Sale of the book without the participation of the publishing house

If JK Rowling were starting her career as a writer today, she wouldn’t have to wait for the approval of a publishing company. Instead, she could use commercial self-publishing and sell her novels on her own. If you prefer to avoid working with traditional publishers, there is a book sale without a publisher.

Classic publishing and bookselling

The path to traditional book publishing usually looks like this:

  1. The author creates a novel. Often contains 10-15 author pages or approximately 400-600 thousand characters of text.
  2. First, the author sends the manuscript file to the publisher’s email address listed on their website. It then waits for a response within two weeks to two months. If the manuscript is of interest to the editors, of course, the author receives a response.
  3. If the publishing house shows interest, a contract is concluded with the author on the transfer of rights to publish the book. Of course, including the rights to print and electronic editions.
  4. The editor suggests editing and the author makes the necessary corrections. This may require several rounds of editing.
  5. After about six months, the book may appear on the bookshelves. However, in most cases, the publishing house does not actively promote and advertise the book, limiting itself, perhaps, to an announcement on social networks.

In addition, there is an alternative method. It allows authors to independently control the process of publishing and selling their works. After all, the book is sold without a publisher.

Different sources of income and transparency of fees

There is no single and clearly established amount that all authors receive. The same transfer agreement can lead to different earnings. For example, one author will be paid a million, while another may only receive a thousand.

The main income of the authors begins to come after the publication of the book and is calculated on the basis of the royalty system. For each sold copy of the book, the author receives a percentage of the selling price set by the publisher. Therefore, novice authors are often offered 5-8% of the selling price. With the accumulation of experience and successful sales, this percentage can increase. Famous authors can negotiate more favorable terms.

The selling price is the price at which the publishing house sells books from its inventory. However, it differs from the price at which books are sold in stores. The selling price depends on various factors. For example, such as publishing markup, circulation volume, materials used, and other variables. For example, if the book is sold in stores for 500 hryvnias, and the selling price is 200 hryvnias, the author will receive a percentage of the last amount.

Let’s consider an example. Let’s say you’ve written a short fantasy novel and plan to print 3,000 copies. With a sale price of 150 hryvnias and a royalty of 5%, your income will be 22,500 hryvnias.

Sale of books without a publishing house by the authors

Writers can earn money from their works. However, bypassing traditional publishing houses and retaining full rights to their creative works. One of the ways to achieve this goal is to sell e-books. These are files available for reading in mobile applications or special programs on personal computers.

Some platforms also allow you to sell audiobooks. The author can independently record an audio version of his work. However, it is possible to invite a professional announcer for this purpose. Other services operate on the principle of “stamps on demand”. This allows customers to order paper copies of the book. However, the main way of earning without the participation of publishing houses is related to the sale of e-books.

The author himself determines the price of his work, but platforms often charge a fee for using their infrastructure. Of course, it is important for authors who sell their books independently to be aware of their tax obligations and pay income tax. However, a professional deduction of 20% of the tax base is available.

There are two types of licenses that determine what rights are transferred by the author:

  • Exclusive license: the author undertakes to sell the book exclusively on this platform.
  • Non-exclusive license: the author allows the book to be sold on the platform, while retaining the right to enter into contracts with other organizations. In this case, the platform fee may be higher.

Sites for selling books without a publishing house

Selling a book without a publisher is possible on various platforms. Of course, they offer a variety of ways to generate income:

  • Donation to the author. The author publishes his works for free and provides information to readers about his bank account. It is to him that they can transfer voluntary donations of any amount.
  • Subscription and draft payment. The author publishes the book as it is created, and readers pay for access to each chapter. Access is closed after completion of work. There are two options for interaction. First, the author receives payment after the work is completed or in advance. Secondly, if the author does not fulfill his obligations, the platform returns the money to the readers.
  • Sale of books. The author uploads the book file and sets the price. The reader first pays for access to the file, and the author gets paid after deducting the platform commission.
  • Crowdfunding. Fundraising for a book that may not yet be written or in the early stages of development. This allows the author to measure interest in his future work and attract funding for its creation.

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