For a successful book like that, the author's gross earnings should be well into the six-figure range, if not seven figures.
Most published books, however, don't sell more than 5K copies total, so receiving substantial royalties is the exception, not the rule.
How much the author actually earns from book sales depends on so many factors. Royalty rates in book publishing are fairly standard, although there's a little room to negotiate. For a paperback self-help book that retails for $15, the author probably receives about $1 per copy sold, but it could be more or less depending on the particular channel (publisher's website, book clubs, Amazon sales, traditional bookstores, etc). For a $25 hardcover, the author may be getting around $3 per copy. Then there are different royalty rates for audio versions, ebooks, and translations.
I expect to earn at least six-figures from my upcoming book, if for no other reason than the fact that I own a decent long-term marketing outlet for it. The advance I'm getting is big enough to make it tolerable for me even if I don't get any additional royalties though. I'd probably make a lot more money if I self-published, but I think Hay House can do a much better job of getting the book into people's hands that I wouldn't be able to reach on my own.
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