A Haven for Independant Authors

 

LET’S HAVE A LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL SIDE

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Access to and use of the Amazon KDP interface is completely free. Amazon earns its profits from your book sales — the missing 40% and 30% from your royalties.

Another important point: there’s no need for any upfront capital for printing your paperback books. The POD (Print On Demand) system completely eliminates the need for book inventory. Here’s how it works: an individual (or institution/library) orders one book (or ten) on Amazon. It is immediately printed by a local printer partnered with Amazon and shipped directly to the buyer. From order to delivery, it takes about a week. POD is active in 12 countries, mainly in Europe, the UK, North America, Australia, etc. As for e-book versions (Kindle), since they’re not limited by physical printing, they are distributed worldwide.

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Moreover, as an author, you have the freedom to order printed copies at cost price. To revisit the earlier example: if your book sells for €16, it will only cost you €5.50 per unit. You can then offer a 30% margin to a distributor or bookstore and still earn €5 per book — roughly equivalent to your royalties.

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It’s likely that the future of publishing will become increasingly independent of traditional publishing houses. This is simply an evolutionary shift — as irreversible as the automobile freeing itself from an entire industry and culture based on horses.

In truth, it’s a long-term inevitability, whether we like it or not. Amazon is leading the way, others will follow.

(cont.)