Printing Costs and Indie Authors

Independent authors try to keep their print book prices reasonable, but when book distributors raise their costs, we may have to adjust our retail prices accordingly to maintain the same income. IngramSpark, a worldwide distributor, is increasing printing costs this year. IS sells books at a discount to bookstores and libraries.

The lowest discount an indie author can offer is 40%. As I understand it, IS keeps 20% and the bookseller gets the other 20% off. Booksellers like deeper discounts and returnability, but this isn’t feasible for many independent authors. The discounted price already lowers our profit, and then we have to subtract the printing cost and global distribution fee before any royalties are calculated.

As an example, say my book has a $14.99 retail price and a 40% discount. This book, based on page count, earns a royalty now at IS of $3.04. Once the print cost goes up, this will dip even further.

I’ve tried to keep my pricing stable but now I’ll have to make an adjustment. It pains me to do this because I know many of you have budgetary concerns. If this is an issue, do keep in mind that you can always ask your librarian to order the book. I’ll wait until February to make this change in case you want to order in any of my print books as an early Valentine’s Day gift for yourself… or for a friend or family member.

Be aware that I’m not an expert in this area, and pricing calculations are as puzzling to me as a whodunit. Happy Reading!