How much money do you make writing a technical book?

Writing a technical book is a crowning achievement in my life and career, a milestone that fills me with immense pride. It’s an experience so enriching that I’m eagerly diving into it again. I’m passionate about encouraging others to embark on this journey, ensuring they don’t see it as unattainable.

However, when discussing this transformative experience, conversations often shift from dreams and ideals to the more pragmatic realm of finances. A question I frequently encounter is, “How much money will I make doing this?”

In this post, we’ll explore why focusing solely on financial gain might not be the best approach, but we’ll also address this important aspect. Let’s delve into the realities of authoring a technical book, balancing passion with practicality.

This is the wrong question to ask

Let me emphasize: if your primary concern in writing a technical book is how much money you’ll make, you might need to reconsider your mindset. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, writing a book requires immense dedication and perseverance. You won’t see any financial return for many months, and the outcome is highly speculative. It’s akin to asking an entrepreneur the exact profit from starting a business – it’s simply unpredictable, with risks and rewards deeply intertwined.

Moreover, if you’re used to a regular paycheck, particularly as a technical professional, writing a book represents a significant shift. It’s not just about financial gain; it requires intrinsic motivation. This might include a desire to share your knowledge, contribute to your field, or challenge yourself creatively. For technical writers, there’s a substantial opportunity cost in terms of time. Financially, writing may not be the most lucrative option, but its value extends beyond monetary measures. It’s about passion, contribution, and personal growth.

The indirect payments might matter more, anyway

While it’s true that writing a technical book often doesn’t lead to substantial direct earnings, it’s crucial to recognize the indirect benefits that can be far more valuable.

Indeed, the financial rewards from book writing are often not immediate or direct. However, the true ‘gold’ lies in the opportunities that your book can unlock. For instance, authoring a book could be the deciding factor for an organization when choosing you as a keynote speaker at a conference. It can lead to workshops and training sessions that start with one company and can expand to many, all because someone influential read your book and recommended it.

So, it’s more accurate to view your book as an incredibly powerful tool for personal branding. It’s like having an expansive, highly visible business card or billboard. On its own, the book might not seem impactful, but once it falls into the right hands, it can open doors to opportunities that far exceed the book’s initial sales revenue.

Publishing versus self-publishing proceeds

Before delving into the financial specifics of writing a technical book, it’s important to understand the difference in earnings between traditional publishing and self-publishing. My experience is predominantly with traditional publishers, though I’ve also experimented with self-publishing.

With a traditional publisher, authors typically earn about 10 to 15 percent of the book’s sales. To put it in perspective, buying me a beer could financially benefit me more than purchasing a copy of my book—excluding the potential for indirect revenue from increased visibility and opportunities.

Self-publishing, on the other hand, allows you to retain a larger portion of the sales revenue. The exact amount depends on various factors, including whether your book is an ebook or paperback, its pricing, and where it’s sold, with Amazon being a common platform. The royalty rates vary based on these factors, but they are generally higher than what traditional publishers offer.

However, self-publishing means covering costs like cover design, proofreading, and other production expenses out of pocket. You also may not receive the same level of marketing support that a traditional publisher provides. But, if you already have a built-in audience, this might not be a significant drawback.

The complexities and numerous variables involved make it challenging to provide a definitive answer about potential earnings. But for those eager to understand the financial aspect more clearly, let’s continue exploring this topic.

Amazon is the gold standard for overall sales

When trying to estimate potential earnings from writing a technical book, it’s crucial to consider the total book sales, factoring in the royalty rate and any fixed costs. The royalty rate can vary significantly, ranging from about 35% to 85%, depending on whether you choose traditional publishing or self-publishing, along with other variables.

To get a grasp of potential sales, Amazon serves as a key resource, being the de facto book database on the internet. By analyzing data from Amazon, we can gain insights into the sales volume a book might achieve. However, remember that this is only part of the equation. After determining the sales figures, you need to apply the royalty rate to understand your potential earnings. Additionally, deduct any upfront costs you incurred, especially relevant in self-publishing, to get a clearer picture of the net income from your book.

