What publishing actually pays — and what it costs you.

What a book advance actually looks like

Advances are the most opaque number in publishing — most are covered by confidentiality clauses, and per-genre averages that circulate…

Standard royalty rates, and what deviation means

The royalty rates a traditional trade contract is expected to carry — by format — and, more importantly, the difference…

What publishing services cost at market

What editing, design and production actually cost when you hire professionals directly — per-word and per-project ranges, with what separates…

Contract clauses, explained

Someone holding an unfamiliar contract at 11pm has nowhere good to go. Now they do — one page per clause.

Advances, royalties, rates and what things cost.

What clauses mean, and what they cost you.

Submissions, agents and the routes compared.

Mechanics, platforms and real numbers.

Practical structure, editing and revision.

Why trust these numbers?

Named, independent, and honest about what we don't know. How the site started and how it makes money.