How much do authors make

elemenoP · 03-01-2011, 08:02 AM

How much does an author make per ebook sale:

- under the agency model
- before the agency model
- self-publishing through Amazon
- self-publishing through Smashwords

?

Anybody know?

Thanks,
eP

mr ploppy · 03-01-2011, 09:06 AM

With vanity publishing you get 25% net on ebook sales, which works out about 17% of sale price. With the larger vanity publishers you would get an advance before it was published, and wouldn't get any further income until you had earned enough to cover that advance.

With self publishing through Amazon you get either 30% of list price or 70% of sale price, depending on what list price you set it at. Smashwords I think it's about 60% of sale price but I haven't looked for a few months.

jbcohen · 03-01-2011, 09:10 AM

How about the agency model?

mr ploppy · 03-01-2011, 10:19 AM

Same percentage, agency pricing just sets the sale price. The higher the sale price the more you would make. Most vanity published ebooks are about $10, so you would make $1.70 per sale. Most self published ebooks are about $3 so you would make $2.10 per sale. When vanity published ebooks drop to $3 (which they almost certainly will sooner or later) you would make about $0.50 per sale.

jbcohen · 03-01-2011, 10:51 AM

What is vanity pricing?

mr ploppy · 03-01-2011, 11:29 AM

Vanity publishing? It's when people give away 80% of their income so that they can brag about having an ebook published by a "real" publisher.

elemenoP · 03-01-2011, 01:27 PM

That's an interesting way to look at vanity publishing. Before ebooks and before Amazon, there were vanity publishers who would publish your book (any book) if you pay them. So if traditional publishers rejected your book, you could get it published yourself. You front the money. Nowadays there are other ways of getting your book "out there."

What I was trying to ask originally: how does agency pricing affect "the big guys?" Let's say Dan Brown, for example (Random House author). How much was he making per ebook yesterday, and has that changed today with the new prices and new model? And how does it compare to how much he makes per hardcover or paperback?

eP

mr ploppy · 03-01-2011, 02:03 PM

If the price of the ebook goes up his income per sale will go up but the percentage stays the same. Income for paper/hardbacks varies, anywhere from 10-20% of net. But you won't get anything until you have earned out your advance.

BrentKnowles · 03-03-2011, 01:42 PM

It depends on the base price and varies.

Smashwords I get about 60-80 cents I think for each 0.99 story I sell but it depends on how many titles the buyer buys at one time as there's a transaction fee... the more titles bought that fees gets split apart.

I only get 0.35 from Amazon for each title I think.

James_Wilde · 03-07-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

How much does an author make per ebook sale:

I think the important thing to remember, LMNOP, is that authors without a publisher don't do it for money, only for love.

jbcohen · 03-07-2011, 03:15 PM

I gather a "real publisher" includes any of the Agency publishers.

Worldwalker · 03-08-2011, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I gather a "real publisher" includes any of the Agency publishers.

The usual definition of a real publisher is based on how the money flows and who the publisher's actual customer is.

For the vanity publisher, their customer is the author: their advertising is geared to attracting authors, their products are those needed by authors, and most important of all, the overwhelming majority of their money is paid to them by authors. For the real publisher, their customer is the book buyer (either retailer or end-user, depending). Their advertising focuses on selling books, their products are their books, not their "author services", and they pay authors, rather than authors paying them.

Basically, if they accept your book because they can make money selling your book, it's traditional; if they accept your book because they can make money printing your book, whether or not it sells, it's vanity. In fact, that's one single question (aside from the "who pays whom?" already mentioned) that can distinguish the two: Will they lose money if your book tanks? For traditional publishers the answer is a resounding "yes", and for vanity publishers (despite what they claim about the "added value" of their services) the answer is an equally resounding "no".

John Carroll · 03-08-2011, 10:06 AM

I don't know about the rest, but for Smashwords -

@$4.99 = $3.87 if no affiliate or coupon.
@$4.99 = $3.01 sold through Apple

@$2.99 = $2.12 if no affiliate or coupon.

I don't have a lot of other data yet. Once I sell millions, I'll be able to give you more details.

03-01-2011, 08:02 AM	#1
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	How much do authors make How much does an author make per ebook sale: - under the agency model - before the agency model - self-publishing through Amazon - self-publishing through Smashwords ? Anybody know? Thanks, eP

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03-01-2011, 09:06 AM	#2
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	With vanity publishing you get 25% net on ebook sales, which works out about 17% of sale price. With the larger vanity publishers you would get an advance before it was published, and wouldn't get any further income until you had earned enough to cover that advance. With self publishing through Amazon you get either 30% of list price or 70% of sale price, depending on what list price you set it at. Smashwords I think it's about 60% of sale price but I haven't looked for a few months.

03-01-2011, 09:10 AM	#3
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	How about the agency model?

03-01-2011, 10:19 AM	#4
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Same percentage, agency pricing just sets the sale price. The higher the sale price the more you would make. Most vanity published ebooks are about $10, so you would make $1.70 per sale. Most self published ebooks are about $3 so you would make $2.10 per sale. When vanity published ebooks drop to $3 (which they almost certainly will sooner or later) you would make about $0.50 per sale.

03-01-2011, 10:51 AM	#5
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	What is vanity pricing?

03-01-2011, 11:29 AM	#6
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Vanity publishing? It's when people give away 80% of their income so that they can brag about having an ebook published by a "real" publisher.

03-01-2011, 01:27 PM	#7
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	That's an interesting way to look at vanity publishing. Before ebooks and before Amazon, there were vanity publishers who would publish your book (any book) if you pay them. So if traditional publishers rejected your book, you could get it published yourself. You front the money. Nowadays there are other ways of getting your book "out there." What I was trying to ask originally: how does agency pricing affect "the big guys?" Let's say Dan Brown, for example (Random House author). How much was he making per ebook yesterday, and has that changed today with the new prices and new model? And how does it compare to how much he makes per hardcover or paperback? eP

03-01-2011, 02:03 PM	#8
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	If the price of the ebook goes up his income per sale will go up but the percentage stays the same. Income for paper/hardbacks varies, anywhere from 10-20% of net. But you won't get anything until you have earned out your advance.

03-03-2011, 01:42 PM	#9
BrentKnowles Author Posts: 38 Karma: 540064 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Edmonton Canada Device: iPad	It depends on the base price and varies. Smashwords I get about 60-80 cents I think for each 0.99 story I sell but it depends on how many titles the buyer buys at one time as there's a transaction fee... the more titles bought that fees gets split apart. I only get 0.35 from Amazon for each title I think.

03-07-2011, 03:15 PM	#11
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	I gather a "real publisher" includes any of the Agency publishers.

03-08-2011, 10:06 AM	#13
John Carroll kookoo Posts: 1,461 Karma: 7772454 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Colorado Springs Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook, LG4	I don't know about the rest, but for Smashwords - @$4.99 = $3.87 if no affiliate or coupon. @$4.99 = $3.01 sold through Apple @$2.99 = $2.12 if no affiliate or coupon. I don't have a lot of other data yet. Once I sell millions, I'll be able to give you more details.

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