The number of Envato authors earning a living approaches 1500 milestone

The number of digital creatives who earn 100% of their living by consistently selling items on Envato Market is approaching 1500 authors, according to new data released today.

Twice this number of authors are earning a significant portion of a regular wage in their home countries, be that in India, Ukraine, Russia, Vietnam or the United States.  

The number of ‘Power Elite’ authors in Envato’s community – those who have accrued more than $1m total sales during their time on Envato Market – now exceeds triple figures, with 104 authors having passed this milestone since the company first opened for business in 2006.

The news comes as Envato also passed the $600m mark in total payouts to its creative community. This latest milestone arrives less than 12 months since the company reached the $500 million mark, and puts Envato well on track to reach its stated total of $1 billion by 2020.  

The company is also on-track to pass more than 10 million community members in the coming months.

Envato monitors the liveable wage figure as one way to help deliver on its promise to put its community first. The figure is assessed by comparing author earnings to the monthly GNI PPP (Gross National Income-Purchasing Power Parity) of the country they live in.

Chief Commercial Officer Ben Chan said that the company is proud to see that its long-standing commitment to helping the Envato community succeed has been such a success.

“We often talk about being a values-led organisation, one that puts the community first and explores opportunities and strategies that support this mission. That we’ve been able to deliver on this promise to our authors and continue to evolve and innovate is a testament to the entire creative community who work with Envato on a daily basis.”

“There is still plenty more we can do to continue to support our authors in the best way possible, which is why the data we monitor around ‘earning-a-living’ is so important.”

Filip Jaszczuk, a Polish author that sells WordPress themes on Envato’s ThemeForest marketplace, said theme sales have allowed him to earn a living while he completed his education. “…This was exactly the case during my High School and University years. I’ve even managed to buy a flat apartment at the age of 21 – solely from ThemeForest sales. I was truly living a dream as a youngster!”

“It truly felt like some sort of a dream and I still remember my parents being suspicious about the ‘Envato’ thing, thinking of it as of some sort of a scam. That didn’t change until I got my first payment. That very moment changed my and my family’s life.”

Power Elite author Christian Bell said his business Codetipi would not be the same without Envato. “Being an author on Envato has allowed Codetipi to connect with truly interesting and passionate customers from all around the world. I consider the amazing support and encouragement from them to be Codetipi’s greatest success.”

“It’s truly humbling (to have reached Power Elite status). It’s been a thrilling adventure, and one I hope continues for a long time.”