THE INDIE LAB PRESENTS
Useful numbers for authors who hate numbers.
Royalties. Ads. Read-through. KU. Direct sales. All the stuff you probably should calculate, without opening a spreadsheet or developing a sudden interest in accounting.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO FIGURE OUT?
Start with the question. We'll handle the maths.
No dashboard maze. Pick the problem that is currently bothering you.
Readers & ads
What a reader is worth, where they disappear, and what you can afford to pay to find another one.
What is one reader actually worth?
See what a new Book 1 reader is worth across your whole series — not just the first sale.
Calculate reader value → LIVEWhere are my readers disappearing?
Turn series sales into a simple read-through picture and spot the book where readers wander off.
See series read-through → LIVEAre my ads eating my lunch?
Work out the most you can afford to pay for a click before the maths turns ugly.
Check ad break-even →Money & publishing
Royalties, KU, bundles, prices and the awkward question of whether any money is actually left.
Am I actually making money?
Sales, KU, ads and basic costs in one place. The answer may contain feelings.
Check book profit → LIVEWhat are those KU pages worth?
Turn KENP pages and a payout rate into an estimated royalty without touching a spreadsheet.
Estimate KU revenue → LIVEWhat do I keep from a paperback?
See what remains after the royalty rate and printing cost you enter.
Check paperback profit → LIVEDirect or retailer?
Compare how much you keep from the same ebook sale after the fees you enter.
Compare the sale → LIVEWhat should I charge for this bundle?
Choose a discount and see the bundle price, reader saving and effective price per book.
Price the bundle → LIVECan a lower royalty pay for itself?
See how many extra sales a new per-copy royalty needs to match what you make now.
Check the price change →Writing & production
For the part before the royalty statements begin.
DESIGNED FOR NORMAL HUMANS
The maths stays backstage.
Every tool gives you one clear answer first. You can inspect the machinery if you want, but nobody is making you.
“What do you earn from one sale?” beats “net unit contribution.” Every time.
If you don't have a number, we'll explain it, estimate it, or let you skip it.
Results start with what the number means, not twelve cells of intermediate arithmetic.
The formula is always available. It just doesn't get to run the place.