average author royalties
Since an advance is based on anticipated royalties, an author doesnât receive any royalty payments until the royalties reach the amount of the advance. As a result, experienced authors say the advance payments are often the biggest checks they receive, and in some cases, the only checks. The typical royalty an author receives, according to the Wall Street Journal, is 15 percent of the retail price for a hardcover, and 25 percent for an e-book. But the prices for e-books are less than half the retail price for a hardcover, reducing the cash payment to the author.