13. What you might not know

What you might not know is that many young German authors do not make their money from books, but from bookstore and event readings, as well as fellowships. The news might come as a surprise to American publishers and booksellers, who struggle mightily just to draw an audience, let alone convince people to pay for such an event.

At a meeting with a trio of German writers in Berlin — which included Thomas Pletzinger (author of the novel Funeral for a Dog), Johann Maas (German translator and editor of Infinite Jest) and Katharina Adler — we were informed that for a typical event, an author might take home between 200 and 500 euros, depending on the size of the venue, be it an event space or a bookstore. / Edward Nawotka, Publishing Perspectives