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Publishing for Profit: Successful Bottom-Line Management for Book Publishers
Publishing is a rapidly changing business, and this readable and comprehensive reference is right in step, covering operations, financial, and personnel management as well as product development, production, and marketing. Whereas competing books deal with publishing theory or focus on the self-publisher with a single title, Publishing for Profit is written for the practicing professional, whether just starting out or looking to learn some new tricks of the trade. This revised and expanded edition contains updated industry statistics and benchmark figures, as well as new chapters on the state of returns in the industry and ways to mitigate them, and features a chapter on electronic publishing, including e-books and print-on-demand. Highly practical, it provides forms and sample contracts as well as up-to-the-minute advice.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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279 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
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December 10, 2024totally recommend reading with all of your friends and then discussing it every monday from 6:00pm to 9:45 pm
April 11, 2022
Pretty easy to read schoolbook. Great introduction into publishing concepts.
November 19, 2017
Very good. Quite informative.
June 4, 2018
Chock-full of awesome info.
June 26, 2009
Wow, I have read other publishing books and this one is not only simple read...but has sample of contracts that no other publishing books have displayed. I have seen the copyright page, but also ISBN, contract analysis, etc. Good book if you are thinking of self publishing or becoming an independent entity. I will have to put this on my shelf in near future.
I will have to take notes.
I will have to take notes.
May 13, 2019
I make my living working in supply chain and logistics. Businesses can live or die by the supply chain, and it seems to me that books are no different. While the basics of supply chain still apply there are added layers of complexity in the book industry due to technological changes as well as the whole structure of publishing, manufacturing, distributing and selling books in a market dominated my major publishers and sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
If you are looking at self publishing or starting an independent publishing company, you're really going to want to get your hands on this book. Chances are you probably know SOMETHING about writing a book or putting one together, but there are a lot of elements to this business that if not addressed correctly, will quickly cripple your company.
While the author makes no bones about the complexity and difficulty of getting into the publishing business, he does provide you with a ray of hope that a small/independent publisher can survive if it moves and operates intelligently.
The author gives a fantastic breakdown on the inner working of the book industry and then goes on to provide tips, tricks, and the pitfall of running a new publishing company. The added bonus being that all the tips, tricks, and pitfalls could apply to a publishing company large or small.
Great book. I learned so much that it seems like ESSENTIAL reading for someone trying to get into publishing.
If you are looking at self publishing or starting an independent publishing company, you're really going to want to get your hands on this book. Chances are you probably know SOMETHING about writing a book or putting one together, but there are a lot of elements to this business that if not addressed correctly, will quickly cripple your company.
While the author makes no bones about the complexity and difficulty of getting into the publishing business, he does provide you with a ray of hope that a small/independent publisher can survive if it moves and operates intelligently.
The author gives a fantastic breakdown on the inner working of the book industry and then goes on to provide tips, tricks, and the pitfall of running a new publishing company. The added bonus being that all the tips, tricks, and pitfalls could apply to a publishing company large or small.
Great book. I learned so much that it seems like ESSENTIAL reading for someone trying to get into publishing.
June 22, 2025
I think if I was rating this, I’d give it a 3/3.5. *Maybe* a 4. I had to read it for my Publishing Financials class. I actually didn’t hate it too bad, this book or the class. I had been worried about it being dry or too over my head, but it wasn’t too bad. This book did get dry at times, but that’s because it’s not really a subject I’m interested in at all. Especially when I was sitting and trying to take notes, it could take forever to get through and digest. But that’s because I was trying to learn for my exams and such. Overall, it wasn’t terribly bad or uninteresting though. And I do think it gave a lot of information and charts and such. It is a helpful book if you want to get a handle on this kind of thing.
July 17, 2021
I originally bought this book for some publishing courses I was taking, by the end of the course I decided I should give the full book a read through. To try and get the most out of it. I do not work in publishing yet, but it does give some advice that could be used in general and I also found it helped solidify what I had learned through my courses. I have a feeling this will be a book that I return to in the future, for specific information or as a start for finding information on specific things. There is a lot in there and not all of it sticks the first time round, but the chapters are easily navigated which will be great for retrieving information in the future.
February 10, 2019
Este título se centra en la parte más numérica y contable de la edición de libros: cómo se contratan derechos, cómo se calculan los costes y cómo se pone precio a los libros, entre otros temas.
Especialmente dirigido a editores, este libro es fundamental para quienes están creando o piensan crear una editorial.
La colección en la que se encuentra este libro del Fondo de Cultura Económica es Libros sobre libros y todos los títulos abordan temas relacionados con cómo se hacen los libros, el sector editorial, la producción editoriales y temas aledaños.
