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"You don't write a book for money," my mentor told me when I got my first and only inquiry from a publisher.
This was news to me. Books seem like so much work. Why would authors go through all that for free?
Business owners and professional speakers will say it's because of what the book enables: new clients, speaking opportunities, product sales and the higher fees you can command for all of the above, once you are an author.
But lately, I've been hearing a different story. That maybe there is some money in books.
I wanted to find out how we should be thinking about books and revenue so I reached out to a few authors and book experts to learn what the real moneymaking potential was for books as an indie author. The answer to Are books a revenue stream? needs a lot more context than yes or no so let's get into the conditions when books become a real revenue stream.
"Publishers will not do all the things you think they will, and they’ll take a big chunk of your book sales."
—Vicky Quinn Fraser
Self-publishing might give you more opportunities to make money
The big drawback with the traditional publishing route is that your publisher takes a bigger cut of your profits, and for not much benefit, if you're an unknown author.
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