Keep in mind, this is a wide cross-section, from the beginning indies to the ones who are making a solid living. The questions we were looking to answer with this survey were:
1) Are audiobooks worth doing?
2) Are print books worth doing?
3) Which distributor gives you the most sales?
4) Can you make a living as an indie?
My takeaway was yes to all and -- no surprise here -- Amazon.
As far as making a living, once your sales get in the 4-figure monthly range, it does seem possible to live on your income.
Although your mileage may vary. :-D
| Rank | Author Name | Total e-book sales (worldwide) for the month | Total e-book borrows for the month | Total audiobook sales for the month | Total Print Sales for the month | Which distributor do you make the most money with? | Are you making enough to live off your income as an Indie Author or do you need a day job? |
| 1 | D.A. & M.P. Wearmouth | 28,843 | 0 | 0 | 145 | Amazon | Yes, but I'm opting to keep my day job |
| 2 | Jennifer Blake | 26,900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 3 | Tamelia Tumlin | 23,100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 4 | Jay Allan | 19,680 | 0 | 621 | 345 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 5 | SM Reine | 18,000 | 0 | 24 | 18 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 6 | Christina Skye | 17,800 | 55 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 7 | Russell Blake | 14,900 | 15 | 162 | 90 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 8 | Lindy Corbin | 9,750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 9 | Emily Kimelman | 4,480 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 10 | Loretta Giacoletto | 4,020 | 3 | 0 | 43 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
| 11 | Denise Domning | 4,000 | 72 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 12 | Marti Talbott | 3,712 | 0 | 0 | 34 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 13 | Lynette Vinet | 3,350 | 38 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 14 | Liz Schulte | 2,526 | 0 | 0 | 12 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 15 | Phoenix Sullivan | 1,800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
| 16 | Kevin hardman | 1,800 | 0 | 0 | 30 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 17 | V. J. Chambers | 1,500 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 18 | Heather Wardell | 1,296 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 19 | E.B. Brown | 1,215 | 0 | 58 | 81 | Amazon | Yes, but I'm opting to keep my day job |
| 20 | Christiana Miller | 1,122 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 21 | Vivi Anna | 1,025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | Yes, and I'm loving the freedom |
| 22 | Elle Dawson | 875 | 11 | 0 | 8 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 23 | Barbara Bartholomew | 668 | 51 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
| 24 | Calandra Hunter | 502 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 25 | Sabena Stone | 307 | 8 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
| 26 | Trent Evans | 241 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 27 | Bella Roccaforte | 94 | 0 | 0 | 34 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
| 28 | Ellie Wolf | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
| 29 | Catherine Lea | 46 | 105 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 30 | Cora Buhlert | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 31 | Gayle Ramage | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 32 | Robert Elisberg | 29 | 3 | 0 | 3 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 33 | Karen Kincy | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 34 | Rocky Grede | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
| 35 | William Van Winkle | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 36 | Stephen Drivick | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 37 | Monique Sorgen | 9 | 2 | 0 | 6 | Amazon | |
| 38 | Tim Arnot | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Amazon | No, I still need a day job |
| 39 | Ryan Sullivan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Amazon | No, but I have other income so I don't need a day job |
And now, for the very top selling indies in September 2013, here's how the ranking broke down. To get to this level, most of these indies will be selling book quantities in the six-figure range for the month. Unfortunately, since it's taken from the DBW lists of bestselling authors who have books for sale on multiple distribution sites, all of the Amazon Select authors are excluded.
| Top-Selling Indie Authors for September 2013 | |||
| Date: | Week ending Sept. 29, 2013 | ||
| Rank | Name | Book Title | Price |
| 1 | Jen McLaughlin | Out of Line | 0.99 |
| 2 | Kirsten Proby | Safe With Me | 3.99 |
| Date: | Week ending Sept. 22, 2013 | ||
| Rank | Name | Book Title | Price |
| 1 | Jen McLaughlin | Out of Line | 0.99 |
| 2 | Skye Jordan | Reckless (Renegades, Book 1) | 2.99 |
| Date: | Week ending Sept. 15, 2013 | ||
| Rank | Name | Book Title | Price |
| 1 | Elisabeth Naughton; Alexandra Ivy; Cynthia Eden; Laura Wright; Katie Reus; Joan Swan | Wicked Firsts | $0.99 |
| 2 | Darcie Chan | Mill River Recluse | $0.99 |
| 3 | Barbara Freethy | All She Ever Wanted | $0.99 |
| 4 | Jen McLaughlin | Out of Line | $0.99 |
| Date: | Week ending Sept. 8, 2013 | ||
| Rank | Name | Book Title | Price |
| 1 | Rachel Van Dyken | Ruin | $0.99 |
| 2 | Elisabeth Naughton; Alexandra Ivy; Cynthia Eden; Laura Wright; Katie Reus; Joan Swan | Wicked Firsts | $0.99 |
| Date: | Week ending Sept. 1, 2013 | ||
| Rank | Name | Book Title | Price |
| 1 | Rachel Van Dyken | Ruin | $0.99 |
| 2 | Elisabeth Naughton; Alexandra Ivy; Cynthia Eden; Laura Wright; Katie Reus; Joan Swan | Wicked Firsts | $0.99 |
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