What happens when you buy a book?
Everyone along the chain gets a cut—and you can choose how to support authors you care about.
CASA URRACA PRESS
We know you have choices when you look to read a book. Specific numbers are impossible to find, but some plausible estimates place the number of books published in the United States at 4 million titles each year. You could read a new book every day and still read only 0.0001% of those books.
Sometimes, you want to read a New York Times bestseller. (We all do—that’s why they’re bestsellers.) Sometimes, you want to find something different.
Sometimes, you want to make a difference with the books you read.
When you’re looking for those latter two options, your best bet is to look for small presses and their authors. (And not just Casa Urraca Press books, either.)
What happens when I buy a book?
The specifics of what happens when you buy a book vary on a lot of factors, but in general the chain goes like this:
You buy a book from either a brick-and-mortar bookstore or an online retailer. Let’s say it costs $20.
The bookstore or retailer pays its distributor for that book, typically 60% of the full cover price you paid, or $12.
The distributor then pays the publisher for that book, often 30-45% of the cover price–say, $8.00.
The publisher pays royalties to the author, typically about 10% of the cover price, or $2.
The remaining 25-35% (or $6) that the publisher keeps must account for the process of producing that book, including editing, design, typesetting, marketing—and printing.
So no matter where you buy your new books, everyone along the chain earns a share of your $20.
(This is why we are such supporters of independent local bookstores. Shopping those stores ensures that, essentially, 40% of your book-buying dollars remains in your community. It’s also why we support shopping on Bookshop.org, a B-corp that directs 10-20% of every sale directly to independent booksellers.)
What happens when I read a book from a small press?
The first thing that happens when you read a book from a small press is simple: The publisher’s share of your dollars go to a small company, rather than a large corporate entity—and the author’s share of your dollars supports the continued creation of their work, often in niche fields, with specialized or regional subjects.
It’s a lot like choosing to buy a six-pack from a craft brewery, instead of a beer from some conglomerate headquartered in Amsterdam.
But it’s often hard to tell from looking at a book if it comes from a small press, or an imprint under one of the Big Five. (Many of which used to be small presses before they were acquired.)
Which is why, if you really want to make a difference when you pick a book, we recommend seeking out the publishers or authors directly.
Why shop direct from publishers and authors?
This sounds like such a marketing ploy, but it’s true: if you seek out small publishers and authors directly, you can often cut out the middleman and make a greater impact that allows writers to keep writing, and publishers to keep publishing, books that matter to you.
For instance, when readers shop the Casa Urraca Press bookstore directly, our printing and production costs are the same—but we retain the revenue that would normally go to a retailer and a distributor. (Which we—like many other indie publishers—convert into significantly higher royalty rates for our authors.)
Many authors have commerce sections on their websites where they likewise earn the retail portions of their books, too—and many authors will add special touches, like signing and personalizing books.
If you prefer in-person events to online shopping, you can seek out small publishers and their authors at events, from art markets to academic conferences to comic cons.
Plus, many publishers offer special or limited editions of books exclusively through their direct-to-reader bookstores, to readers who subscribe to their mailing lists, or to returning customers. Many of Casa Urraca Press’s books in this category are New Mexico True Certified, meaning they are created and produced entirely within the state.
(If you want to support your local bookstore but still read small press books, you can request special orders for most titles in print. The added bonus here? Passionate booksellers learn about books they otherwise might never have seen!)
What happens when I support a Casa Urraca Press title?
We can’t speak for all other small presses. But here’s how we’re dedicated to investing the revenue we earn when readers shop directly from our bookstore:
We strive to hire designers, editors, publicists, and other professionals from New Mexico.
We print and bind special editions of our books using New Mexico print shops.
We focus our outreach efforts on independent bookstores in New Mexico and the Southwest, on partnering with and supporting regional nonprofit organizations & schools, and participating in arts, literature, and academic events throughout the state.
So what?
When you choose to read books published by small presses, you make an outsized impact on the literary ecosystem.
Your book-buying money goes to support small businesses that tend to champion niche fields, regional subjects, and authors that deserve more representation.
You support local economies beyond just authors and publishers—including print shops, designers, editors, and other skilled creatives.
You likely get more opportunities to connect with the authors who move you—and they are more likely to be aware of your support.
You help other readers and booksellers learn about great books.
So next time you’re browsing the shelves—physically or digitally—pay attention to that colophon. Look at the copyright page or the “about the publisher” section at the back. See what you can learn about where your books come from—and who you’re supporting when you read them.