Why 99% of books never make a profit
It’s a difficult truth that many readers overlook: around 99% of books never turn a profit, and most don’t even break even. Despite the romanticised image of a solitary author crafting bestsellers in a quiet attic, the reality is far tougher. For the vast majority of writers, publishing a book isn’t a route to wealth it’s a labour of love, often funded entirely out of their own pocket. Over the years, in an effort to be seen, many authors have resorted to giving their books away for free. But that tactic has backfired. It’s created a culture where readers expect stories to be free or drastically discounted a mindset that’s harming authors, and ultimately, you, the readers, by threatening the future of the stories you enjoy.
The hidden costs of publishing a book
To understand why so few books make money, we need to break down the actual costs of producing one. Writing the manuscript is only the beginning. Once the final chapter is written, authors face a string of necessary expenses before a book is ready for release.
Editing is the first and arguably most crucial stage. A professional editor will help shape the manuscript, catch plot holes, fix pacing issues, and refine language. A thorough developmental edit, followed by line editing and proofreading, can easily cost upwards of £1,000 to £2,500 depending on the book’s length and the editor’s experience.
Next comes the book cover design. In an industry where people really do judge a book by its cover, a well-designed, genre-appropriate cover is essential. A professionally designed cover can range from £250 to over £800. Go cheap or DIY, and the book risks looking unprofessional — a fast track to poor sales.
Authors if they’re not tech savvy may also need to pay for formatting, both for ebook and print. Formatting might seem minor, but poor spacing, odd fonts, or unreadable margins can destroy a reader’s experience. Expect to pay £100–£300 or more for this.
Then there's ISBNs, distribution fees, marketing and promotion, and sometimes website costs, ARC preparation, or newsletter services. Altogether, it’s not unusual for indie authors to spend between £2,000 and £5,000 just to get one book into the hands of readers and that’s before a single copy is sold.
Many of the above can be done cheaper if the author is savvy. New tools can assist with editing and formatting, ISBNs are optional and you can avoid website costs etc by utilising sites like Substack. There are ways to cut costs but the norm is that making a book often costs far more than it makes it sales.
The myth of easy profit
Many people assume authors make a large cut of every sale. But on platforms like Amazon, an author might earn between 35% to 70% of a book’s price. On a £3.99 ebook, that might be £1.50–£2.80 per sale. To break even on a modest £2,500 investment, an author would need to sell over 900 copies. For print books, the margins are even tighter often under £1 per sale after production costs and pricing.
Now consider this: the average self-published book sells fewer than 250 copies in its lifetime. That’s not just unprofitable it’s a massive loss. And yet, many authors keep writing, driven by a love of storytelling, and perhaps by the delusion that one day they’ll make it big.
Why free books aren’t harmless
Thanks to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited and other subscription services readers have come to expect books to be free or nearly free. With Kindle deals, free promotions, subscription services, and piracy sites offering instant downloads, the perceived value of books has dropped dramatically. This harms authors, but also undermines the ecosystem that allows good books to exist in the first place.
When readers download free books without considering the cost, they reinforce the idea that stories should be given away for nothing. But books aren’t created for free — and when authors can’t afford to keep producing them, they eventually stop. Even talented writers burn out when their work yields little return, and their passion is met with silence — or worse, piracy.
This isn’t just about money. It’s about time, energy, and sacrifice. Many authors spend years writing and polishing their novels, only to see them downloaded for free without thanks, feedback, or recognition. In the long run, this pushes quality storytellers out of the field. And when that happens, readers lose out too.
Investing in authors means investing in stories
Readers have power. Every book bought at full price is a vote of confidence. It tells the author that their work matters. That someone is willing to invest in their imagination, their time, and their effort. And it helps ensure that author can write the next book, and the next, and the next.
Not everyone can afford to buy every book they want and that’s fine. Libraries exist for a reason, and many authors are thrilled to have their books borrowed through official channels that pay them royalties. But choosing to pirate or only download free content while dismissing paid work as "too expensive" is a disservice not just to authors, but to the literary world as a whole.
The future of books depends on you the readers
If we want a future rich with unique, diverse, and powerful stories, we need to recognise the value of the people creating them. Supporting authors — especially indie authors — isn’t about charity. It’s about investing in stories that haven’t been squeezed through corporate filters. It’s about ensuring new voices continue to emerge. It’s about respect.
So next time you finish a free book you enjoyed, consider leaving a review, recommending it to a friend, or even buying the next one. Better yet, purchase a copy if you can. It might seem like a small gesture, but to the person who wrote it, it could mean the difference between giving up and writing the next great story.
Books aren’t born for free. And if we truly value the stories that entertain us, we need to value the people who create them better.
