Niche book publisher from home

Readers who buy through online stores, bookstores, libraries and events, plus schools or groups in your niche.

You keep the revenue from each book sold after printing and retailer or distributor cuts, and pay authors a royalty or a flat fee. Extra income can come from bulk orders and direct sales at events.

• Good editorial judgment
• Organizing projects and deadlines
• Basic marketing and social media
• Working with freelancers

• Contracts with authors: rights, royalties and who owns the cover and layout, ask a publishing or intellectual property attorney to review your template
• Copyright and permissions for any images, quotes or text in a book
• Sales tax registration for direct sales, check with your state
• Most small presses sell few copies per title, so budget carefully before paying for editing and design
• Home occupation permit and HOA or lease rules, if you work from home

Startup costs are typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many titles you start with and what you pay for editing, design and cover work. Print-on-demand helps because you avoid a warehouse of unsold copies.

Have a publishing or intellectual property attorney review your author contract template, covering rights, royalties and who owns the cover and layout. Also check copyright and permissions for images and text, plus sales tax registration and any home occupation or HOA rules.

Monthly revenue is typically around $100 to $3,000, depending on your niche, number of titles and sales channels. Most small presses sell few copies per title, so budget carefully before paying for editing and design.