Self Publishing
The short answer: Self-publishing's closest pay benchmark is employee pay: according to the BLS, employed editors earned a median $77,920 a year in May 2025. Self-publisher Dale L. Roberts says low-content Amazon KDP books no longer earn easy passive income in a flooded market. (BLS OEWS; Dale L. Roberts) Self-publishing suits people willing to market, since Dale says success now needs strong metadata, ads and reviews. (Dale L. Roberts)
| Reported earnings | $0–$7/hr 2 reports by 2 creators, Aug 2026–Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median pay of employed editors | $37.46/hr ($77,920/yr) BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employee pay, not side-hustle income |
| Projected job growth, editors | -1.1% BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| One creator's reported startup cost | $2,000 Reported by Side Hustle Hero, Apr 2026 |
From 6 quotes by 6 creators and BLS data. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: all the self publishing evidence
How much do self-publishers make?
For self-publishing, the nearest official data are employee wages: according to the BLS, employed editors earned a median $37.46 an hour in May 2025. One guest on Side Hustle Nation said, "I could have made more money if I was working at a fast food restaurant," a rate of $0–$7 an hour. (BLS OEWS; Side Hustle Nation)
| Related occupation | Median pay | Middle 80% |
|---|---|---|
| Editors | $37.46/hr ($77,920/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $41,250–$153,700/yr |
Median annual pay of employed editors: $77,920 nationally; highest and lowest states below (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Highest-paying states | Median | Lowest-paying states | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101,480/yr | Nebraska | $46,320/yr |
| California | $98,030/yr | Texas | $45,950/yr |
| Connecticut | $85,950/yr | Puerto Rico | $39,640/yr |
What do people doing self publishing say?
“I could have made more money if I was working at a fast food restaurant.”
“I think it's safe to say in one book you invest a $2,000 before it exists.”
“You pay 20 bucks a month for software, use that software to research trends”
“But if you're still publishing blank books or random activity books and hoping Amazon does all the work, you're in for a rude awakening.”
What does it cost to start self-publishing?
Self-publishing low-content books can carry software fees: Chris Koerner, host of The Koerner Office Podcast, says you pay $20 a month for software to research trends. Chris suggests publishing many funny-titled journals to find a winner before spending on Amazon ads. (Chris Koerner)
- Research long-tail keywords where demand outruns competition. (Chris Koerner)
- Check that competitors sit under 100,000 bestseller rank and mine their negative reviews for gaps. (Dale L. Roberts)
- Export a print-ready PDF for Amazon KDP. (Alicia Rafiei)
- Spend on Amazon ads only once a title proves a winner. (Chris Koerner)
How fast do self-published books start earning?
Chris Koerner says a first self-published book is mostly for learning. Amazon KDP now caps low-content uploads at two per format per week, according to Dale. (Chris Koerner; Dale L. Roberts)
An interview with author Amy Suto on The Creative Penn praises "being able to write on my own schedule and to set my own publish dates." (The Creative Penn)
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track says how long the first payout takes or how many hours it needs yet.
Who is self-publishing a good fit for?
Self-publishing can be one income stream among several: Amy pairs self-published book royalties with memoir ghostwriting, editing and a paid Substack newsletter. Skip low-content publishing if you want Amazon to do the selling, since Dale warns that hoping Amazon does all the work leads to "a rude awakening." (The Creative Penn; Dale L. Roberts)
Is self-publishing worth it?
Pros
- Alicia Rafiei repackages the same puzzles from her KDP book into separate Etsy printable listings under different titles. (Alicia Rafiei)
- Dale suggests low-content companions to fiction or non-fiction books. (Dale L. Roberts)
- Amy serialises fiction on Substack to build fans and pre-orders. (The Creative Penn)
Cons
- Dale says the low-content market is flooded and Amazon's algorithms are smarter. (Dale L. Roberts)
- Dale worries audiobooks added to Kindle Unlimited, renamed Kindle Plus, will dilute the per-page payout. (Dale L. Roberts)
- Dale criticises ACX's royalty terms and royalty-share lock-in.
What are the risks of self-publishing?
Self-publishing an ebook wide while it is enrolled in KDP Select can get the account shut down, Dale warns. Chris says oversaturated niches, skipped research and generic designs cause low-content books to fail. (Dale L. Roberts; Chris Koerner)
What are the alternatives to self publishing?
- Content Creator as a side hustle: Often covered together (2 shared videos).
- Online Marketplaces as a side hustle: Often covered together (3 shared videos).
- Brand Deals & UGC as a side hustle: Also in digital products and content.
- Music and Audio as a side hustle: Also in digital products and content.
Sources and method
Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the all the self publishing evidence.
- Dale L. Roberts (Self-Publishing with Dale), YouTube, 26 Oct 2026.
- Side Hustle Nation, YouTube, 3 Sep 2026.
- The Side Hustle Show, podcast, 27 Aug 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 8 Nov 2025.
- Alicia Rafiei, YouTube, 17 Sep 2026.
- The Creative Penn, YouTube, 21 Oct 2026.
- Dale L. Roberts (Self-Publishing with Dale), YouTube, 24 Oct 2026.
- Side Hustle Hero, podcast, 7 Apr 2026.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
Other data behind this page (5)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demand trend | stable | Accepted | BLS Employment Projections |
| Schedule control | own schedule | Accepted | The Creative Penn |
| Hourly earnings | $0–$7/hr | One report | The Side Hustle Show |
| Common pitfalls | publishing low-content books without marketing or ads and hoping Amazon brings buyers | One report | Dale L. Roberts |
| Common pitfalls | publishing an ebook wide while it is enrolled in KDP Select, which can get the account shut down | One report | Dale L. Roberts |