Masterclass
How Publishing Money Really Works
15:00 - 16:00 EDT • Mar. 9th, 2026
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📚 Overview
Money in publishing is rarely talked about openly. With so many myths floating around, it can be hard to know how advances are paid, when royalties show up, and what those timelines actually mean for your income.
In this Monday Masterclass, Noah Charney breaks down how publishing money actually works. You’ll learn what factors determine when authors are paid, how money flows at a publishing house, and why earnings often unfold over longer timelines than many expect.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, this session will help you make sense of what a writing income looks like in the real world — and how to plan for it with confidence.
Schedule
15:00 - 16:00 EDT
From Advances to Royalties: How Publishing Money Really Works
In this hour-long masterclass, you will learn:
- What goes into your advance — and when you actually get paid
- How royalties build up and when they land in your account
- How money works differently for fiction and nonfiction authors
- Strategies for building a sustainable writing income
Following the presentation, there will be a live Q&A where you can ask Noah about the ins and outs of money in publishing.
Speakers
Noah Charney
Reedsy Professor of Writing
Dr Noah Charney is the best-selling author of more than 30 of his own books, including a Pulitzer finalist. His latest book is The 12-Hour Author: Everything You Need to Know to Get Published and Become a Successful Writer (Bloomsbury). A professor of art history, he teaches online for the Smithsonian, the National Gallery (UK), and Yale. Noah has ghostwritten and edited books for Reedsy clients, and is Professor of Writing at Reedsy Learning.
