On the occasion of the Paris 2025 book festival, which this year brings together this year at the Grand Palais more than 1,200 authors and 450 publishing houses, the question of the role of the publisher has never been so current. While the ecosystem celebrates the book in all its forms – from children’s literature to adapted TV series – a silent mutation crosses the sector: more and more authors choose to do without publisher.
This choice is not marginal. It translates a deep change into the value chain: content control is no longer enough. These are the platforms that dictate the new rules of diffusion, monetization, and interaction with readers.
In a context where traditional economic models are called into question, this article deciphers why the authors no longer need publishers to exist – and what they now have to learn from the logics of platforms.
The publishing contract no longer protects
The contracts proposed by the publishers remain structured around an annuity model: fixed advance, low royalties, fixed costs for life, object control. For an author, the deal often looks like a dilution operation:
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- Net royalties between 8 % and 15 % on average.
- Distribution or “promotion” costs deducted before calculating gains.
- No transparency on the real income generated in audio or ebook.
Even the so -called “Share” offers are full of “Hollywood birthday” clauses: cascade costs, upstream margins, retention of rights without compensation.
The platforms redistribute the cards
Amazon (KDP), Audible, Substack, Patreon or Shopify allow the authors to directly capture a larger part of the value:
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- 70 % commission on an ebook at € 9.99 via Kindle.
- Up to 90 % margin by selling a live audio (excluding audible).
- Recurrent subscriptions or direct purchases without hidden costs.
The entrance barrier is no longer technical but contractual. It is not the impression or the logistics that costs, it is the lack of autonomy in the diffusion. An author who can read the rules of these platforms can structure his own mix: print license, self -publishing ebook, direct audio sale.
Audio reveals the opacity of the system
Audible sells by credits system. The user pays € 15 per month. The author receives an average of € 4. The detail of the distribution is vague, scalable, non -negotiable. Large publishers benefit from preferential treatment based on the displayed price of the book. Independent authors can only access standard levels – except to be exclusive to Amazon.
Faced with this asymmetry, some authors have regained control: direct negotiation with studios, sale in audio files, integration of audiobooks in packaged offers (book, audio version, bonus).
The future is hybrid and contractual
The optimal model emerges: yield a single channel (often print) under limited license, and keep digital formats. The publisher becomes a distribution provider, not a rights holder. It is the choice made by several authors of fiction, non-fiction or personal development, who combine:
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- Deals “Print-only” with reversion of rights.
- Direct digital exploitation.
- Clear and traceable income sharing.
The key is no longer to publish. It is to negotiate, structure, exploit. The author becomes an economic operator. And if he wants to keep the margin, he must master platform logics.
What authors must learn from platforms
| Lever | What a platform does | What the author must do |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Algorithmic pricing | Test psychological thresholds |
| Loyalty | Subscription, CRM, recovery | Build an active email base |
| Distribution | Integrated logistics, SEO | Master metadata, test the titles |
| Transparency | Real -time dashboard | Calculate net margins by format |
| Conversion | Funnel of full sales | Check the product page and the offer |
