A history book can be intellectually valuable while still failing its publisher's minimum commercial test. That threshold is selling enough copies to recover the advance and the costs of producing the book. Further levels of success are possible, though this break-even point comes first for a new author. Careful writing and attractive production still cannot control how the market will receive the finished work.
Notable Point · 8:34-9:24
What publishers mean by a successful first book
The most basic commercial test of a new history book is whether sales repay the publisher's advance and production outlay.