Because authors deserve clarity, control, and confidence. Today, authors do not have access to the details of their book sales and financial information, nor do they have reliable access. Even for book publishers, depository and returns place a blind spot in actual sales generated.

By providing itemized, easy-to-access reports for our authors and new authors like you, if you decide to become part of the ASA Publishing Family, book sales and PCN royalties as we receive them, we ensure that you're never left guessing about your earnings or your impact. You’ll see exactly how your work is performing, how revenue is shared, and how your creative efforts translate into real-world results.

A "Depository" is a placeholder (repository) for physically printed books where physical and online booksellers and certain institutions have restricted access to a shared bulk of inventory apart from any publishing house. This is why consumers can purchase a book from booksellers faster than an author can receive a book or a bulk order from their publisher. It's like having warehousing for booksellers and print-on-demand books for publishers.

Here's how it affects accuracy:

⛈️The challenge: Publishers often don’t receive real-time data on how many books were sold, returned, or redistributed through these channels. This restricted access can lead to gaps in reporting and vague answers from publishers.

☀️The solution: At ASA, we track monthly fluctuations and provide authors with clear updates—even when depository data is limited. This helps our authors spot trends, ask informed questions, and stay in control of their publishing journey.

This is why it is so important for our publishing house to provide transparency, that it can reduce the need for unexplained questions or vague answers, while strengthening publisher-client relationship trust.

Returnables are books that were sold to retailers but later returned—meaning they don’t count as final sales for royalty earnings.

In traditional and hybrid publishing, booksellers often have the option to return unsold inventory to distributors or depositories. These returned copies are referred to as “Returnables.” While they may have been initially purchased, they are not considered positive sales because they didn’t stay in circulation or reach readers.

Why Returnables Matter:

• They reduce your net sales for the month or quarter

• They affect PCN royalty calculations, since only final, non-returned sales generate earnings

• This can happen within that 30-day royalty window prior to the month before royalty payments actually go out

• They can signal issues with distribution, pricing, or marketing that may need attention

How ASA Publishing Corporation Handles It:

At ASA, we track returnables closely and reflect them in your monthly royalty worksheet. This ensures:

• 🧾 Accurate reporting of actual sales vs. returns

• 🔍 Transparency in how your royalties are calculated

• 📊 Insights into market performance and inventory flow

Returnables are part of the publishing ecosystem—but with clear tracking and honest reporting, they don’t have to be a mystery.

It’s the grace period after each quarter that allows booksellers, printers, and distributors to finalize sales and returns, ensuring your royalty payment is accurate.

At ASA Publishing Corporation, royalties are paid quarterly, based on actual book sales and PCN earnings. However, even with monthly tracking, there’s a 30-day royalty window following each quarter to account for delayed reporting, straggling returns, and final reconciliations.

📆Example:

• (Q1) or 1st Quarter: January, February, March

• Royalty Payment: Issued in May

• 30-Day Window: April is used to finalize data; May reflects the completed payout

• Overlap: The second quarter begins in April, but Q1 royalties are still being processed

This window ensures:

• 🔍 Accurate royalty calculations—no missing sales or uncounted returns

• 🧾 Fair compensation—based on finalized, verified data

• 🤝 Trust and transparency—authors know exactly what’s included in each payout

Even though you receive monthly statements, this 30-day window is essential for reconciling traditional and hybrid publishing data across multiple vendors. It’s how we make sure your royalty check reflects the full truth of your book’s performance.

Because book publishing is dynamic—and so are the lives and goals of our authors. Each month, the number of active authors may shift due to a variety of factors:

New signings and onboarding: ASA Publishing Corporation welcomes new authors regularly, including interns, first-time writers, and seasoned professionals.

Project completion or pause: Some authors finalize their publishing packages, while others may pause for revisions, marketing, or personal reasons.

Seasonal trends: Depending on the books and their genre types, certain seasons tend to produce more sales. For example, Christmas books, Easter books, vs. novels, children's books, cookbooks, poetry books, and religious books.

Seasonal events and outreaches: Our internship and outreach programs often align with school calendars, workforce initiatives, and national campaigns—leading to surges in participation. This could result in only a few authors and/or books participating in certain functions.

Creative cycles: Writing is not a linear process. Authors may step back to refine their manuscripts, conduct research, or prepare for launch events.

What remains constant is our commitment to each author’s journey. Whether you're active this month or returning next quarter, your place in the ASA Publishing Family is always respected—and your data, royalties, and progress are tracked with care.

Royalties are paid quarterly—but your monthly sales and PCN earnings are always visible.

At ASA Publishing Corporation, we believe authors should never be left in the dark. While royalty payments are issued on a quarterly basis, we provide monthly breakdowns of your book sales and PCN royalties so you can track your progress in real-time.

What is PCN? PCN stands for Publisher Compensation Net—the amount remaining after the retail price has been divided among the bookseller, printer, and distributor. Once those costs are deducted, the publisher receives the net balance and splits it 60/40:

• ✍️ 60% to the author

• 🏛️ 40% to the publishing house

This structure ensures that you’re fairly compensated for your creative work, while also supporting the infrastructure that brings your book to market.

This is the formula for your quarterly royalty payment:

• January, February, March - 60% Royalty received in May

• April, May, June - 60% Royalty received in August

• July, August, September - 60% Royalty received in November

• October, November, December - 60% Royalty received in February