thread: 2009-10-27 : Book Publishing - Some Startling Numbers
On 2009-10-28, jenskot wrote:
My guess is that the D&D 4E???s player handbook sells about 40-60 copies a day.
Which doesn???t count the D&D 4E Core Rulebook Gift Box Set which includes the players handbook and sells slightly better than the player handbook. And D&D sells way more than just the players handbook. Although the PHB is their best selling product. The for example DMG sells less than the PHB.
Of course sales do not equal profit. A book???s authors split around $1 per book minus 10% agent fees only after the publisher has recouped all their expenses (editing, sales, distribution, book placement, publicity, advances, production) and the authors are usually left to handle marketing on their own.
A lot of your success will depend on placement in bookstores. Which is often based on pre-orders, reviews, celebrity endorsement like Oprah, previous success, bookstore relationships, offering to pay bookstores a downside guarantee up front, and paying extra for featured spaces.
If your book sales are low enough not to be a best seller, high enough to warrant the attention of a publisher, and you have a close connection to an existing community or audience, self publishing can be very attractive. Especially if your publisher won???t get you placed in major bookstores.
If you are a best seller, self publishing side complimentary products could be a fantastic opportunity. Especially if you can take advantage of the attention gained from being sold through mainstream distribution.