Especialmente dirigido a editores, este libro es fundamental para quienes están creando o piensan crear una editorial.
La colección en la que se encuentra este libro del Fondo de Cultura Económica es Libros sobre libros y todos los títulos abordan temas relacionados con cómo se hacen los libros, el sector editorial, la producción editoriales y temas aledaños.
January 3, 2021
As a new independent publisher, this book was extremely helpful to get to know the industry and gave me so many things to consider. Although heavy experience from traditional publishing world, the content was easy to apply to today's indie publishers and self-published authors. However, at 6 years old, the book is quite dated for this industry.
February 21, 2018
A lot of really good information here. Some of the specifics are a little dated because of the year in which the book was published, but still a helpful read.
April 14, 2021
Read for Pub 450: The Business of Publishing
November 3, 2021
2,5* Supongo que no está mal, especialmente de cara al mercado estadounidense, pero la verdad es que esperaba más. Me ha dado la sensación de tener mucha paja, pero algún apunte me llevo.
August 30, 2022
A wealth of information. I'll be coming back to my copy of this book again and again.
February 14, 2023
Was used as a required textbook for a creative writing program college class. The information was good but the writing was so dry it could easily put one to sleep.
Read
June 27, 2024So dated!
October 20, 2024
This book explains the industrial knowledge of the publishing industry in great detail, and is worth a reference for people in the industry!
Read
December 9, 2024Finance final tonight and then I’m never doing a math problem in my life ever again
February 13, 2015
This is a great book. Woll is concise and and clear with everything he says and even provides template forms and Excel documents to illustrate his points. If one was setting up a small publishing business, this book tells you what you need to know without being condescending.
I would go further though, because Woll highlights what a publisher should do on the business side, he also demonstrates what any business should be concentrating on - getting the product right, the marketing right, and the sales rights, as well as keeping on top of the finances - not the sexy bits of the business for sure, but essential for the bottom line.
The fixation on profit (and in the case of publishing, how little of it there is), also explains the way the publishing industry works. It doesn't matter so much about what the book is, but whether it will sell.
Woll agrees with the likes of Scalzi (see previous books on my list!) about what constitutes a successful book - namely that it makes back its costs and them some, and he agrees at just how few books that actually means.
I found this the stunner. 5000 sales would be considered a raving success for any book (assuming they make a profit at the end of it!). Think about that - how many readers are out there? Everyone I know reads, which either means you don't have to sell to many people compared to the pool of consumers, or that I live in a pretty rarefied environment. Worse 5000 is hopelessly optimistic for most books (20,000 titles a year are published, most have runs much less that 5000). These figures are for the US market, in the UK I guess the numbers are even smaller, and the profitability even harder to come by.
It is really hard to sell even a few books. Don't be surprised then, when the manuscript you have toiled over gets rejected by any publisher. Tough market to be in.
I would go further though, because Woll highlights what a publisher should do on the business side, he also demonstrates what any business should be concentrating on - getting the product right, the marketing right, and the sales rights, as well as keeping on top of the finances - not the sexy bits of the business for sure, but essential for the bottom line.
The fixation on profit (and in the case of publishing, how little of it there is), also explains the way the publishing industry works. It doesn't matter so much about what the book is, but whether it will sell.
Woll agrees with the likes of Scalzi (see previous books on my list!) about what constitutes a successful book - namely that it makes back its costs and them some, and he agrees at just how few books that actually means.
I found this the stunner. 5000 sales would be considered a raving success for any book (assuming they make a profit at the end of it!). Think about that - how many readers are out there? Everyone I know reads, which either means you don't have to sell to many people compared to the pool of consumers, or that I live in a pretty rarefied environment. Worse 5000 is hopelessly optimistic for most books (20,000 titles a year are published, most have runs much less that 5000). These figures are for the US market, in the UK I guess the numbers are even smaller, and the profitability even harder to come by.
It is really hard to sell even a few books. Don't be surprised then, when the manuscript you have toiled over gets rejected by any publisher. Tough market to be in.
February 9, 2016
Publishing for Profit offers incredible advice for nearly all aspects of running a publishing company. My endgame as a publishing graduate student has always been to either found or work at a small press, so not only did the course help me gain the skills I’d been looking for, but so did Publishing for Profit.
The book is definitely for the business-minded end of publishing and not the editorial side. (There are tons of books on writing and editing that can help with that.) The 2010 edition, the red cover pictured above, does a fantastic job outlining different components necessary to publishing as a company and as a business. One chapter that especially speaks to me is “Make Planning Primary,” which emphasizes the importance of setting goals, planning cash flow, and other aspects.
