Self Publisher Business

3 Self Publisher Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 8th, 2024

A self-publishing business helps authors self-publish books through technology, services, education, and other means. Self-publishing businesses fall into three classifications: publishing platforms, author services, and self-publishing education companies.

To start a self-publishing business, you must file a “Doing Business As” (DBA) or form a limited liability company.

Self-publishing business is not a new phenomenon. The business dates back to the 18th century, and today it is increasingly becoming the first choice for writers.

In this list, you'll find real-world self-publisher business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a self-publisher business that makes money.

1. Reedsy ($24M/year)

Ricardo Fayet, CMO of Reedsy, didn't come up with the idea for the book publishing services marketplace. His co-founder Emmanuel mentioned it to him in university, and it stood out as a promising idea that leveraged the growing self-publishing trend and freelance economy movement in traditional publishing. They validated the idea by talking to industry experts and built a core team to bring it to life.

How much money it makes: $24M/year
How much did it cost to start: $40K
How many people on the team: 38

How Our Book Publishing Services Marketplace Hit $1M/Month In Gross Merchandise Value

Reedsy, a book publishing services marketplace that connects authors with freelancers, has driven over $1m in GMV, features over 1,500 vetted freelance professionals, and sees over 1,000 projects every month.

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2. EOFire LLC ($1.8M/year)

In 2012, John Lee Dumas, a former tank commander and real estate agent, started listening to podcasts during his long commutes. Realizing the lack of consistent, inspiring content, he decided to start his own daily podcast, Entrepreneurs On Fire. Despite having no online presence or broadcasting experience, he took the leap, hired a mentor, and launched the podcast. It quickly gained traction and led to the creation of other successful products and services, generating over $100,000 in net revenue every month.

How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 5

The Story Of John Lee Dumas: From Tank Commander In Iraq To Starting A $100K/Month Entrepreneurship Podcast

John Lee Dumas launched Entrepreneurs On Fire, a daily podcast interviewing successful entrepreneurs, and went on to create multiple successful products and services including Podcasters' Paradise, which has consistently generated over $100,000 in net revenue every month for 89 months in a row.

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3. Merrative ($24K/year)

Harshala Chavan, the founder of Merrative, came up with the idea for her business after noticing a lack of dedicated spaces for people to discuss literature. After attending a book club meetup, where she had a great discussion with others who had read the same book, she wondered if she could bring this experience online at scale. She validated her concept through participating in BPlans and growing her Instagram page, which eventually led to the launch of Merrative as a community-led marketplace for publishing talent.

How much money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 0

How I Bootstrapped A $2K/Month Online Community To Discuss Literature

Merrative, a community-driven marketplace for publishing talent, generates an average of $1,500 per month in marketplace transactions from their 5,000+ strong community of readers, writers, journalists, and scholars.

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Read by 3,978 founders