Welcome everyone!
I hope this post finds you well today. A couple weeks ago I was sent a message from my printer/distributor that online retailers are changing the terms of agreement for selling books on their sites. These would be companies like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and more. This change was out of the blue, and goes into effect the day after Halloween this year.
Typically, my distributor takes anywhere from 40% to 45% of the price of my book to print and ship it. The total just depends on costs of paper and packaging which varies. Up until now, Amazon et al. took a 30% commission. Now, they are taking 40%. That means on a $15 books, I might get around two to maybe three dollars if I'm lucky. Naturally, Uncle Sam wants his cut of that also, which I pay when I file my taxes.
As the price of paper and binding is constantly increasing, there's a good chance I start losing money on my sales soon. Consequently, I'm going to have to raise my prices. I hate to do that since I really want my books to be affordable, and to be honest, I thought I calculated enough breathing room when I first decided my price scheme back in 2018. Back then, my printing/shipping costs were only about 30% of the book's price. So on a $15 book, I would make about $6. That's plenty, IMO. Sadly, $2 is not.
So, prices will be rising to $19.99 per paperback and $34.99 per hardback. Those increases really aren't enough to get me back to where I was when I first released The Huntsman and the She-Wolf, but it's enough for me to feel good about what I earn publishing my books.
This change isn't free or simple for me. I have to have my covers redone since the prices are on the back. It's not a massive change, just an edit, but I still have to pay a professional to get that done. So that's six covers I have to change (paperback and hardback for each book).
I just wanted to post here and let everyone know what's going on. If you hurry, you'll still be able to get them at the current prices. I don't know for sure when they'll officially change. It just depends on when the cover artist can squeeze me in.
Anyway, we're heading into the holiday season. Halloween to St. Valentine's Day is my favorite time of year. So I wish you all happy holidays! Take care of each other.
Peace,
-Troy
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