I've had one of those days when everything was just pinging! Things were happening! Good things! I got booked to speak at a writers' conference, a show on Amazon Fire TV/ROKU, and three podcasts. The schedule is filling up and it feels so good to have something to look forward to. (And I've got a few others still pending.)
Now that writing is a full-time gig, I have to make this work. This is now my income where before it was fun money. According to a report from the Authors Guild, the median income for all writers in 2023 was about $6,080, with full-time writers averaging around $20,300.
(Note: Poverty level in the United States in 2025 is $37,650.) Author incomes can vary based on how many books the author has published and other marketable skillsets they can leverage.
Top earning authors in 2023 included: James Patterson ($80M), JK Rowling ($60M), Jeff Kinney ($20-25M), Stephen King ($20M), Danielle Steele ($15-20M) and fellow Arkansas Author John Grisham ($14M).
More books increase the potential income, and I've hit that point where I should start to see the benefits of having a seven-book series (soon to be eight)! But an author has to work it, and with our move and selling a house, and trying to get settled, I was doing the writing, but the marketing and the public appearances had waned to bare minimum. Well, that changed today, because I know what it means to be hungry. And I'm hungry to sell some books! Who doesn't like having groceries, am I right?
I never got into writing to get rich. It's always been about telling a great story that readers can't find anywhere else. I was always the "odd kid" at school because I liked Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and aliens, even at an early age. I write books to show those kids that they are not alone. They can turn their fascination into the unknown into something special, just like I did.
I don't try to compete with other authors because that's not the point. (I hope we're all successful!) I'm just putting in the work so I can put out a product that people love, and in the meantime, be a positive and uplifting voice on social medial because the world needs more of that.
And if I can get out and talk at writer's conferences to encourage other writers to succeed, then I'll do that too. If I can go to paranormal conferences and help someone feel like they're not quite alone in the world, then I'll do that too. (If I find Aliens, Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, well that's just the icing on the cake.)
It's well after midnight. I'm rambling. I haven't worked on my book at all today - errr yesterday - but there's always tomorrow - errr today. (I've been retooling my website since 10:00pm. I'm a bit punchy.) The point is, Author Betsey Kulakowski is open for business - Arkansas Style!
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Don't forget to check out the UFB Podcast at www.ufbpodcast.com! Season 2 is underway! New episodes air on the 11th & 27th of each month! If you have an unfreakingbelievable story, reach out at ufbpodcast@gmail.com. We want to hear your story, too.
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