Finance Tracking
Track your income, expenses, and profit across your author business. See which books are truly profitable and make better business decisions.
What is Finance Tracking?
The Finance dashboard helps you understand the money side of your author business. Track income from book sales, record expenses like editing and covers, and see your true profit.
Tip
Many authors are surprised when they calculate their true profit per book. Tracking expenses helps you make informed decisions about pricing, marketing spend, and which series to continue.
The Finance Dashboard
Go to Dashboard → Finance to see your financial overview:
- