21:55 24 July 2026
Writers getting PLN 3 for book that costs PLN 60 in Polish publication market
Polish authors earn an average of just PLN 2.87 per copy sold, even though the average retail price of a book is about PLN 58.50. The Literary Union is therefore campaigning for a statutory minimum royalty equal to 10% of the cover price. Most publishing contracts currently calculate royalties using the discounted sale price rather than the cover price, making authors’ earnings lower and harder to verify.
Self-publishing offers an alternative. Authors selling directly may retain up to 70% of revenue, but they must manage editing, design, printing, marketing, sales, and logistics themselves. Michał Szafrański’s self-published book generated PLN 7.5 million in pre-tax income, far more than a traditional publishing contract would likely have produced. The model offers greater control and higher margins, but also greater cost, workload, and risk.
