Doujin work
Some time ago one of the people in the really popular doujin circles anonymously wrote a breakdown of all costs and profits from doujin.
Two doujinshi, selling price 500 yen, total 10,000 copies
5,000,000 yen
Special binding, 70 pages, cost price 300 yen each
5,000,000 yen – (300 x 10,000) = 2,000,000 yen
Cost to deliver books to and fro 20,000 yen x 2 events
2,000,000 yen – (20,000 x 2) = 1,960,000 yen
6 guys that helped to sell the doujinshi at the booth 60,000 yen x 2
1,960,000 yen – (60,000 x 2) = 1,840,000 yen
Transportation and accommodation 70,000 yen x 2
1,840,000 yen – (70,000 x 2) = 1,700,000 yen
Transportation and accommodation for guys helping out
1,700,000 yen – 140,000 = 1,560,000 yen
Dinner with all involved 40,000 yen x 2
1,560,000 yen – 80,000 = 1,440,000 yen
Money for guest artists in book 120,000 yen
1,440,000 yen -120,000 yen = 1,320,000 yen
5000 books were through consignment via shops at 490 yen each
1,320,000 yen – 50,000 = 1,270,000 yen
Approximately 100,000 yen for miscellaneous costs such as taxi fare and printing costs for the poster.
After various costs for having some other guys to represent him to appear in a smaller event that’s located out of the way, approximately 1,000,000 yen is left.
Some people ask for doujinshi that has been sold out to be reprinted and sold again, but that can’t be done because it is impossible to cover printing costs if done in small amounts, especially if special bindings are used.
As for paying large amounts for the guys helping out, to the point of paying all transportation and accommodation, it’s so that even when there is a queue at the booth a person would not need to queue for longer than 30 minutes. There is a big difference when getting people that can work really fast, and the circle tried having only 3 people at the booth once and the queue got really bad.
