A new survey of Australian authors finds that while author incomes have (very slightly) grown, they remain perilously low – which makes it hard to find time to write.

Most byline authors are also men, particularly when it comes to prolific areas of the media such as sport, which has 82 per cent male authors and a measly 18 per cent women.

Australian author, Amanda Hampson, found success with similar older female sleuths, Hazel, Betty and Irene, in her 2023 book, The Tea Ladies, which spent 12 consecutive weeks in the Australian ...

ShutterstockMost Australian book authors do not earn enough income from their creative practice to make ends meet. They rely on other jobs and other support, such as a partner’s income. In the ...