Self-publishing expanded sharply in the United States from 2008 through 2018, while later surveys show an author business increasingly shaped by direct sales, licensing, and digital tools. The figures below cover different measurement periods and sources, so they should be read as distinct snapshots rather than one continuous series.
Contents
- How self-publishing is counted
- Title output from 2008 to 2018
- Which platforms produced the most titles
- The role of KDP and digital distribution
- Author income in recent surveys
- Direct sales, AI, and author sentiment
- Licensing and the scale of an author business
How self-publishing is counted
Bowker’s definition is narrower than the everyday meaning of “indie author.” Bowker defines self-publishers as authors who purchase 1–10 ISBNs and create 1–99 new titles per year. Its title counts therefore describe ISBN-registered output within that definition, not every book made available through every publishing route.
The historical Bowker totals cited here combine print and ebooks. They also use separate reports for different periods. The 2008–2013 report lists 458,564 self-published titles in 2013, while the 2013–2018 report lists 461,438 for that same year. Because the two reports differ, the overlapping 2013 figures should not be treated as a single reconciled number. Both are retained as source-specific historical measurements.
Title output from 2008 to 2018
Bowker’s 2008–2013 series shows a substantial rise in registered self-publishing output: 85,468 titles in 2008, 111,359 in 2009, 152,871 in 2010, 246,912 in 2011, 393,421 in 2012, and 458,564 in 2013. The report describes an increase of 373,096 titles from 2008 to 2013, or 436.53%.
The later Bowker series records 461,438 titles in 2013, 602,396 in 2014, 731,449 in 2015, 805,831 in 2016, 1,192,345 in 2017, and 1,677,781 in 2018. In that series, the increase from 2013 to 2018 was 1,216,343 titles, equivalent to 263.60%. The 2017–2018 increase alone was 485,436 titles, or 40.71%.
| Measurement period | Bowker self-published titles | Reported change in the cited series |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 85,468 | — |
| 2010 | 152,871 | — |
| 2012 | 393,421 | — |
| 2013, 2008–2013 report | 458,564 | +373,096 from 2008 |
| 2013, 2013–2018 report | 461,438 | — |
| 2016 | 805,831 | — |
| 2017 | 1,192,345 | — |
| 2018 | 1,677,781 | +485,436 from 2017 |
The 2013–2018 report’s totals show that growth was not evenly distributed across providers. CreateSpace/Independently Published produced 1,416,384 titles in 2018. Its output increased by 487,089 titles from 2017 to 2018, a 52.41% year-over-year increase, and by 1,228,538 titles from 2013 to 2018, a 654.01% increase.
Which platforms produced the most titles
The 2018 provider figures place CreateSpace/Independently Published far above the other named providers in the supplied Bowker report. Smashwords produced 71,969 titles, Lulu Press produced 67,477, and Blurb, Inc. produced 19,098. Xlibris produced 8,474 titles, while AuthorHouse produced 6,585.
Several smaller providers had notable differences between their recent and longer-term movement. WestBow Press produced 3,568 titles in 2018, down 389 from 2017, but still 2.65% above its 2013 level. Christian Faith Publishing produced 3,142 titles and added 1,242 from 2017 to 2018; it was not present in the 2013 comparison, so a 2013–2018 growth rate is not available.
BookBaby produced 2,839 titles in 2018, adding 488 from 2017 and rising 13.11% from 2013. Balboa Press produced 2,657, added 1,141 year over year, and grew 60.84% from 2013. Independent Publisher (Bar Code Graphics) produced 2,632 titles and added 171 from 2017. iUniverse produced 2,456 and added 175.
| Provider or category | 2018 titles | Reported 2017–2018 movement | Longer comparison supplied |
|---|---|---|---|
| CreateSpace/Independently Published | 1,416,384 | +487,089; +52.41% | +654.01% from 2013 |
| Smashwords | 71,969 | −2,321; −3.12% | — |
| Lulu Press | 67,477 | +79; +0.12% | — |
| Blurb, Inc. | 19,098 | −1,558 | +571.99% from 2013 |
| Xlibris | 8,474 | −576 | −39.43% from 2013 |
| AuthorHouse | 6,585 | +489 | −44.36% from 2013 |
| Small publishers category | 58,902 | +4.44% | +26.25% from 2013 |
Smashwords fell by 2,321 titles from 2017 to 2018, or 3.12%. Lulu Press changed by 79 titles, corresponding to 0.12% growth. Blurb declined by 1,558 titles in 2018 but still stood 571.99% above its 2013 level. Xlibris declined by 576 titles and was 39.43% below its 2013 level. AuthorHouse added 489 titles year over year but was 44.36% below its 2013 level.
