Who gets what when you buy a book?

The distribution of the amount of a book in France

Although their electronic counterparts or audio versions are becoming increasingly popular, there is still something satisfying about buying a physical book for a reader. However, no one knows how much of the price paid goes to the author. Indeed, women and men of letters do not receive all of the sale, necessarily.

In fact, in 2019, the share received by an author in France was generally 8%, sometimes 15% or more among those very famous and having managed to negotiate well with their publisher. The latter, by the way, collects 29% of the sum. It covers the layout, advertising, distribution and also the administrative costs of a publishing house.

Other parts of the amount go for the manufacture of the object, its distribution, its sale and the state collects the sales tax, however reduced. A model that, despite everything, works rather well in France with the law on the single price that, unlike the British formula, avoids pressure on small outlets and the entire chain up to the writer.

Duration: 3min26