Inspired by Annabel Smith who shares how writers earn money for greater transparency and so that we don't feel like failures, I am going to share my writing income this year.
First of all, this is the highest writing income I have earnt since writing and not counting the years that I was successful is securing grants.
Secondly, I have a day job and work full time as a teacher so I do not rely on my writing income to survive.
Thirdly, even though I work full time I'm kind on impressed with myself this year and all the plates I have been spinning so I'm just giving myself a pat on the back.
First of all, this is the highest writing income I have earnt since writing and not counting the years that I was successful is securing grants.
Secondly, I have a day job and work full time as a teacher so I do not rely on my writing income to survive.
Thirdly, even though I work full time I'm kind on impressed with myself this year and all the plates I have been spinning so I'm just giving myself a pat on the back.
The breakdown
Freelance writing
Having articles published has been on my bucket list for so long and I finally feel like I found my voice. I have had seven articles published this financial year in The Guardian $290 an article, SBS Voices $300, AEU Magazine 90 cents per word.
I also have to acknowledge some amazing authors who mentored and supported me in breaking out. Angela Savage for helping guide me in my first published piece in SBS Voices and Alice Pung for recommending me as a writer to SBS Voices. As writers we only succeed through the handholds that are provided by those who come before us. And of course editors of these publications who helped guide me and supported my writing, Saman Shahad at SBS Voices and Josephine Tovey at The Guardian.
Mentoring
I provide mentoring to writers on grant writing and have been a sensitivity reader. I have received work through Writers Victoria and through networks so I set the rates based on the work involved.
Public Speaking
This year I had a lot of public speaking engagements booked, however most of those have been cancelled. As a result I had only two events. One before Corona and one online which was always online so it could go ahead.
Royalties
My memoir Things Nobody Knows But Me was published without an advance so I received royalties six months after publication. I also receive royalties for the anthology I co-edited Growing up Muslim in Australia which was also published as Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in Australia. This book has been published for seven years and has been a good source of income as each year new Growing Up anthologies are released and they are grouped together. It is also used in schools.
Workshops
I have been delivering workshops on memoir writing, creative writing and grant writing over the years through Writers Victoria and other organisation. This year I was booked to deliver Memoir writing workshops through Writers Victoria for six months with a monthly digital clinic where I provided feedback to participants, $35 per participant and $35 administration a session, and three webinars for $300 each.
This was quite a satisfying process as I had the opportunity to work with the same writers for six months and I loved the opportunity to mentor emerging writers and see their growth on a month to month basis.
ELR/PLR
ELR-Educational Lending Rights-books that are in school libraries. Most of this income has been for my debut novel The Good Daughter and Growing up Muslim in Australia.
PLR-Public Lending Rights-books that are public libraries.
Wrapping up
I'm unsure whether next year will lead to the same income as I have had quite a prolific year with my writing. I'm copying and pasting Annabel Smith's sign of and also including links to my articles.
Your Turn
WRITERS: I believe we all benefit from more transparency in this area. If we know what a ‘normal’ income looks like, we are much less likely to feel that we are failing. It also empowers us to ask to be paid fair rates. So if you feel like sharing your EOFY stats you’d be doing a community service. I hope to hear from you in the comments.
Links to my articles (most 2019/2020 however am including two from last financial year which are not included in this income breakdown)
I hated remote teaching during the Covid-19 lockdown. It should never replace the classroom, The Guardian, 08.06.20
I'm a Teacher and Remote Teaching Makes Me Feel Like a Failure, SBS Voices, 01.05.20
Starting over-finding the true measure of success to avoid burnout, AEU Magazine, 01.04.20
How my mother's Bi Polar disorder affected me, SBS Voices, 13.03.20
Saying Goodbye to My mother After her unexpected death, SBS Voices, 03.02.20
Searching for a message from my mother after she died. SBS Voices, 12.12.19
My high school counsellor transformed my life forever, SBS, 27.11.19
Growing up Under the Shadow of my mother's bi polar, SBS Voices, 14.06.19
Allies in Creative Writing, Southerly, 24.05.19
The life-changing impact of seeing yourself in fiction: Representation for Muslims, Bronzeville Bee, 23.05.19
Having articles published has been on my bucket list for so long and I finally feel like I found my voice. I have had seven articles published this financial year in The Guardian $290 an article, SBS Voices $300, AEU Magazine 90 cents per word.
I also have to acknowledge some amazing authors who mentored and supported me in breaking out. Angela Savage for helping guide me in my first published piece in SBS Voices and Alice Pung for recommending me as a writer to SBS Voices. As writers we only succeed through the handholds that are provided by those who come before us. And of course editors of these publications who helped guide me and supported my writing, Saman Shahad at SBS Voices and Josephine Tovey at The Guardian.
Mentoring
I provide mentoring to writers on grant writing and have been a sensitivity reader. I have received work through Writers Victoria and through networks so I set the rates based on the work involved.
Public Speaking
This year I had a lot of public speaking engagements booked, however most of those have been cancelled. As a result I had only two events. One before Corona and one online which was always online so it could go ahead.
Royalties
My memoir Things Nobody Knows But Me was published without an advance so I received royalties six months after publication. I also receive royalties for the anthology I co-edited Growing up Muslim in Australia which was also published as Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in Australia. This book has been published for seven years and has been a good source of income as each year new Growing Up anthologies are released and they are grouped together. It is also used in schools.
Workshops
I have been delivering workshops on memoir writing, creative writing and grant writing over the years through Writers Victoria and other organisation. This year I was booked to deliver Memoir writing workshops through Writers Victoria for six months with a monthly digital clinic where I provided feedback to participants, $35 per participant and $35 administration a session, and three webinars for $300 each.
This was quite a satisfying process as I had the opportunity to work with the same writers for six months and I loved the opportunity to mentor emerging writers and see their growth on a month to month basis.
ELR/PLR
ELR-Educational Lending Rights-books that are in school libraries. Most of this income has been for my debut novel The Good Daughter and Growing up Muslim in Australia.
PLR-Public Lending Rights-books that are public libraries.
Wrapping up
I'm unsure whether next year will lead to the same income as I have had quite a prolific year with my writing. I'm copying and pasting Annabel Smith's sign of and also including links to my articles.
Your Turn
WRITERS: I believe we all benefit from more transparency in this area. If we know what a ‘normal’ income looks like, we are much less likely to feel that we are failing. It also empowers us to ask to be paid fair rates. So if you feel like sharing your EOFY stats you’d be doing a community service. I hope to hear from you in the comments.
Links to my articles (most 2019/2020 however am including two from last financial year which are not included in this income breakdown)
I hated remote teaching during the Covid-19 lockdown. It should never replace the classroom, The Guardian, 08.06.20
I'm a Teacher and Remote Teaching Makes Me Feel Like a Failure, SBS Voices, 01.05.20
Starting over-finding the true measure of success to avoid burnout, AEU Magazine, 01.04.20
How my mother's Bi Polar disorder affected me, SBS Voices, 13.03.20
Saying Goodbye to My mother After her unexpected death, SBS Voices, 03.02.20
Searching for a message from my mother after she died. SBS Voices, 12.12.19
My high school counsellor transformed my life forever, SBS, 27.11.19
Growing up Under the Shadow of my mother's bi polar, SBS Voices, 14.06.19
Allies in Creative Writing, Southerly, 24.05.19
The life-changing impact of seeing yourself in fiction: Representation for Muslims, Bronzeville Bee, 23.05.19
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