1.3 A PRINTED BOOK PUBLISHING COSTS
Content Creation
Custom cover design by a professional designer: US $200 – $2,000.
If you were to hire a writer to write your book, he would charge you a minimum of US$ 12,000 – US$ 15,000 for a book of 200 to 300 pages.
Search for a literary agent and a publisher (Optional if you do it).
Employ literary agents to place their books with publishers and to handle negotiations with them, the author being charged a commission of 10 percent.
Book Editing
Professional editing service( proofreading, copy editing, etc.): US $500 – $3,000.
Interior Design/Layout
Book interior formatting and typesetting: US $300 – $2,500.
ISBN
International Standard Book Number (for distribution): US $125 – $300.
Printing Costs
Book printing cost vary depending on the amount of books, the trim size, page count, type of paper and other addtional options. Cost pr copy: US $3 – $10 per book (bulk printing).
Proof Copies
Physical proof copy of the book to check before final printing: US $30 – $100 per proof.
Publishing Fees
Fees if using a self-publishing platform: US $0 – $500+ (depending on the service).
Marketing and Promotion
Marketing materials (book trailers, ads, etc.): US $200 – $5,000+.
Distribution
Costs for distribution (shipping, warehouse fees, etc,): Varies, but often 10%-50% of book price.
Royalties
A typical royalty agreement wording is as follows: “On all copies of the said work sold on the normal terms a royalty of ten percent shall be paid on the published price rising to twelve percent after the sale of 5,000 copies and to fifteen percent after 10,000 copies.”
Assuming an approximated total cost of US$ 5,000, then you need to self publish 555 books sold at US$ 15 / Book.
In traditional publishing, to earn US $ 5,000 you need to sell 4,546 books sold at US$ 15 /Book. BIBLIOGRAPHY