How are print book prices and royalties calculated?

Print book prices and royalties are calculated differently from digital book royalties because printed books have production costs.

Before royalties can be calculated, the cost of printing the physical book needs to be deducted from the selling price.

Why are print book royalties different?

A printed book has physical production costs, such as paper, printing, binding, and cover production.

This means your royalty is not calculated from the full selling price. It is calculated from the amount left after the printing cost is deducted.

How is the print price calculated?

When setting up a print book, PubliWrite shows a minimum price based on the cost of producing the book.

The printing cost can depend on factors such as:

• Print format, such as paperback or hardcover
• Page count
• Page size
• Interior type
• Paper or text stock
• Cover type
• Lamination option
• Production requirements

Your final selling price should be higher than the minimum production cost so that royalties can be calculated.

What printing costs are deducted from print sales?

For print books, the production cost is deducted from the selling price before royalties are calculated.

The production cost may include the cost of physically producing the book, such as:

• Printing
• Paper
• Binding
• Cover production
• Format-specific production requirements

The exact production cost depends on the print setup selected during the publishing flow, such as page count, paperback or hardcover format, page size, paper or text stock, and cover options.

During the publishing flow, PubliWrite will show the production cost for your selected print setup. This amount acts as the minimum price for that print version.

How are print royalties calculated?

The basic calculation is:

Selling price – printing cost = amount available for royalties

Your royalty is then calculated based on your PubliWrite plan.

Example

If your print book sells for $20 and the printing cost is $7, the amount available for royalties is:

$20 – $7 = $13

Your royalty would then depend on your plan:

This is only an example. Your actual royalty may vary depending on the book format, printing cost, selling price, refunds, returns, and any applicable provider fees.

Can I choose any price?

You can choose your selling price, but it must be high enough to cover the production cost of the printed book.

During the publishing flow, PubliWrite will show the production cost for your selected print setup. This production cost acts as the minimum price for that print version.

Your final selling price should be higher than the production cost so that royalties can be calculated.

For example, if the production cost of your paperback is $7, your selling price needs to be higher than $7 in order for there to be an amount available for royalties.

Always review the production cost shown during setup before choosing your final selling price.

What affects the printing cost?

Printing cost may change depending on the production specifications you choose.

For example, a longer book or a hardcover edition will usually cost more to produce than a shorter paperback.

Print cost may be affected by:

• Number of pages
• Paperback or hardcover format
• Page size
• Paper type
• Black-and-white or colour interior, where available
• Cover and lamination choices
• Print production location and availability

When do print royalties become available?

After a print book sale, royalties may first appear as pending or locked.

PubliWrite uses a 45-day locked period before eligible earnings become available for withdrawal. This allows time for order processing, returns, refunds, and payment checks.

Once the locked period has ended, eligible earnings can become available for withdrawal.

Important note

Print royalty examples are estimates for explanation only.

Your actual earnings may depend on the final sale price, printing cost, selected format, PubliWrite plan, returns, refunds, provider fees, and other order-related factors.

Related articles

• Can I sell my book in print?
• What is the minimum number of pages for print?
• How do royalties work on PubliWrite?
• How do I withdraw money from my account?
• Why are my earnings locked before withdrawal?

Updated on: 02/06/2026