Book pricing guide
One of the advantages of self-publishing is that you get to choose the price of your own book. If you have never priced a book before, weighing up all the different considerations can feel a little daunting. The good news is that once you understand how the pieces fit together, the decision becomes much more straightforward.
When your book is ready for distribution, you will be asked to set your list price in the Authorzone. The sections below explain how list price, wholesale discount, and print cost work together so you can choose a price that feels right for your book.
List Price
The list price is the amount readers see on a retailer's page. It should feel natural for your genre and format, and sit comfortably alongside similar books. You are not trying to match print cost directly here; you are choosing the retail value of your book.
For our example book, The Quiet Path Home, let us imagine a starting list price of $10.00.
Wholesale discount
Retailers buy your book at a discounted rate. This discounted amount is known as the wholesale price. A typical wholesale discount is around 40 percent, as this leaves retailers enough margin to stock and promote the book. A very low discount can reduce availability, particularly on Amazon, which may mark the book as unavailable.
List price: $10.00
Wholesale discount: 40%
Wholesale price: $6.00
Print cost
Every printed copy has a manufacturing cost based on your trim size, page count, paper choice, and whether the interior is black and white or color. You can check this using our print cost calculator. The difference between the wholesale price and the print cost becomes your royalty.
Print cost: $4.00
Royalties: $6.00 - $4.00 = $2.00 per copy sold.
Pricing in different regions
You will set a list price for each market where your book is sold. Even if your main price is in USD, the book will also need prices for other territories such as the UK, Europe, and Australia. When you enter your USD price in the Authorzone, you can then set equivalent prices for each region using the same structure. Printing costs vary slightly between countries, so royalties will not always match exactly.
If your main USD price is $10.00 USD, equivalent list prices might be:
United Kingdom: £7.99 GBP
Europe: €8.99 EUR
Australia: $14.99 AUD
These are only illustrative and obviously depend on the current exchange rate.
Ending prices in .99
Retailers usually list books ending in .99, so it is best to follow this convention. It aligns your book with others on the shelf and creates a familiar price point for readers.
$10.00 becomes $9.99
Pricing can feel like a balancing act, but it does not need to be perfect on the first attempt. The aim is to choose a price that makes sense for your book, your audience, and your goals. We are always happy to talk through your options and help you sense-check your pricing so you can move forward with confidence.