Royalty

What it means

When a store sells your book, it keeps part of the price and pays you the rest. That part is your royalty. Retailers set their royalty rates by format, price and country, and print royalties have the print cost taken off first. A traditional publisher pays a royalty too, usually a smaller share, in return for editing, printing and distribution.

A thriller author self-publishing on retailers gets a royalty from each store. A nonfiction author with a traditional publisher gets a royalty on each copy sold, often twice a year. A poet with a small press might get a share of each copy sold at events.

Why it matters when you sell direct

When readers buy direct, there is no royalty. You get the full price, then pay your own costs: payment fees, the store’s fee or subscription, print and shipping for physical books, and tax where it applies. What is left is usually more than a retailer royalty on the same book.

Direct also means you set the price. You can run a sale, price a bundle, or charge more for a signed hardcover, without waiting for a retailer.

How Lanternbee handles it

Lanternbee does not pay royalties. Readers pay you through your own Stripe account. On the Free plan, Lanternbee takes a fee only when you sell. On the Author plan there is a monthly price and no fee. The pricing page has the numbers. Your sales reports show what each book earned.