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Selling special editions direct

Special editions, sold the way your readers already back them.

Coming. Some of what follows is still being built, and each of those parts is marked.

Sprayed edges, foiled covers and numbered runs are a big part of selling direct, especially for fantasy and romance. You can already add a special edition to a book and sell it from your own stock or through print on demand. Campaigns, with tiers, limited quantities and a choice of charging now or when the campaign closes, are coming.

Join the waitlistSee the plans

How it works

  1. List it as its own edition

    Today, add a special edition to the book and sell it from your stock or print on demand.

  2. Coming, run a campaign

    Open a campaign with a goal, tiers such as the book alone or the book with extras, and a quantity for each tier.

  3. Coming, choose when readers pay

    Charge readers when they back the campaign, or save their card and charge when it closes.

  4. Coming, export the backers

    Download the pledges to plan the print run and the packing.

Files and details

Print files
For print on demand, the same interior and cover PDFs as other print editions.

What readers get

Today
Readers buy a special edition like any print copy, choosing a shipping rate at checkout.
Coming
Readers pick a tier on the campaign page and see how many are left.

What it costs to sell a special edition

Your plan, Stripe’s card fee on each sale and, for print, the printer’s price.

Card fees are Stripe’s standard rates for the country your Stripe account is in.
WhatCostDetails
Lanternbee, Free plan5% per saleTaken only when you sell. No monthly bill.
Lanternbee, Author plan$35€29£25 a month, paid yearlyOr $45€39£35 month to month. No fee on your sales.
Card payment, US account2.9% + 30¢Stripe’s standard rate for a US card. Cards issued outside the US add 1.5%, and paying in another currency adds 1%.
Card payment, UK account1.5% + 20pStandard UK cards. EEA cards are 2.5% + 20p, other international cards 3.15% + 20p, plus 2% when the currency is converted.
Card payment, EU account (Ireland)1.5% + €0.25Standard EEA cards. UK cards are 2.5% + €0.25, other international cards 3.15% + €0.25, plus 2% when the currency is converted.
Stripe Tax0.5% per saleOnly on sales where you are registered to collect tax. This is the pay-as-you-go rate for Stripe’s own checkout.
Lanternbee on print costsNo mark-up
BookVault foilingFrom £2.50 per copyOne of BookVault’s special-edition options.

Limits to know about

  • Campaigns, tiers and pledges are not built yet.
  • Special editions from your own stock need posting by you. Labels inside Lanternbee are coming.

VAT and sales tax

Special editions are printed books, so they follow the print rules for the reader’s country. Stripe Tax applies them at checkout.

VAT on books, country by country

Questions about selling special editions

Can I sell a special edition today?

Yes, as its own edition from your stock or through print on demand. The campaign tools are what is still coming.

Works with

BookVaultComingPrint on demand for paperbacks and hardcovers, printed in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.LuluComingPrint on demand through Lulu’s print network, with no setup fee.StripeBeing builtReaders pay you through your own Stripe account. You are the seller, and Stripe pays out to your bank.

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