Every year, we ask indie authors about their experiences with writing, publishing, and marketing. We’ve been running this survey since 2016, and it’s one of my favorite projects of the year.
- For 2025, we had 1,346 responses from authors around the world.
- 96% of respondents are already published
- 4% are not yet published but actively working toward it
The survey skews toward serious, prolific indie authors (that’s our audience!), and all data is self-reported, especially income. As always: Correlation ≠ causation. When we say “high earners tend to…,” we’re not saying “if you do this one thing, you’ll get rich.” We’re describing patterns, not guarantees.
This year’s survey covered everything from income and catalog size to email lists, direct sales, KU vs wide, and author sentiment.
Grab a coffee (or your favorite writing snack) and let’s dig in. ☕️
Table of Contents
1) How Are Authors Published in 2025?
2) Motivation & Goals
3) Income Breakdown: How Much Are Authors Earning Each Month?
4) Genres
5) Catalog Size
6) Formats
7) Revenue Channels & KU
8) Direct Sales
9) Cover Design
10) Editing
11) Marketing
12) Email Marketing
13) Sentiment & Community
1) How Are Authors Published in 2025?
The indie author community continues to thrive, with 77% of respondents identifying as self-published, while 17% described themselves as hybrid authors, Only 5% of authors remain fully in the traditionally published camp.
Indie publishing is no longer anyone’s “Plan B.” It’s a primary, intentional path that serious authors choose because it lets them:
- Control rights, pricing, and packaging
- Move faster than traditional cycles
- Experiment with series, direct sales, and special editions
Read the full article: https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/2025-indie-author-survey-results-insights-into-self-publishing-for-authors/
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