Dialogē Press (called here "the press") is designed to be author-centered while still operating with the professionalism and stability required of a publishing imprint. After the initial $600 setup cost is recouped, the remaining percentage retained by the press serves to cover the ongoing responsibilities involved in producing, distributing, and maintaining a high-quality book.

The current split is 60% of net profits go to authors. Traditional publishers pay about $1.40–$2.00 on a $20 paperback. Under a 60% net profit model, the author receives about $4.80 per book. In practical terms, authors earn 2.5 to 3.5  times more with our model. 

Below is a transparent breakdown of what the press’ retained percentage is intended to cover.

There is a human workload behind every book. Even small presses must maintain essential infrastructure that supports its authors. These ongoing operational expenses include:

• ISBN purchases and blocks
• Website hosting and upgrades
• Digital tools for formatting, design, and production
• Software licenses (Adobe, font licenses, editorial tools)
• Secure file storage, backups, and data management
• Administrative maintenance and communications
• Occasional legal or compliance-related costs
• Accounting and reporting responsibilities

These are essential to keeping the press legitimate, functional, and stable.

A portion of the press's retained percentage helps make possible future improvements, such as:

• Expanded editorial services
• Better design capabilities
• Enhanced distribution or marketing tools
• Staff or freelancer support
• New author-support features
• Upgrades to workflow systems

This ensures that authors benefit from continual upgrades without being charged individual service fees.

Dialogē Press is not a marketing company and does not allocate primary resources to large-scale marketing or advertising. Any promotional activity the press undertakes is supplementary, incidental, and limited to what is feasible within a small-press environment.

Examples of incidental promotional or marketing-related costs include:

• Occasional ARC or review copy purchases
• Limited promotional copy orders
• Situational advertising tests
• Basic graphics for emails or announcements
• Minor platform or list-building subscriptions

These efforts support authors where possible, but they are not the core function of the press and cannot be expected as full marketing services.

The percentage retained by Dialogē Press is not an arbitrary number. It is a structured way of covering the real, concrete responsibilities a legitimate publisher must fulfill, both during production and throughout the full lifespan of the book.

The following principles guide our attempt to favor authors:

• Authors keep the majority of net profit.
• The press remains sustainable, transparent, and high-quality.
• No hidden fees; everything is recouped or covered openly.