Self-published Books & Authors Sales Statistics [2023]

30-34% of all ebooks sold are self-published.
300 million self-published books are sold each year.
$1.25 billion worth of self-published books is sold each year.
Amazon pays $520 million in royalties to self-published authors each year.
Only 1% of audiobooks on Audible are self-published.
67% of top-rated, self-published books are written by women, compared to just 39% of traditionally published books.
The global publishing market is expected to grow at 1% CAGR per year, whereas the self-publishing market is expected to grow at 17%.
The number of self-published books has increased by 264% in the last five years.

The market for self-published books

300 million self-published books are sold each year.
The number of self-published books has increased by 264% in the last five years.
$1.25 billion worth of self-published books is sold each year.
The average self-published book sells for $4.16.

Self-publishing platforms pay up to 70% of each book sold to authors (fantasy authors get between 40% and 60%).
Self-published authors do not receive an advance and have to put up the costs of publishing and advertising themselves.
Independent authors who sell their books on their own websites receive up to 96%.
The average self-published book sells 250 copies.
The average self-published author makes $1,000 per year from their books.
33% of self-published authors make less than $500 per year.
90% of self-published books sell less than 100 copies.
20% of self-published authors report making no income from their books.
More than 1,000 self-published authors made $100,000 last year from Amazon.
Of authors who have published their first book in the last 10 years:
- 1,200 traditionally published authors have earned $25,000+ a year
- 1,600 self-published authors have earned $25,000+ a year

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When selling an ebook on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, an author licenses the right to sell an ebook to Amazon.
This means Amazon and only Amazon has the right to sell the digital version of the book.
An author cannot sell the ebook version of their book elsewhere — not even on their own website.
The only way to do so is to cancel the contract by written notice.
The book can be sold in other formats (e.g. print or audio) in other places.