What type of financial return can I expect on my book publishing investment?

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James Frey
Owner, American Literary Press
www.americanliterarypress.com  
410-882-7700, 800-873-2003

James V. Frey is the current owner of American Literary Press, a Baltimore, MD-based book publisher that has published books written by more than 1,300 first-time authors during the past 20 years.

Jim is a Cum Laude graduate of Dartmouth College. Following graduation from Dartmouth, he served as a high school teacher in Southern New Hampshire. Subsequently, he spent 15 years with Xerox Corporation in various Sales and Marketing capacities, accountable as a senior manager in his last two assignments. During the 1990’s, he was a General Manager for several large office technology firms and served as a director on five companies’ Board of Directors. Since 1999, he has been an owner of/investor in six entrepreneurial ventures, including American Literary Press. 

In 2001, Jim self-published his own industry-targeted “how to” book, based on his experience with both big and small business, that generated $25,000 in sales. In his estimation, Jim considers the publication of his 86 year-old father’s autobiography by American Literary Press in 2006 to be one of one of his major professional accomplishments.

With nearly two decades of experience, American Literary Press has the knowledge necessary to produce books exactly as our authors envision them. Our ability to adapt to the wishes of our authors is one of the primary reasons our company has been chosen by more than 1,200 aspiring and first-time writers. Not a single book is published unless it is one that we can proudly claim as our own, for we require that our books meet the highest standards for editorial accuracy, design and production.

American Literary Press provides authors with a wide variety of options from which to choose, including author-marketed publishing and programs that include professional marketing services. One of these options is certain to serve your needs. First, let’s evaluate your publishing project.

American Literary Press is your best solution if:

You want a book of first-rate bookstore quality and durability perfectly suited in design and format to your work and its market.

You want to see your work published in an edition you will be proud to present to the literary marketplace.

You want to work with a publisher you can trust to stand behind its commitments.

No other company can do more to satisfy your expectations because publishing is our only business. We are a full-service publisher, not simply a printer or bookseller with a high-tech copy machine.

We can show you how to save money without compromising on quality.

We offer cost-effective alternatives designed for your specific needs.

We use our extensive database of current marketing and sales contacts to ensure that your work will get the kind of exposure you seek.

What type of financial return can I expect on my book publishing investment?

This video will discuss the type of financial return you can expect on your book publishing investment.

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Host: What type of financial return can I expect of my book publishing investment?

Jim Frey: In terms of financial returns, I think a first time or new author has to keep in mind that they are an unknown name in the literary marketplace and that successes of first time authors are extremely rare. Success being having a return on the investment of funds that they have made if they are doing with print-on-demand or self/subsidy publishers. We tell people to invest money only if they can afford that amount of funds to get their book published. There are exceptions to the rules. We have had quite a few authors that have recouped their investment, initial investment when reprints were done, but for that first print quantity it's extremely rare that people will sell enough books to make up for the investment that they made. You have got to be realistic about your objectives as a first time author. I have mentioned before and I will say it again, if you are doing it to fulfill a personal dream and be a published author then do this. If you are doing it to retire on the proceeds from your book sales don't do it.