Creators, coaches & info products

Books and taxes for self-published authors.

Royalties from Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and audiobook sales, an editor and cover designer paid before launch, and ad spend that runs for months after release. Your own bookkeeper sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
SeptemberExample month
$4,700
what you made

September came in at $4,700. Royalties from four different retailers landed this month, so I kept each one visible instead of one blended number.

  • Amazon KDP royalty payoutRetailer royalties
  • Draft2Digital payoutRetailer royalties
  • Editor, developmental passEditing
  • Cover designer, new releaseCover design
  • BookBub featured dealBook advertising
Money in$8,600
Money out$3,900
Set aside for taxes$1,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A self-published author's books go wrong in a few specific spots.

A generalist sees a royalty deposit and calls it done. Yours comes in from several retailers on their own schedules, each at a different royalty rate, next to launch costs paid up front for a book that earns back slowly over months or years.

  1. 1

    Retailer royalties pay on different schedules at different rates

    Amazon pays about two months behind at one royalty split, while Apple Books, Kobo, and an audiobook seller each pay on their own calendar at their own rate, so a single blended deposit hides which retailer and format actually sell.

    What we doKeeps each retailer's royalty in its own line, so you can see which retailer and format actually drive income, not just a blended total.
  2. 2

    A launch costs money for months before it earns it back

    Editing, a cover, and a launch ad push can run $2,000 to $4,000 before a single royalty comes in, and a book can take a year or more to earn that back, so a launch month always looks like a loss on its own.

    What we doTracks launch costs against that specific title's royalties over time, so you can see whether a book earned out, not just whether the launch month was rough.
  3. 3

    A box set or co-op splits income with other authors

    A multi-author box set pays out a shared royalty that has to be split between everyone involved, and if that split is not tracked clearly, it is easy to either overreport or underreport what actually belongs to you.

    What we doKeeps co-op and box set income separate and notes the split, so only your actual share gets counted as your income.
  4. 4

    Ad spend runs constantly across many books

    Running Amazon ads or BookBub features across a backlist of ten or more titles means dozens of small charges that are easy to lose track of against which book they were actually promoting.

    What we doKeeps ad spend visible as its own category so you can see total marketing cost against total royalty income for the month.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an author business.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend on. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Retailer royaltiesAmazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and Draft2Digital payouts.
  • Audiobook royaltiesACX, Findaway Voices, or a direct audiobook distributor.
  • Print royaltiesIngramSpark and print-on-demand paperback or hardcover sales.
  • Co-op and box set incomeShared royalties from multi-author collections, noted with the split.

Money out

  • EditingDevelopmental, line, and copy editing for each release.
  • Cover designCover art and formatting for ebook and print.
  • Book advertisingAmazon ads, BookBub features, and Facebook ads for launches.
  • Formatting and conversionEbook and print formatting services.
  • ARC and review costsAdvance copies sent out for early reviews.

What we watch for you

  • Royalty by retailer

    Which retailer and format actually pay best, since the split varies a lot.

  • Cost to launch

    What editing, cover design, and ads cost against what a title earns back over its life.

  • Backlist share

    How much monthly income comes from older titles versus the newest release.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so a strong launch month does not turn into a surprise bill.

Ask Gus

Things self-published authors ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

My royalty deposit this month is a mix of four different sites. Can you break that down for me?

Yes. I keep Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and your audiobook payouts in separate lines, so you can see which one is actually carrying the month.

I spent $3,000 on my new release and it only made $400 this month. Did I make a mistake?

Not necessarily. I am tracking that $3,000 against this title's royalties over time, since books often take months to earn out. We will know more as it goes.

I was part of a box set with five other authors. How does that income get split?

I keep it as its own line with the split noted, so only your actual share counts as your income, not the whole royalty payout.

The tax side

The tax side of self-publishing.

Most of what trips people up here is royalties from several sources landing on different schedules, and launch costs that take a while to earn back.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Paying an editor or cover designer $2,000 or moreAn editor, designer, or formatter not on payroll, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that running total.
  • Self-employment taxAn author not on payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Foreign retailer royaltiesRoyalties from Kobo, Apple, or other sites based outside the US can carry different reporting rules. Gus keeps them visible, and the accountant sorts out what changes.
  • The pass-through deductionMost author businesses can take up to 20 percent of profit off their taxable income. Above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, the accountant checks how much applies.

Deductions self-published authors miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Editing and proofreading
  • Cover design and art
  • Formatting services
  • Book advertising
  • BookBub and promo site fees
  • ARC copies for reviewers
  • Writing software and tools
  • Website and author page hosting
  • Conference and research travel
  • Business liability insurance
  • Accounting and legal fees

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

An author's year, kept every month.

Launches happen on your schedule, and royalties trail in on the retailer's. Your team keeps the books closed every month, all year. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the release calendar

    Last year's return gets started, the editor and designer 1099s are prepared, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is no scramble.

  2. April

    Filed between drafts

    Filed and signed between drafts, with no scramble for cash since a share of every royalty since January has been set aside.

  3. July

    Backlist pace check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether a spring release changed the number.

  4. October

    Before a holiday release

    Many authors time a release for holiday reading. Gus looks at planned launch costs and anything worth doing before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for self-published authors. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions self-published authors ask first.

Do I owe tax on royalties from retailers based outside the US?

Usually, though the reporting can differ from a US retailer's. Gus keeps foreign royalties visible as their own line, and the accountant sorts out what applies.

I have a backlist of 15 books. Can Gus track royalties by title?

He can keep it as detailed as you want, from one blended author income line to royalties broken out by title, so you can see what is actually earning.

My cover designer is based overseas. Does she still get a 1099?

Usually not a 1099-NEC, since that is generally for US persons. The accountant sorts out what form, if any, applies to a foreign contractor.

I run ads on Amazon every day across my whole backlist. Is that hard to track?

No. Gus keeps total ad spend visible against total royalty income for the month, so you can see whether the ads are paying off overall.

My royalty and expense records have never been organized. Can Gus start from here?

Yes. Send the retailer payout reports and bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks it, and most authors know where they stand inside a week.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

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Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever