Book deals and advances : a primer

If you’ve ever wondered what an author makes when he/she sells a book, here’s a quick breakdown, courtesy of Publisher’s Lunch:

“nice deal” $1 – $49,000
“very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000
“good deal” $100,000 – $250,000
“significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000
“major deal” $500,000 and up

Most authors are in the ‘nice’ and ‘very nice’ categories. ‘Major deals’ are typically reserved for best-selling authors and the occasional media figure or so-called celebrity.