This is a great idea but there's one big problem: distribution.

The only game in town, unless you're a major publishing house, is going through Amazon, both for ebooks and for print. They have a massive marketing empire and they've squeezed everyone else out of the digital and print publishing landscape to the point where trying to go against them without the clout of a coalition of major publishers behind you (Random House, etc.) is going to end the same way the Charge of the Light Brigade did.

Trust me, I don't like Amazon. That centralized whorehouse of unfettered capitalism has squeezed out competitors left and right because it can outperform on a volume level by undercutting their competitors' prices. However it's the only way to reach a mass market audience unless you invest in your own print runs at a major printer. The alternative is to go through print-on-demand services like Lulu.

I worked in a major independent bookstore for years. Back then, print-on-demand was something we simply wouldn't stock or order, primarily because the profit margins were nowhere near what we could get from a traditional publisher or even a distributor (industry standard for wholesalers is 40% off retail price). POD margins are much slimmer, and I fear that with Amazon hoovering up even more market share it's going to be impossible to find a bookstore that will stock a POD book.

Then again, if you're going to exclusively print and ship from the website, you don't have to worry about that. Your costs are going to be pretty high, most likely to the point where you're going to have to really bust your ass to break even. Running as a not-for-profit is definitely going to help that, but between paying for editing, proofing, layout, cover design, printing, and shipping, you might be better off just digging a big hole in your front yard, dumping a couple thousand dollars in there, and lighting it on fire.

Still, if I had the funds to support this project, I'd totally go all in. In fact, let me know if you get off the ground - I'll probably donate some Steem or SBD your way towards the establishment of a publishing house. Best of luck!! :)