Authors in the UK earn an average of £12,500 ($15,386) a year from books, less than the country’s £18,000 ($22,168) minimum wage, according to a new report from the European Commission.
The report also found that the industry lacks transparency in terms of payment arrangements in author contracts. New authors are in a weaker position in terms of bargaining power, the report found. Here is more from The Guardian:
In an industry that is becoming increasingly unequal, those at the bottom of the income distribution continue to struggle. Only half of the 317 UK authors who responded to the survey said writing was their main source of income, with respondents who offered a figure reporting total earnings from their latest book averaging at £7,000.
The European Commission recommends policy changes to improve transparency.