Pricing & Profit Calculator
The profit calculator on the Publishing tab of your book shows you how much you will earn per sale across each distribution channel. Use it to find the right balance between a competitive retail price and healthy profit margins.
Print Charge
Every book has a print charge (cost per unit) based on its physical specifications. The print charge is affected by:
- Page count
- Trim size
- Paper type
- Interior color (black & white vs. color)
- Binding type
- Duplex cover (adds $0.40 per unit if enabled)
The print charge per unit is displayed at the bottom of the profit calculator card.
Profit Channels
The calculator shows your estimated profit per sale for three channels:
- Direct Sales – Books you sell yourself (at events, on your website, etc.). Your profit is the retail price minus the print charge.
- Quill & Courier Store – Books sold through our online store. Your profit is the retail price minus the print charge and our store fee.
- Bookstores – Books purchased by bookstores at the wholesale discount. Your profit is the discounted price minus the print charge.
Understanding the Numbers
Each channel shows your profit amount and profit margin percentage. Channels with positive margins appear in green. Channels where your profit is zero or negative appear in red, indicating that you are losing money or breaking even on those sales.
How to Improve Profits
If any channel shows a negative or low profit, the calculator will display recommendations. The tips shown depend on your book’s current settings:
- Increase retail price to improve profit margins
- Increase retail price or lower wholesale discount (shown when the bookstore channel margin is too low)
- Switch to white paper to reduce print costs (shown when using cream paper with a US Trade trim size)
- Choose a smaller trim size to reduce print costs (shown when using a trim size larger than Digest)
Retail Price and Wholesale Discount
The retail price is the price readers pay for your book. The wholesale discount (30–55%) is the percentage off the retail price that bookstores receive. Both fields are on the Publishing tab and update the profit calculator in real time as you adjust them.