... anyone who can write and publish a book every couple years ought to be able to live a comfortable middle class life.

It's worse for academic publishing. We pretty much get nothing. My third book is coming out and I'll get paid a flat $800 which is more than I'd ever see in royalties anyway.

That, of course, assumes such books can find their way to the surface of the sludge of 2,000,000 new titles published each year!

Anyone ought to be able to life a comfortable life, regardless of their accumulated knowledge, skills, and talents. We, as a species, have the resources to make this happen.

I've written dozens of books for multiple publishers over the years (with more on the way), some of which have sold very well, but if it weren't for my ghostwriting work (especially for businesses), I'd very much be in financial trouble.

It'd be nice, but... I have over 20 books in print, through two different publishers and a handful that are self-pubbed, excellent reviews on Amazon (not as many as I'd like, but still), and have yet to make more than $500/year. The system is set up to make it damn near impossible to succeed.

Thirty books out, just got contracted for one more. Still making less than minimum and working two other jobs besides.

People keep telling me they hope my book makes me rich. I keep telling them I hope my book lets me pay off my car. I don't owe much on the car.

People still need to want to read your book and buy it. And just because you can write a book doesn’t mean that it’s good. I have gone through so many query letters and 50-first pages

I'd go along with "anyone who can write and publish a GOOD book." But there is a metric trainload of crap out there that I wouldn't care to see subsidized. (Any more than it already is; e.g., the overflowing sewage of rightwing agitprop.)

except JKR, she can drown in piss