The High-Earning Author Series: What It Really Takes to Get Paid
If you're a writer, you've likely wondered how the top names make their money. Not just the big book deals—but the full picture. This series uncovers it.
We love a good author origin story.
From fanfiction to fame. From indie darling to trad powerhouse. From writing in cafés to signing seven-figure deals.
But what we don’t talk about enough is money.
Not in real numbers. Not in honest detail. And not in a way that helps working writers actually plan their careers.
That’s where the High-Earning Author Series comes in.
In each article, I’ll break down a major author’s income streams—from royalties and advances to screen rights, merch, speaking, and everything in between. We’ll look at what they gave up to go big, who holds the power in their business, and whether their model is replicable for the rest of us.
Some of these stories will be impressive. Others will be cautionary. All of them will be rooted in one core truth:
Writing can be art, but if you want to make a living or a fortune, you’d better know the business.
Welcome to the investigation.
H. J. x
Read articles in the High-Earning Author Series here —> https://hjsmithwilliams.substack.com/t/high-earning-author-series
New to me and my writing?
I’m H. J. Smith-Williams: novelist, screenwriter (in progress), and founder of the £1.5M Project—a year-long experiment to see how far words, wit, and stubborn execution can go.
You can expect fiction, industry breakdowns, unapologetic ambition, and the occasional author confession.
If that sounds like your kind of chaos, you’re in the right place.
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