One might think so. Consider these few numbers:
- I spent 1,200 hours writing “Feedback, the power of conversations” (DUNOD)
- a book is worth between 20 and 30€ incl. tax, a published author earns between 8 and 9% of the price excluding tax
- the publishers consider that a management book that reaches 1,500 copies is a great success
The gain to be expected with its copyright is therefore around €2,000 to €3,000.
Even if you exceed 10,000 copies – which makes you one of the great authors of the year – you will win just a little more than 15,000€.
In my case, that would make an hourly income between 2 and 15€. Even in my student job I earned more 😁
So why write a book if it's not for the money?
In my case, here are the 3 main reasons:
- I wanted to share the fruits of 20 years of work with those who could help
- I wanted to leave this legacy to my children
- I wanted to continue to develop my business as a speaker
My book came out a month ago, we have already sold over 1,000 copies.
And above all, we received on average 1 conference or masterclass request per day!
And self-publishing will you tell me? In the short term, if you have a good network or a good sales channel, it may be a better investment.
But do not forget that an editor will bring you three great benefits:
- he does a huge job of proofreading (thank you Eglantine Assez!!!)
- it supports you on the marketing and distribution plan (thank you Laurence Bucher, Adeline Coffinier and the whole marketing & sales team!!!)
- he gives you extremely valuable advice at all stages of creation (thank you Delphine Levêque!!!)
And above all, know that in self-publishing, it will be almost impossible for you to have a passage in the national media, essential to gain visibility.
So, after a month, is writing a book and having it published a good investment?
You will surely have understood my position…