This process is intricate, and there are numerous factors to consider. But by breaking it down step by step, we can get a more realistic estimate of what an author might earn from writing a technical book.

Book rankings

Analyzing Amazon rankings is a strategic way to estimate book sales, even though Amazon doesn’t explicitly disclose the exact sales numbers associated with these rankings. It’s widely understood that book sales on Amazon follow a power curve distribution, where higher-ranking books sell significantly more copies than those with lower rankings.

For a more conservative estimation, author Edward W. Robertson’s formula can be useful: the daily sales of a book can be roughly calculated as 100,000 divided by the book’s Amazon rank. This method provides a straightforward approach to estimating sales based on Amazon rankings.

Additionally, the book sales calculator widget from TCK Publishing offers a more nuanced approach. This tool likely incorporates various factors and algorithms to provide an estimate of book sales, though the specifics of their calculation might be less transparent compared to Robertson’s straightforward formula.

Both methods offer valuable insights, but it’s important to remember that these are estimations. Actual sales can vary based on numerous factors, including the book’s niche, marketing efforts, and the author’s reputation. By combining these tools with an understanding of your specific context, you can arrive at a more informed estimate of potential book sales.

To estimate the total lifetime sales of a technical book, considering its typical lifespan is crucial. Technical books often have a relatively short shelf life due to the rapid evolution of technology, leading to a decent half-life of sales. Typically, you can expect a few years of steady sales before they start to decline.

To apply this method:

1. Identify a Comparable Book’s Rank: Find a book similar to yours in content and market appeal and note its Amazon rank.
2. Convert Rank to Sales: Use the earlier mentioned schematics, such as Edward W. Robertson’s formula or the TCK Publishing calculator, to convert this rank into an estimated daily or monthly sales figure.
3. Extrapolate Sales Over Time: Project these sales over a two-year period. This timeframe can be adjusted based on the specific technical field and how quickly it changes.
4. Account for Expenses: Deduct any upfront costs or continuous expenses you might incur, especially relevant in self-publishing scenarios.

This approach will give you a broad, somewhat speculative range of potential earnings. It’s important to remember that these are rough estimates. Actual sales can be influenced by various factors such as marketing efforts, changes in technology, competition, and the author’s platform. Nonetheless, this method provides a starting point for understanding the potential financial trajectory of writing a technical book.

Number of ratings

Using the total number of ratings or reviews a book has received on Amazon to estimate its lifetime sales is another approach. This method, suggested by author Jeff Schwarting on Quora, involves multiplying the number of reviews by certain factors to approximate total copies sold:

1. High Estimate: Multiply the number of reviews by 600.
2. Mid Estimate: Multiply the number of reviews by 140.
3. Low Estimate: Multiply the number of reviews by 20.

This method provides a range of estimates, from conservative to optimistic. The accuracy of this approach can vary, but based on your experience with your own book falling within the mid-level range, it adds some credibility to this estimation technique.

Once you have these estimates, remember to perform all necessary calculations to arrive at the total revenue figure. This includes backing out your royalty percentage and subtracting any expenses you’ve incurred.

It’s important to acknowledge that these methods result in a wide range of potential numbers. This variability is inherent in the nature of book sales, particularly for technical books with niche audiences and varying degrees of market longevity. Despite the uncertainty, these methods can offer some guidance for authors trying to gauge the potential financial success of their book-writing endeavors.

Taking the questionably compensated steps

Discussing the financial aspects of writing a technical book can sometimes be daunting, potentially deterring aspiring authors. My intention is not to discourage but to present a realistic perspective.

Much like embarking on a business venture or any significant endeavor, the range of outcomes in book writing is broad, and precise predictions are challenging. However, it’s crucial to approach this journey with confidence in your abilities, believing in the value it will bring to you personally. Regardless of the financial outcome, it’s a pursuit of self-improvement and personal growth.

Do you have any further questions about the financial aspects of writing a technical book? Please feel free to share them in the comments. I’m also happy to provide more insights through my technical book coaching program, which you can find linked below.