One thing I’d always found disappointing, though, was the book’s lack of attention to the digital aspect of the publishing industry. Publishers say digital publishing accounts for 3-10% of their overall sales, yet my original reading of Publishing for Profit hardly addressed digital publishing at all except as a subsidiary right available for publishers to sell.
But then in October, I discovered the 2014 edition of Publishing for Profit.
Read more at my blog.
The book is definitely for the business-minded end of publishing and not the editorial side. (There are tons of books on writing and editing that can help with that.) The 2010 edition, the red cover pictured above, does a fantastic job outlining different components necessary to publishing as a company and as a business. One chapter that especially speaks to me is “Make Planning Primary,” which emphasizes the importance of setting goals, planning cash flow, and other aspects.
One thing I’d always found disappointing, though, was the book’s lack of attention to the digital aspect of the publishing industry. Publishers say digital publishing accounts for 3-10% of their overall sales, yet my original reading of Publishing for Profit hardly addressed digital publishing at all except as a subsidiary right available for publishers to sell.
But then in October, I discovered the 2014 edition of Publishing for Profit.
Read more at my blog.
Read
February 1, 2021also reading this spring 2021 semester for a new class
I'm reading this book over the course of my Fall 2020 semester for my first year in publishing. I'll be updating my review as I read more chapters, and as such my rating could change.
Chapters 1-6 (9/18/2020)
This is a great resource for anyone looking to start any kind of business- not just in publishing. While it is mostly focused on publishing, there are lessons to be learned for anyone, like how to write a mission statement, write job descriptions, and set goals and objectives.
I've always been slightly scared of numbers, but Publishing for Profit has really helped me understand accounting in publishing. If you're also struggling to understand P&Ls, cash flow, income statements, balance sheets, and more, then this will definitely help you.
I'm reading this book over the course of my Fall 2020 semester for my first year in publishing. I'll be updating my review as I read more chapters, and as such my rating could change.
Chapters 1-6 (9/18/2020)
This is a great resource for anyone looking to start any kind of business- not just in publishing. While it is mostly focused on publishing, there are lessons to be learned for anyone, like how to write a mission statement, write job descriptions, and set goals and objectives.
I've always been slightly scared of numbers, but Publishing for Profit has really helped me understand accounting in publishing. If you're also struggling to understand P&Ls, cash flow, income statements, balance sheets, and more, then this will definitely help you.
March 26, 2009
For my class--MA Publishing--this book was absolutely essential, and a life-saver. Yes, we all go into publishing because we love reading, and like books, etc, but it is in the end a business first and foremost, something which no one should forget!
Very practical advice, a clear outline covering everything from sales pitches to production processes to cost saving techniques. Of course, being a student, I don't know how helpful this book would be to professionals.
Very practical advice, a clear outline covering everything from sales pitches to production processes to cost saving techniques. Of course, being a student, I don't know how helpful this book would be to professionals.
October 20, 2011
This is a comprehensive introduction to the publishing business. I read this for a class and found myself skimming more than I normally do (okay, I actually never skim), but this isn't exactly summer beach reading. The author offers plenty of business insights and relevant examples. Being new to the industry, I found myself not being able to entirely wrap my brain around a lot of it. But overall it is definitely a keeper for future reference.
December 3, 2013
I read this book for a Trade Publishing course. Woll provides a clear, easy-to-read overview of the publishing industry. The information provided is for publishing in the United States, so I suspect that some of his statements might not apply to Canadian publishing. As well, I wonder how much of his information is out of date at the time of my reading, since the book industry has seen huge changes over the past few years.
April 8, 2016
A must-read for anyone considering a career in publishing or those interested in starting their own publisher. The industry bible! However, this seriously needs a Canadian edition. There are a lot of specific databases and useful organizations mentioned here that are simply not relevant to Canadian publishing.
April 28, 2016
4th edition
Everything you ever wanted to know about creating your own publishing company. Enough said.
5th edition
What I said about the previous edition still goes, but the updated bits concerning the digital age are just as good. It's a pretty dense text, but still readable.
Everything you ever wanted to know about creating your own publishing company. Enough said.
5th edition
What I said about the previous edition still goes, but the updated bits concerning the digital age are just as good. It's a pretty dense text, but still readable.
December 21, 2014
Very practically detailed.
Nuts and bolts roadmap for starting or revamping your traditional and e-format publishing company. More hands on than theoretical, with financial models included.
Nuts and bolts roadmap for starting or revamping your traditional and e-format publishing company. More hands on than theoretical, with financial models included.
January 4, 2016
This book gives a comprehensive overview of how a publishing house works, while also giving detailed information and precise step-by-step instructions on managing a publishing business. It's an excellent reference guide.
November 18, 2014
Worth reading. I don't like the bottom line, but it's the reality in this industry...
March 10, 2015
G-g-grad school, what?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews