How are print book royalties calculated?
How are print book royalties calculated?
Print book royalties are calculated differently from digital book royalties because physical books have printing costs.
When a print book is sold, the printing cost is deducted first. The remaining amount is then used to calculate your royalty based on your PubliWrite plan.
How the calculation works
For print books, the calculation usually works like this:
Print book sale price – printing cost = amount available for royalties
Then, your PubliWrite royalty rate is applied to the remaining amount.
Royalty rates by plan
Your royalty rate depends on your PubliWrite plan:
Plan | Author royalty | Platform fee |
|---|---|---|
Free Plan | 80% | 20% |
Author Plus | 90% | 10% |
Authorpreneur | 95% | 5% |
Example: print book royalty calculation
If your print book sells for $20 and the printing cost is $7, the calculation would look like this:
Item | Amount |
|---|---|
Print book sale price | $20.00 |
Printing cost | -$7.00 |
Amount available for royalties | $13.00 |
Your royalty is then calculated from the remaining $13, depending on your plan:
Plan | Calculation | Author earnings |
|---|---|---|
Free Plan | 80% of $13 | $10.40 |
Author Plus | 90% of $13 | $11.70 |
Authorpreneur | 95% of $13 | $12.35 |
This means that for the same print book sale, your final royalty depends on both the printing cost and your PubliWrite plan.
What affects print book royalties?
Print book royalties may vary depending on:
- The sale price of the book
- The book format
- The number of pages
- Interior type, such as black-and-white or color
- Paper and cover options
- Printing costs
- Refunds or returned orders
- Any applicable external payment or processing fees
Because print books have production costs, print royalties are usually calculated differently from digital royalties.
When do print royalties become available?
After a print book sale, your earnings may appear in your author dashboard as locked funds.
PubliWrite uses a 45-day locked period after each sale to account for refunds and processing time. Once this period is over, eligible earnings become available for withdrawal.
For more details, see: Why are my earnings locked before withdrawal?
Important note
The examples above are for explanation only. Actual print royalties may vary depending on the final printing cost, book specifications, refunds, and any applicable fees.
Related articles
- How do royalties work on PubliWrite?
- How are digital book royalties calculated?
- Why are my earnings locked before withdrawal?
- How do I price my book?
- How do I track my sales and earnings?
- How do I withdraw money from my account?
Updated on: 22/05/2026
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