Several readers have asked us this considerate question: Does the author of a Lost Art Press book make more money when someone buys a physical book or a downloaded book?
The answer is: With Lost Art Press books, the author makes the same amount.
Outside of our little publishing terrarium, many electronic books are just about the same price as the physical book. This usually translates into more money for the publisher because of the lower cost of creating and delivering an electronic book. It’s a complicated equation, but that is the greatly simplified version.
We use a different formula to determine the cost of an electronic book. We remove the cost of pre-press, printing, transporting and storing the physical book. So the cost of our electronic books is the intellectual cost of the book (writing, editing, designing and eating), plus storing it and transmitting it to customers.
And that is why our electronic books cost less than the physical book. We think it’s the fair way to go for readers and authors. Others disagree. We give not a crap.
Here are links to the books we offer electronically:
• Campaign Furniture
• Doormaking and Window-Making
• The Art of Joinery
• By Hand & Eye
• The Anarchist’s Tool Chest
• To Make as Perfectly as Possible: Roubo on Marquetry
• Mouldings in Practice
• The Essential Woodworker
• The Joiner & Cabinet Maker
One last thing: All of our electronic books are free of Digital Rights Management (DRM). That means the files have no passwords and can be transported easily from device to device.
— Christopher Schwarz
