Free tools

Bookshop Storefront Calculator

Bookshop.org’s affiliate programme and Amazon Associates pay you a small slice of every sale. Enter your monthly sales and the share that goes through marketplaces today, and see how much more your own online shop would keep over one year and over three.

For independent bookshops, online bookshops and content creators selling books through Bookshop.org, Amazon Affiliate, Shopify or Aerio. If you run a magazine with a paywall, use our Magazine Paywall Revenue Calculator instead.

Bookshop storefront calculator

Change any figure and the results update as you go.

Monthly sales (USD, all channels)

% of sales through Bookshop.org / Amazon Affiliate today 60%

% the marketplace keeps (affiliate commission) 70%

% your own shop would cost (platform + processing) 15%

Expected annual sales growth 10%

What your own shop adds a year

Extra revenue if the share you sell through marketplaces moved to your own shop.

From marketplace commission to a margin of your own

Bookshop.org’s affiliate programme pays around 30% of the cover price (the bookshop keeps 30, and Bookshop keeps the rest after the publisher’s cost), and Amazon Associates typically pays 4–10% on books. In your own online shop on publica.la you pay one platform fee plus Stripe processing (~3%), and you keep the customer, the email list and the chance to sell them more.

This calculator gives you a rough answer in seconds. For a full model that counts the discovery marketplaces bring, mixed ebook and print sales, fulfilment costs and a three-year horizon, book a 30-minute call and we’ll run it with your real figures.

publica.la for bookshops

Frequently asked questions

How much does Bookshop.org actually pay bookshops?

Bookshop.org’s affiliate programme splits roughly 30% of the cover price with the bookshop on each sale (10% directly plus a share of a pool). That is well ahead of Amazon Associates (4–10% on books), but you are still selling on Bookshop’s terms: it owns the shop, the customer’s email and the checkout.

What does Amazon Affiliate pay on book sales?

Amazon Associates commission on books is usually between 4% and 10%, depending on category and volume. On a $20 book that is $0.80 to $2.00, and Amazon keeps the whole relationship with the customer. It is the easiest channel to set up and the hardest to build a real business on.

Why does the calculator assume 15% commission in your own shop?

It is a realistic combined rate for a modern online bookshop: Stripe processing (~3%), the fee for a professional-grade platform (~10–12%) and a small margin for chargebacks, refunds and reconciling shipping on print orders. Real figures vary with plan and volume, so book a call for a precise quote.

Should I drop Bookshop.org and Amazon entirely?

No. The sensible move is to keep them for discovery and send your most committed buyers (email subscribers, social followers, repeat customers) to your own shop. That is how independent bookshops such as Powell's, McNally Jackson and Daunt Books run their digital business.

Does this calculator work for print books, ebooks or both?

It works for the share of your sales that can realistically move away from marketplaces: usually digital products (ebooks, audiobooks) plus print sales that come through your own list. If today you sell only print, and only through Bookshop.org, the calculator overestimates how much can move; book a call and we’ll adjust the model.

Who is this tool for?

Independent bookshops, online bookshops and content creators who sell books. If you run a magazine or newspaper with a paywall, the channels work differently: use the Magazine Paywall Revenue Calculator instead.

Want the full breakdown with your real figures?

Book a 30-minute call and we’ll model your channel mix, fulfilment costs and the next three years with your real sales.

Let’s talk about your shop