At Books.by, your royalties are calculated instantly when a reader buys your book and are automatically paid out once the order ships.
This article explains how royalties work, when to expect payments, and how to check the status of your payouts.
1. How Royalties Work
Books.by pays authors 100% of their royalties. Royalties are paid daily, upon dispatch of your order. Royalties are paid through Stripe Connect, a secure payment system that transfers funds directly to your linked bank account.
Stage | Timing | Description |
Sale occurs | Instant Royalty Calculation | Your royalty is calculated instantly when the order is placed. Your royalty will be labeled as 'In Progress' during the printing phase. |
Book prints and ships | 3–5 business days | Once the order is dispatched, your royalty will be Paid and show in your available balance. |
Books.by payout | Daily at midnight UTC | Books.by process all available payouts daily to Stripe Connect. |
Stripe bank transfer | 1–5 business days | Stripe transfers funds to your connected bank account, where timing may depend on your bank account's processing schedule. |
Example:
Day 0 – Sale occurs → royalty displayed
Day 3 – Book ships → royalty paid
Day 4 – Payout sent to Stripe → Stripe transfers funds to your bank within a few days
2. How Royalties Are Calculated
Royalties are calculated automatically at the time of sale using:
The retail price (RRP) you set
The shipping fee paid by the reader
The printing cost (based on book type, page count, and colour)
Merchant processing fees (credit-card fees)
Formula:
Royalty = (RRP + shipping paid by reader) – (print cost + shipping cost + merchant fee)
Your royalties are displayed in your dashboard immediately under the Royalties tab.
3. Connecting Your Bank Account (Stripe Connect)
Books.by uses Stripe Connect to deposit royalties securely into your bank account.
To start receiving payments:
Go to your Books.by dashboard → Royalties page.
Click Set Up Payouts and complete your Stripe Connect setup.
Enter your bank details and tax information.
Once setup is complete, payouts will flow automatically.
Tip: You can update your bank details anytime from the Royalties page. Keeping your information accurate helps avoid payout delays.
4. Bank Integrations and Supported Countries
Books.by pays royalties directly to your chosen bank account through Stripe Connect.
To ensure smooth transfers:
Double-check your country selection during setup.
Keep your bank account details up to date on the Stripe Connect account.
Monitor your payouts in the dashboard — payments labeled Pending have been calculated but not yet released
We support bank integrations and payouts for the following countries:
Supported Countries:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
India (invite-only)
Indonesia (preview)
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
5. Understanding Your Dashboard
Your Books.by dashboard includes three tables for transparency:
Table | What It Shows |
Latest Orders | Each sale, printing status, and customer details. |
Latest Royalties | Royalty breakdowns, costs, and payout status for each order. |
Payouts | Dates, amounts, and payout statuses released to Stripe. |
Latest Orders
Displays each sale, printing status, and customer details.
Latest Royalties:
Displays the payout status of each sale, with a breakdown of income, print costs, fulfilment costs, merchant fees, and your final net royalty. You can click on any line item in the Latest Royalties table for a full breakdown.
Payouts
Shows the amounts, payout dates, and status of each payment that is being processed and released to your bank account.
Refunds, cancellations, or failed print jobs will automatically be deducted from your royalties.
6. Understanding Royalty Statuses
Status | Meaning |
In Progress | Book still printing; royalty not yet paid. Royalties are paid instantly upon dispatch of your order. |
Paid | Book has shipped; royalty has been released to your available funds, pending your daily scheduled payout. |
Pending | Royalty is in the process of being paid out to Stripe Connect. We process all payouts daily at midnight UTC. If your payout has been Pending for 1-2 weeks, it is likely being reviewed by our team before release. |
Done | The royalty payout has successfully processed, and funds are in your Stripe Connect account or in your connected bank account. |
7. Common Questions
My royalty is 'In Progress'. When will it be released?
When an order is placed, we display your royalties instantly, and show the status as 'In Progress'. The royalty for this order will be paid when the book is dispatched to the customer, and the status will update automatically.
Upon dispatch, the royalty funds will be 'Paid', and will be released to your bank account as part of your next scheduled payout.
My book has shipped, but my payout still says Pending.
Books.by releases royalties daily at midnight UTC.
Sometimes, payouts remain Pending for a few extra days while being reviewed.
Occasionally, a payment provider flags a transaction for a brief review before releasing it. These reviews are normal and are usually resolved within 1–2 weeks. Once cleared, funds are transferred automatically.
My royalty looks lower than expected.
Printing and shipping costs vary depending on the reader’s location and delivery method.
Royalties are calculated after deducting real-time print and shipping costs. If your margin feels low, you can adjust your retail price at any time to increase future royalties.
Why do I see royalties for cancelled orders?
Royalties appear at the time of sale for transparency but are automatically voided if the order never ships.
My funds haven’t arrived yet.
Books.by sends payouts daily, but banks may take a few extra days to process transfers.
Check the status of your payment for more information.
If the status is Pending, it is in the process of being paid, or it may be in-review by our team for a manual approval (which can take 1-2 weeks).
If the status is Done, the royalty has been paid out successfully by Books.by, and is either in your Stripe Connect account, or on the way to your nominated bank account. Depending on your bank’s processing times, this can take 1–5 business days.
8. Refunds and Adjustments
Refunds and cancellations automatically adjust royalty balances in real time.
If a book is cancelled before shipping, the royalty remains visible for transparency but is not paid out.
9. Troubleshooting
Issue | What to Check | What to Do |
Royalty still In Progress | Has the order shipped yet? | Royalties are paid when the book dispatches. |
Payout delayed | Check Stripe Connect. | It may be awaiting review or subject to your Stripe payout schedule. |
Funds missing | Check your bank’s processing times. | Most banks deposit funds within 1–5 days after Stripe release. |
Wrong payout region | Set up using “United States” by mistake. | Contact support to reset your Stripe Connect setup and select the correct country. |
10. Need Help?
If you haven’t received your payout after 10 business days, or believe your Stripe Connect setup may need to be reset, our Author Success team can help.
📧 Email: [email protected]
Please include your book title, date of sale, and payout date if available.