How to Make Money Writing Novels — and How Much You Can Actually Earn 215

Writing novels can indeed make money, but it's an industry where "survivor bias" is extremely severe. Only a very small number of top-tier figures earn big money; for the vast majority of people, it's more like a marathon that requires immense passion and perseverance to keep going. This article won't paint rosy pictures, only reality—how much money you can actually make writing novels, and how ordinary people can make a living from it.

To improve efficiency, you need to know some AI novel writing tools, such as WaWa Writing.

📊 The Truth About How Much You Can Earn

The income of online novel authors follows a typical pyramid structure, with most people earning far less than outsiders imagine.

Bottom tier: Over 85%, with monthly income below 3,000 yuan. Many newcomers earn less from a year's worth of royalties than a phone costs. For example, some authors update 10,000 words daily, but with only 100 subscribers, their monthly income is just 600 yuan.

Middle tier: About 10%, with monthly income between 10,000 and 100,000 yuan—these are "mid-tier authors" who can barely sustain a stable living. To reach this level, a work's average subscription usually needs to exceed 5,000.

Top tier: Less than 0.1%, with annual income reaching millions or even tens of millions, mainly relying on IP adaptations. For example, some top online novel authors earn over 2.5 million yuan a year, paying 200,000 yuan just in back taxes; Jinjiang even has works where a single title's full copyright earnings exceed 100 million yuan.

💰 How to Make Money

There are now many income channels for writing novels:

• Full-attendance bonus: A new writer's first stable "salary." Usually requires updating 4,000+ words daily, earning 600-1,500 yuan per month in rewards.

• Subscription/ad revenue sharing:

  Paid reading platforms: e.g., Qidian, where income comes from reader paid subscriptions. For example, with an average of 500 subscriptions, monthly income is about 1,500 yuan.

  Free reading platforms: e.g., Fanqie, where income comes from ad revenue sharing, with authors receiving 55% of ad earnings.

  Copyright derivatives: IP adaptation—this is the key factor that widens income gaps, including short dramas, film/TV, audiobooks, anime, etc.

• Short drama adaptation: Currently the hottest trend. A hit short drama can bring authors over 150,000 yuan in revenue sharing. Platform rewards for the original work behind a hit short drama can reach up to 3 million yuan per title.

• Audiobooks/comics: Audiobook adaptation fees can reach 50-200 yuan per thousand words, with comic script revenue sharing reaching 10%.

• Film/TV/other: This is the territory of top authors—for example, on Zhihu Salt Stories, some authors earn over 300,000 yuan in copyright sharing in a single quarter.

🏠 Where to Make Money

To make money, you need to write on novel platforms:

• Fanqie Novel: Features high traffic and a low signing threshold, suitable for newcomers. Income mainly comes from ad sharing and full-attendance bonuses. But competition is extremely fierce—about 98% of authors cannot support themselves from it. Top authors can earn 100,000-600,000+ yuan per month.

• Qidian Chinese Network: The established dominant force in paid reading, with the highest IP value. Income mainly comes from subscription sharing. But signing is difficult—90% of signed authors earn less than 5,000 yuan per month. Only about 270 people nationwide earn over a million yuan annually.

• Zhihu Salt Stories: The top platform for short stories, with strong copyright operation capabilities. Income explosive potential is strong—some authors earn over 300,000 yuan in copyright revenue in a single quarter.

For more novel writing platforms, see this article: 2026 Novel Writing Platform Recommendations: Comparison of 5 Major Websites—Which Platform Is Most Profitable for Beginners?

✍️ Advice for Beginners Who Want to Make Money

1. Face reality and adjust your mindset: the average income from a new writer's first book is less than 5,000 yuan. Writing is a long-distance run—persisting through 5 or more titles can improve your chances of success to over 50%.

2. Get signed first, then talk about income: signing is the prerequisite for getting full-attendance bonuses and other basic guarantees.

3. Maintain stable updates: 4,000-6,000 words daily is the baseline for earning full-attendance bonuses.

4. Finish your book: in 2026, the completion rate for new books is only 9.2%. Finishing a book is itself a victory.

5. Pay attention to the market, but don't follow blindly: short dramas are the current trend, but good content is the foundation.

6. Treat writing as a craft: don't count on "becoming famous overnight"—treat it as a craft that takes 3-5 years to master.