When someone decides to adventure into the publishing world, there are so many things to take into consideration before taking the leap. An author can take the option of self-publishing its work, or look out for a renowned publisher, however, if the author chooses the latter, there are, usually, two scenarios. Firstly, the idea is presented to the publisher – it can be accepted or not, but if it is, then it’s necessary to invest in the book. Secondly, the publisher learns about your project, gets interested, and offers you a deal, financed by them.
An author, at the beginning of his career, can go through a rough path until finding a crowd, or even the right one. It is challenging and long lasting, not only that, but most publishers won’t help in the little details that are very important to show people your work. Trust me, it’s really a hurdle. In reality, most of the time it’s difficult to make it as an author, living exclusively out of books, and even though for some it might just be a hobby, for others, it’s a true passion. Now, this is the perspective of the writer, but for someone who works in a publisher, the scenario is different. Today, we are exploring more about the profit publishers have from this, and how much they earn. Let’s find out more!
Common Publishers’ Profits
The editorial world is huge, it never stops and there’s always excitement in it. Every day, new authors appear, new stories are told and masterpieces are made. Also every day, a new book is brought to life, a contract is made, and is presented to the world.
First and foremost, this is a field that requires a lot of investment, be it creative or monetary. Now, even if the author is new and doesn’t sell that much, the publisher will still have profit from it, so there’s no real chance to fail for them. A purchase was already made and a value secured. Going for the traditional path, a publisher will earn most of the book’s value, for example, if a book cost $20, the author will typically earn around $1 and a few cents – this shows how many books an author needs to sell to make some profit, where the publisher will always earn more.
It’s normal for an author to purchase his books, when needed, through the publisher, because most of the time he will only pay half of the original price, something that to the publisher is very cheap to print. However, the publishers still have profit from their author. Another situation where the company earns more, is in the exact moment the contract is signed – depending on the terms accepted, the price will differ, but most times the author has to purchase X number of books for a specific price, which ends up being an important and big investment that can take so much time to get back, due to the low percentage authors makes per book. Profit will always exist, but it’s easier to count it on the publisher’s side.
Publishers’ Earnings
When an author writes a book and publishes it, it’s not entirely about how much money they will make, but about showing the world their story, just like any other artist. However, a publisher can do it for the passion of the books and their job, but it’s also about making a life out of it. From a company to another, this can change, but according to a survey made in 2010 by Publisher Weekly, the average annual salary of a publisher would be around $130.000, nonetheless, remember that this information can change drastically according to the popularity and size of the company, as well as the authors they represent.
Writing a Final Thought
There are a lot of pros and cons when it comes to choosing the way you want to publish your book, and it’s common knowledge how hard and competitive this area can be. One of the worst things is making a living out of it, and this is not only for writers but for different artists, in different areas, as it can take years to get recognition for their work, but thankfully sometimes their talent speaks louder and it reaches the right crowd.
However, for publishers, the story is different, and they take care of a different part of the process – a more profitable one, without a doubt, but also an essential one. For the writer out there, don’t give up on it, there are a lot of opportunities and you can always self-publish, but if you have perseverance, you might just find the most suitable one for you. Thank you so much for the time taken, and I will see you next time!