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I am unclear where the "insanity of self-publishing" comes in.
It's hard work with very little to zero pay. Heck, you'd be likely making more money flipping burgers at McDonalds.... But likely most authors realize it, LOL.
Here's a rough example of costs associated for DIY/POD book.... You write a 150 page (A4/letter-size) book. The authoring and editing takes anywhere north of 400working hours (or say 4-24 months in normal day-to-day life). Once you get a copy out of some POD service, the cost of single finished book is about $30 (if using full color pages). Add up postage of $10 per copy for each sold copy, and your sales price has to be $40 to get even.
What should the cost of book be if the author wants to make some level of return (say equal of minimum wage of $7.25/hour) all the hard work?
Assuming the print run is just 10 copies, the price per copy should be $330.
Assuming the print run is 50 copies, the price per copy should be $98.
Assuming the print run is 100 copies, the price per copy should be $69.
Assuming the print run is 250 copies, the price per copy should be $51.
And of course you'd have to sell all the copies ;)
By now you'd be making the minimum wage's worth, which is something that most 'specialists' would not agree/be willing to. For example my accountant charges about $100 per hour for advice, or a plumber costs about $40/hour. Why should something such as specialized stamp knowledge be different?
The above is of course heavily simplified. In real world you'd have to additionally worry (and take into account) stuff such as legal deposits (which means giving away 2-20 'free' copies to national archives), marketing and other promotion, customer relationships, taxes and other financial work, etc. So the 400+ working hours would be just the 'beginning'.
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...but at the end someone as to pay
So true.
I guess the bottom line here lies on the perspective.
If you look at the project as a business operation, then it has to be the audience/readers that will pay.
If you look at the project as a 'hobby/leisure operation', then it will be the author who pays.
-k-
Posted 07/28/2016 02:53 am
Area66, when your book arrives, can you scan it and put the postmarks here? 
