Bookshop Storefront Calculator
Bookshop.org affiliate and Amazon Associates pay you a tiny slice of every sale. Plug in your monthly GMV and the share that runs through marketplaces today to see how much more revenue your own digital storefront would keep — over one year and over three.
Built for: indie bookshops, online bookstores and content creators selling books across Bookshop.org, Amazon Affiliate, Shopify or Aerio. If you run a magazine with a paywall instead, use our Magazine Paywall Revenue Calculator.
Bookshop storefront calculator
Edit any input to update the results live.
Want the full waterfall with your real numbers?
Book a 30-minute call and we will model channel mix, fulfillment economics and a 3-year horizon with your real GMV.
How we get from marketplace fees to owned margin
Bookshop.org affiliate pays around 30% of the cover price (the bookshop keeps 30, Bookshop keeps the rest after publisher cost), and Amazon Associates typically pays 4–10% on books. With an owned digital storefront on Publica.la you pay a single platform fee plus Stripe processing (~3%) — and you keep the customer, the email list and the upsell flow.
This calculator gives you the directional answer in seconds. Want a full model that accounts for marketplace-driven discovery, hybrid ebook + print, fulfillment economics and a 3-year horizon? Book a 30-minute call and we will run it with your real numbers.
Bookshop storefront platforms compared
How Publica.la stacks up against the most common alternatives bookshops consider when moving away from marketplaces.
| Platform | You keep (effective) | Monthly cost | Time to launch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publica.la Recommended | Up to 85% | From $0/mo | Hours | All-in-one: ecommerce, reader, native apps, DRM, integrations, support. 85% retention available on enterprise plans. |
| Bookshop.org affiliate | ~30% | $0 | Days | Storefront on a marketplace you don't control. Print-focused. They own the customer. |
| Amazon Associates | 4–10% | $0 | Days | Commission on book sales referred to Amazon. Massive catalog, you keep almost nothing. |
| Shopify + plugins | ~70% | $300–$2,000+ | 4–8 weeks | General ecommerce. Needs third-party apps for digital delivery and a reader experience. |
| Aerio / Bookshop affiliate | 10–30% | $0 | Days | Storefront on a marketplace you don't control. Print-focused. |
Effective take-rate is what your publishing house keeps after platform fees, payment processing, channel share, and typical platform-related fixed costs. Figures are industry estimates; your numbers may vary.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Bookshop.org affiliate actually pay bookshops?
Bookshop.org affiliate splits roughly 30% of the cover price with the bookshop on each sale (10% direct + a pooled share). That is meaningfully better than Amazon Associates (4–10% on books), but you are still operating on Bookshop's rails — they own the storefront, the customer email and the checkout.
What does Amazon Affiliate pay on book sales?
Amazon Associates commission on books is typically between 4% and 10% depending on category and volume. For a $20 book that is $0.80 to $2.00 of revenue, and Amazon owns the entire customer relationship. It is the easiest channel to set up — and the hardest one to build a real business on.
Why does the calculator assume 15% commission on the owned storefront?
It is a realistic blended rate for a modern digital bookshop: Stripe processing (~3%), the platform fee for an enterprise-grade tool (~10–12%), and a small buffer for chargebacks, refunds and shipping reconciliation on print orders. Real numbers vary by plan and volume — book a call for a precise quote.
Should I drop Bookshop.org and Amazon entirely?
No. The smart play is to keep them as discovery channels and run your high-intent traffic (email subscribers, social followers, repeat customers) through your owned storefront. That is how independent bookshops like Powell's, McNally Jackson and Daunt Books actually run their digital business.
Does this calculator work for print, ebook or both?
It works for the share of your GMV that can realistically move off-marketplace — typically digital products (ebooks, audiobooks) plus print sales that happen through your own list. If you are 100% print and 100% Bookshop.org today, the calculator over-estimates the achievable shift; book a call and we will adjust the model.
What ICPs does this tool support?
Indie bookshops, online bookstores and content creators selling books. If you run a magazine or newspaper with a paywall, the channel economics are different — use the Magazine Paywall Revenue Calculator for that ICP.
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