Today I want to share five things that no one tells you about becoming a published author.

I published three novels over the last few years, which, I'm not going to lie, was truly a dream come true.

Sometimes people ask me what it’s like to see your book on shelves when you didn't even bribe someone to put it there or sneak it in yourself.

It's awesome. It feels mostly amazing, but there are a few surprises you may not expect—I sure didn't. I'm going to share those with you in this post.

Surprise #1: Revision never stops

The first surprise for me was that revision never stops. You're not done with your book even after it gets published.

If you're wondering what I mean by this, I don't mean that you're allowed to keep making changes to the book after it's gone to print and is in bookstores. That would of course be impossible. But I do mean that as the author, you don't feel like it's done.

What does this look like? Well, for me, it means when I'm doing book events and I'm reading from my new published book, I'm not always reading the words on the page. I am sort of editing them as I go, because there are things that if I were still working on this book, I would be changing.

So as I'm reading them aloud, I'm reading what I would edit it to be if I had the ability to keep revising. So that was kind of a surprise and a funny thing I sometimes share with people.

Surprise #2: You can sell your next book on a proposal

The second surprise is that you can sell your next book on a proposal.

Interestingly, something I didn't know is that when you get your long book contract that lays out the rights that you are selling to the publisher and the money you are going to get in exchange, typically it includes a provision that says your publisher gets the right to make you the first offer on your next book.

And that book is not something you have to write. You can just describe it. You can basically write a proposal for it. And the publisher will be able to say, "Hey, here's how much money we'll give you for this book."

Now, you don't have to take that offer. You can walk away from it. All you're really signing away is the ability for them to give you that first offer before you approach any other publishers.

The cool thing about this, and what I didn't realize, is that I didn't need to write the book before getting the book deal. And in my case, that's what happened.

Typically before you've published a novel, you have to write the entire novel in order to get a book deal. I don't know anyone who's gotten a book deal with an unwritten novel or a novel they've just written a proposal for when it's their first book. But after that first book, my second two novels were sold on a proposal. Meaning my publisher gave me a book deal before I had actually written the novels.

Is this great? Yeah, of course. It's awesome. It's a kind of assurance that your book is going to come out, but interestingly, it's also a different kind of pressure.

I'm not complaining. It was super cool, but I did find it strange to be working on a book that I knew people were going to read. It was a different kind of pressure I had to get used to. I went from thinking, what if no one ever reads this book? when I didn't know if I would get a book deal to people are going to read this, so it better be good, or I'm going to embarrass myself.

Like the pressure just changed in nature, but it was still there.

Surprise #3: You don’t get your book advance all at once

The third surprise for me was that you don't get your book advance all at once.

Okay, so what is an advance? An advance is money that the publisher pays you to buy the rights for your book. And the reason it's called an advance is because it's considered an advance on your royalties, or the part that you earn on your book sales.

But the reason it's cool is because in most book contracts the advance is guaranteed regardless of how well your book sells or doesn't sell. So if you get a big advance and your book flops, you don't have to give that money back just because you wouldn't have earned it in royalties.

As authors we like advance money because it's guaranteed income, as long as we do our job and turn the book in.

Now, the surprise for me was that this standard advance amount, which is specified in your contract, is not paid to you all at once. It's called an advance, but it's actually paid out in three installments. Again, all contracts can theoretically look different, but this is pretty standard across the industry.

These three payments are in equal parts, and you get one third when you sign the book contract, as soon as you get the book deal. You get the second third when you have completely finished working on the draft with your editor and it is good to go. And the final third you get when your book hits shelves, so on your publication day or right around there.

Surprise #4: Other rights can sell at any time

The fourth surprise for me was that other rights can sell at any time. What do I mean by other rights? Well, your standard first book deal will include the right for a publisher to publish your book in a certain territory. Typically the territory where you live, and then a territory beyond that or not.

Mine is in North America, but often that leaves a lot of rights on the table in other countries, for example.

Your book deal contract will also typically not include rights involving things like turning your book into a movie or a miniseries.

So your book deal in your own country isn't the only opportunity to make money on your book. These other rights can often still be handled by your same literary agent by the way, depending on the nature of that relationship. But they will be handled on their own timeline, often after your book comes out.

So don't be surprised if months after your book comes out you get a call from your agent about someone wanting to option your book, to make it into a movie or into a miniseries. Or you get a call from your agent telling you that Sweden is interested in publishing your book.

There are more opportunities out there, they're just on their own timeline.

Surprise #5: Your book is not going to change who you are

The final surprise for me, and just a tip that I wanted to share genuinely from my heart, is that publishing your book is not going to change who you are.

Yes, it's a dream come true. Like I said, it really was for me. But if you don't like yourself before you published a book, the book isn't going to change that.

It's a harsh truth, but I think it's an important one, and I feel like I kind of learned that the hard way. I was putting a lot of stock into my book coming out and really basing self esteem on that.

If you do the work to respect yourself outside of getting a book deal, even though it is this massive achievement that you should be proud of, you'll be glad that you did and you'll enjoy it more when it happens.

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Published Author

So many aspiring authors wonder if they’ve got what it takes, how much they might actually make, and if a first-time author even stands a chance in the publishing world. Here’s a quick rundown of the most common questions I get asked—let’s dive in!

Can anyone become a published author?

In short: Yes! Anyone who has a story to tell and the determination to stick with it can become a published author. It doesn't matter if you’re writing your first novel in your garage, balancing writing with a full-time job, or if you've never taken a writing class.

Publishing is open to anyone with passion, persistence, and a bit of resilience to handle the inevitable rejections and revisions. If you're committed, there's a path for you.

How much do published authors make?

This one is the million-dollar (or maybe thousand-dollar) question. The answer? It depends—wildly. Some authors make big bucks, while others make just enough to cover a celebratory coffee.

Advances can range from a few thousand dollars to six or seven figures, and royalties trickle in only after your advance is "earned out" through book sales. Generally, debut authors might not make a ton from their first book, but that can change with time, experience, and a growing readership.

Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.

Can a first-time author get published?

Absolutely! Many published authors were once in your shoes, wondering if they'd ever make it. It may be a more competitive space, but there are options galore, from traditional publishing routes (like landing an agent and publisher) to self-publishing.

Publishing as a first-time author might require patience and persistence, but it's very much achievable. Keep honing your craft, reach out to agents and editors, and know that every author you admire started from scratch, too!

Want to know how much your book can make?

So I've told you the surprises of becoming a published author and you may be thinking, okay, well, when I become one, how much am I actually going to make on this book? How much could I make on this book?

It's a good question, and it's one I get a lot because there's very little data out there unless you're a publishing industry insider. It's actually kind of a hard answer to find, so I made it my mission to find out.

I compiled data from over 1400 published authors and found average and median book advances based on all kinds of metrics, including genre, whether it was their first book or not, whether they had an agent or not, and who their publisher was.

I've put all of this information into a free workshop which you can watch right now. Click the link below to find out everything you want to know about current book advances and what you can realistically expect to make on your book.

If you're serious about becoming a professional author, this really is a must watch. You won't find this data laid out this way anywhere else. I mean, I'm talking pie charts, graphs, the whole deal in here. So click below and you can watch this totally free workshop right now.

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