Bowker’s small publishers category produced 58,902 titles in 2018. That category grew 4.44% from 2017 to 2018 and 26.25% from 2013 to 2018. These category figures are separate from the named-provider counts and should not be added to them without a definition of overlap.
The earlier Bowker report gives additional provider history for 2013. CreateSpace produced 186,926 titles, up 55,466 from 2012, or 42.19%. Its increase from 2008 to 2013 was 175,428 titles, or 1,525.73%. Smashwords produced 85,500 titles in 2013, down 4,752 from 2012, or 5.27%. Lulu produced 74,787, up 17,256 from 2012, or 29.99%.
The role of KDP and digital distribution
Amazon’s KDP 15-year article says KDP has made books available in over a dozen marketplaces and 175 countries. It says KDP authors can earn up to 70% royalties while retaining rights to their work. “Up to” is important: the figure is a stated maximum, not a typical author payout or a guaranteed rate for every book and market.
The same Amazon source reports that the KDP Select Global Fund grew from $500,000 at launch to more than $45 million per month. It also says KDP Select has provided more than $2.2 billion in royalties to participating authors. These are cumulative or program-level figures, not median earnings for an individual author.
Amazon further reported that Kindle Vella authors had earned more than $10 million as of October 2022. That date matters because the figure describes earnings accumulated by that point, not an annual rate or a current total.
Author income in recent surveys
The Authors Guild’s 2023 Author Income Survey found that full-time self-published authors had a median book income of $12,800. Their median total author-related income was $15,000. The two measures are different: total author-related income includes more than book income, while the book-income measure is narrower.
Among full-time self-published authors who had been publishing since at least 2018, the survey reported median income of $24,000 in 2022. The survey described that as a 76% increase versus 2018. This is a subgroup comparison, so it should not be read as the income of all self-published authors.
ALLi’s 2025 Indie Author Income Survey reported a median self-published author income of $13,500 and said that median income was growing 6% year over year. The ALLi and Authors Guild figures come from different surveys, populations, and reporting periods; comparing them directly does not establish a trend between the two medians.
Income is also associated with business activity in the ALLi facts. The percentage of authors with a licensing deal rose from 20% among authors under $50,000 in revenue to 30% at $50,000 in revenue. It reached 46% at $100,000 in revenue and 90% at $500,000 in revenue. These are reported rates at revenue levels, not evidence that licensing alone caused higher revenue.
Direct sales, AI, and author sentiment
ALLi reported that 30% of authors were selling direct, while a further 30% planned to sell direct in 2026. The two percentages describe current activity and stated future plans, respectively. They should not be combined into a claim that 60% will sell direct.
The same ALLi source found that 93% of indie authors described themselves as somewhat or extremely positive about self-publishing. It also reported that self-published women earn approximately 41% more than men and that LGBTQIA+ indie authors out-earn straight counterparts by approximately 20%. Both comparisons are approximate survey findings, not universal earnings rules.
AI is another reported part of the author workflow. Up to 45% of authors were using AI for marketing and research, and about 70% of authors using AI reported a positive business impact. The first figure is an upper-bound phrasing, while the second applies only to authors who use AI; neither measures the effect of AI on writing quality or long-term income.
ALLi also reported that more than 15,000 US indie authors had been given entry to libraries through the Indie Author Project. This is a cumulative access figure, not the number of library sales or the number of authors earning income from libraries.
Licensing and the scale of an author business
The ALLi facts provide a view beyond the individual book. Authors spending at least 50% of their time writing had written an average of 14 books. That average describes a time-allocation group and does not mean every full-time or self-published author has 14 books.
Licensing rates increased across the revenue bands reported by ALLi: 20% below $50,000, 30% at $50,000, 46% at $100,000, and 90% at $500,000. The pattern indicates that licensing was more common at higher reported revenue levels in that survey. It does not supply the value of licensing contracts, the number of deals per author, or a forecast for future earnings.
Taken together, the statistics show several distinct dimensions of self-publishing. Bowker’s historical ISBN series measures title output and platform concentration. Amazon’s figures describe distribution reach, royalty ceilings, and program-level payments. The Authors Guild and ALLi surveys describe author income, sentiment, direct-sales plans, AI use, library access, and licensing. Because their definitions and dates differ, each source is most useful when interpreted within its own measurement frame.