But surely part of the reason the most self-published books do so badly in the first place, is because they're poorly edited. By analogy: all that $5 plastic j

But surely part of the reason the most self-published books do so badly in the first place, is because they're poorly edited. By analogy: all that $5 plastic junk on Wish/AliExpress/etc. The no-name manufacturing companies responsible for this dross, charge so little because they have no idea how to make quality products. Nobody will pay more than they're charging for the low standard of quality they're capable of putting out, so that's what they have to charge. But when one of these companies figures out how to make higher-quality stuff, they do start selling it for more, and begin creating a trustworthy brand, and begin marketing that brand on more trustworthy marketplaces, and so they end up with higher profit margins, despite the increased CapEx.