Let’s take a moment to explain how book publishing worked for us. Every now and then we get charming comments like, “Holy cow, your book was a New York Times bestseller! Congrats! You must be rich!!” and it reminds us we haven’t really explained the process beyond a brief mention in a blogiversary video. Since readers have asked for behind-the-scenes details, here’s a clear look at what the book business actually looked like for two first-time authors. Spoiler: we’re pretty frugal — sing that line to the tune of “We’re Sexy and We Know It” if you like.
For most authors the initial payment from a publisher is called an advance. That advance is money paid up front for the work you do before publication: writing the proposal and manuscript, doing photo shoots or projects, and editing. As first-time authors, our advance was modest. Big-name authors can command much larger sums, but our advance, spread across the two years we spent on the book, averaged out to only a few dollars an hour. No yacht, no gold-plated lifestyle—just the privilege of seeing our names in print.
We loved the experience enough that the low pay didn’t matter. If you’re thinking about writing a book, don’t expect immediate riches as a first-timer. Do it for the experience: the thrill of holding your book, seeing it on a friend’s coffee table, and the creative process itself. The money usually comes, if at all, later.
After the advance, authors only receive royalties once the publisher has recouped its costs — meaning the sales must cover the advance plus production, photography, and other expenses. Many first-time authors never earn past their advance, so royalties can be rare or small. When royalties do kick in, they’re typically a modest percentage of the heavily discounted price retailers pay, often amounting to a dollar or two per book for early-career authors. We haven’t reached that point yet, but it’s possible down the line.
Another common misconception is that authors get paid for touring. For us, touring wasn’t a direct paycheck — the publisher covered travel expenses, but the events were about connecting with readers. Meeting people, signing books (including ceramic animals!), and hearing how our work resonated with others made the tour invaluable, regardless of immediate financial gain.
We also made deliberate choices about the publishing deal based on fit, not just money. Some publishers wanted a high-end coffee-table book at a much higher price; we chose a publisher who understood our voice and let us be authentic while keeping the book affordable and approachable. That mattered more to us than a larger advance.
In practical terms, we planned our larger projects the same way we always do: saving over time and using careful budgeting. Our agent told us it’s uncommon for a first-time author to earn more from royalties than from their initial advance, so we set expectations early and treated the advance as the primary financial return.
Ultimately, we did the book for the love of it. Seeing readers share photos of our book, meeting so many of you on tour, and hearing that our words inspired someone are more rewarding than the paycheck alone. We’ll keep being sensible with money, putting pennies aside for future projects, and enjoying the creative ride. No flashy purchases, just plans for projects we actually care about—like decorating Clara’s big-girl room, making up silly family rap names, and enjoying the small, meaningful moments that come with this work.
Update – We get a lot of questions about blogging and how we grew our site into a full-time endeavor. We shared detailed information about how we started a blog, grew our traffic, and turned it into a career for readers who want to learn more.