How much does an author earn per book?
Calculate gross royalties from your contract’s tax-exclusive retail price, royalty rate and sales. Include an advance without counting it twice.
How this page is made
This model applies one fixed royalty rate to the tax-exclusive retail price. Its initial values are hypothetical examples you can edit. The advance is assumed fully paid and recoupable against the same royalties. Figures are gross contractual amounts, before taxes and deductions. Payment dates depend on your contract.
Your contract assumptions
€1,600.00
Gross contractual total, advance included
- Royalties generated by sales
- €1,600.00
- Advance already paid
- €0.00
- Additional royalties after the advance
- €1,600.00
- Advance still to earn out
- €0.00
Royalties generated by sales (€)
Advance already paid (€)
These two bars overlap economically: do not add them. Total = advance + royalties exceeding the advance.
Copies needed to earn out : 0
What changes with sales?
Illustration: €20 excluding tax, 8% royalties and a €3,000 advance. These are hypothetical contract values. The chart compares total gross amounts on the same scale.
€3,000.00
500 copies sold
Total gross (€), advance included
Generated royalties : €800.00
Additional payout : €0.00
€3,000.00
1,000 copies sold
Total gross (€), advance included
Generated royalties : €1,600.00
Additional payout : €0.00
€3,200.00
2,000 copies sold
Total gross (€), advance included
Generated royalties : €3,200.00
Additional payout : €200.00
€8,000.00
5,000 copies sold
Total gross (€), advance included
Generated royalties : €8,000.00
Additional payout : €5,000.00
What the model covers
Sales royalties = price excluding tax × royalty percentage ÷ 100 × sold copies. Rounding to cents applies once to the total. Sales royalties first cover the advance; the excess becomes additional royalties.
Use the basis specified in your contract. A net-receipts contract, stepped rates, different formats, foreign-rights income, deductions, taxes and production costs require other calculations. This calculator does not model self-publishing profit or estimate take-home income.
- SGDL — tax-exclusive retail price, royalties and advances
- Authors Guild — how advances against royalties work
Sources checked on 13 September 2026. Your own contract determines the applicable terms.
Your turn to write.