Jul

24

Can you become a Millionaire by writing a book?

Filed Under Books & Authors 

Hans


I’m currently writing my first novel and I was wondering if you can become a Millionaire from just one book. I understand that it’s hard to publish and sell books. How can you get your book to make you a Millionaire?

Comments

10 Responses to “Can you become a Millionaire by writing a book?”

  1. :) on July 25th, 2011 9:49 am

    Just need good imagination.

    If you are a creative person, than you have chance that people enjoy your book

  2. Sairuh McMealenne on July 28th, 2011 3:23 pm

    If it’s the #1 Best seller worldwide and then a movie is created based on it and makes gagillions. Look at Twilight. Stephanie Meyer’s laughing all the way to the bank.

  3. sbmwx on July 30th, 2011 4:22 am

    write a bestseller

  4. Namita Nair on August 1st, 2011 11:43 pm

    heard of stephanie meyer’s twilight saga or j.k. rowling’s harry potter. or someone’s lord of the rings? if they can they it, then why can’t you. but, it must be the best, and as one said, can someone please make a movie on it? like eat, pray love??

  5. Shedd on August 5th, 2011 5:48 am

    look up J.K. Rowling (Author of the Harry Potter books)

    Her story is AMAZING. She had an abusive husband who she eventually left. After she left him she fell into a deep clinical depression. Then having no money, her and her daughter (5 years old at the time?) were living in poverty. Then one day on a train she got this idea and started to write “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosepher’s) Stone.” She is now a billionare. Watch this interview she had with Oprah, it’s an amazing story. I’ll post a link.

  6. Gemi on August 8th, 2011 2:24 pm

    Yes it’s possible but is it probable? Not likely. It all depends on word of mouth and your publisher’s willingness to publicize it. Your personal character will come into play as well. If you’re introverted and unlikely or unwilling to have interviews or cater to your potential fan base via social networking sites like Facebook, your publisher may not give your book the publicity it deserves. I know for a fact that an author’s personality does come into play because its a business. You need the face to go with the book. Though, don’t get me wrong, you can make money without getting too involved in that aspect of the business.

    Here’s some advice mate. Don’t write if you’re doing it for money because you will more than likely be sorely disappointed. When people write to make money, they come up with the typical, cliched, Bollywood stories more often than not, and publishers just don’t want this. Plus, if you’re writing for the money, you will end up sabotaging a potentially good work in order to please your expected reader demographic.

    Mostly though, people who write to make money often end up copying the styles of those famous authors we know today..or copying their ideas. And EVERY editor will see this a mile off and none of them want another copy cat in the business. There are 1 million too many.

    Most authors have to work their way up, write several novels to gain recognition, and they have all get rejected over and over and over again, especially when they’re unknown authors, because publishers don’t like to invest in a new talent unless they struck a gold mine with that story or author…unless that author is unique.

    The truth is, if you aren’t writing for a meaningful reason then your work will suffer. If you have an emotional connection to the story, if you have a message to tell, if you have a personal gripe you’re working out via your characters, if you are emotionally invested in your work and are writing for a legitimate reason, then your work will stand out over the millions of other manuscripts that land themselves on the editors desk.

    Truth me told…editors glance at the first sentence or two or even just the title before they decide whether or not to throw your manuscript in the trash or not. They read about 3% of the manuscripts they receive.

    So my advice is never to go into the writing business to make money because you will end up being disappointed more than likely.

    You make money by writing a blockbuster hit. Look at all the hit novels in the market. Ask yourself why they were hits and you’ll have your answer.

  7. PhilosophersStone on August 10th, 2011 2:47 pm

    The best answer is yes, but it would be unwise to count on writing for sustenance. If you do it as a hobby, or even avocationally, you may eventually produce a product that will enflame the public’s mind and, consequently, make you some money; keep in mind, though, that the chances of this are infinitesimal, and there are a great number of very talented people who have written for a good while with no pecuniary compensation.

    If you want a blueprint for making millions writing books, I suppose the stories of Stephenie Meyer and JK Rowling would be the best to research.

  8. baxterville on August 11th, 2011 3:47 am

    Your odds of becoming a millionaire with a single book are very, very low. Unknown authors’ books are usually printed in fairly small numbers and additional printings are ordered if the initial runs sell well. But for you to become a millionaire with the release of your first book, that book would have to become an international bestseller for an extended period of time.

    Most writers whose books consistently top the bestseller list didn’t earn fortunes with their earlier efforts. In most cases, it takes time for authors to find their audiences and build loyal fan bases. Obviously, having an Oprah Winfrey endorsement can do wonders for an author’s career, but a typical author is starting out without any name recognition and publishers don’t have the budgets to launch huge campaigns for unknown writers. A New York Times review is also considered a career maker (or breaker, depending on the nature of the review), but that’s becoming less the case as readership declines and critics tend to focus on established authors. Frankly, luck is as important as the quality/content of a book when it comes to financial success.

  9. Kirsten on August 12th, 2011 9:18 am

    It makes me sad for humanity when people can think of Stephanie Meyer off the top of their head, but have to say “someone’s Lord of the Rings”

  10. Danny on August 14th, 2011 7:48 pm

    Me and you both brother