Receipts for Spring ‘22
As the pre-order period for the press’s first three booklets has ended, I want to offer my gratitude to everyone who supported this effort and also provide a receipt for the money I’ve donated to TENT (Transgender Education Network of Texas). Additionally, in the interest of full transparency, I want to offer a detailed breakdown of the press's budget and earnings, as I think this kind of information -- which often remains hidden by presses -- is valuable in giving others a clear idea of the reach of a project like this.
From 32 individual orders (including some generous donations), the press drew in a total of $823.50. The majority of these orders were for all three booklets (cost of $20.50, excluding shipping), and altogether 86 individual booklets were purchased: 30 copies of Civil Society, 29 of Three Essays, and 27 of Dysnomia.
Sixty percent of this total ($494.10) has been donated to the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT). I rounded up to $500 and then paid a bit additional to cover transaction fees, resulting in a full donation of $516.45. Here are photo receipts for the money donated.
The remaining 40% of the revenue is kept by the press, amounting to $329.40. However, most of this amount goes toward off-setting the costs of production, especially the initial investments in materials and tools. While an individual booklet only costs approx. $1 to make, I spent approx. $500 on items needed for the total project. The biggest expense was a laser printer ($235), but other costs included shipping materials, paper and card-stock, bone folder and scoring mat, Xacto knife and blades, cutting mat, long stapler and staples, safety ruler, etc. To finance some of this, I sold a couple pieces of musical equipment, earning $200 to pay against the costs. Now, when I add to this the $329.40 earned from booklet sales, the press begins to make an actual profit—albeit only $29.40. However, more than the profit itself, what this means is the press is no longer operating at a deficit. And going forward, the ratio of production cost to earning will be much more forgiving, limited mostly to paper, card-stock, and ink.
In sum, this first sales period was a success, as two primary goals were met: 1) to raise a significant amount of money for TENT and 2) to secure the press financially by off-setting its initial costs. Soon, I will write up a guide for anyone interested in replicating this model in the most cost-efficient manner. Additionally, before long, I will have news about future booklets, both from myself and other writers.
Again, my gratitude to everyone who helped out in any way. I truly appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy reading. 🖤
-RM
