Niche ebook publishing imprint

Readers who buy ebooks from online stores such as Amazon Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books, or direct from your own website.

You keep a share of each ebook sale after the store takes its cut. Income builds slowly as your catalogue grows. If you publish other authors, you usually pay them a royalty.

• Editing and proofreading
• Basic cover design and ebook formatting
• Knowing what your chosen readers want
• Patience to build a catalogue

• Copyright: check you own or have written permission for all text, images and music you use
• Written contracts with any authors, editors or illustrators, including who owns what and how royalties work
• Store terms and tax paperwork, which can vary between platforms; check how sales income is reported to HMRC
• Legal deposit: check whether you need to send copies of published works to the legal deposit libraries
• Income can be slow and uneven, so avoid spending heavily before a title proves itself

Startup costs are typically around £200 to £2,000, depending on editing, cover design, formatting tools and any author advances. These are estimates, so avoid spending heavily before a title proves itself.

Check you own or have written permission for all text, images and music, and use written contracts with authors, editors and illustrators. Also check store terms, how sales income is reported to HMRC, and legal deposit requirements.

Monthly revenue is typically around £50 to £1,500, depending on how many titles you publish and how well they sell. Income can be slow and uneven, and you should allow at least around 6 hours a week.