionally and self-published authors) found conditions still difficult: 76% of respondents reported earning under AU$15,000 from their creative practice in the last financial year, and among full-time writers, 45% still fell below that threshold.  ASAuthors.org.au Taking the median gives a more realistic picture than ‘average’ or mean earnings, because the higher-earning authors went gangbusters. Authors with…