This post reports income and expenses from creating Writing for Software Developers. I update the post as merited.
Writing a book is a huge investment. Mostly, you invest your time. I do not know how many hours I spent working on Writing for Software Developers, but it was my main project for six months. During that time, I spent plenty of energy on client projects and school, but this book was my primary focus. While the main investment was time, it also cost over 1,000 dollars to get Writing for Software Developers out the door. I hope that this transparency helps other writers know what to expect in terms of expenses and what level of income is possible when self-publishing a technical book. These figures are offered in the spirit of the Open Startups philosophy.
Here is a breakdown of approximate expenses:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cover Design (freelance artist) | $400 |
| 10 ISBNs | $295 |
| Copyright Registration | $65 |
| Printer | $220 |
| Domains | $40 |
| Gumroad Pro Membership (1 month) | $10 |
| PRE-LAUNCH TOTAL | $1,030 |
| Gumroad Pro Membership (1 year) | $120 |
| Audiobook Narrator | $500 |
| Newsletter Sponsorship | $175 |
| POST-LAUNCH TOTAL | $1,825 |
One thing to note for other authors is that I got thousands of dollars worth of professional copyediting and proofreading for free thanks to my mother's generous efforts.
My earnings so far are entirely through Gumroad. To date (January 27, 2024):
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross Income | 43,251.72 |
| Fees | ($2,241.88) |
| Refunds | ($525.00) |
| Chargebacks | ($72.00) |
| Net Income | $41,009.84 |
I sell the book for $36, $136 for the corporate license, of which I've sold 13. I have purchase power parity enabled and occasionally run discounts, meaning many of my sales are for less than this price. In total, I've sold 1,189 copies.
This post is one of four about Writing for Software Developers.
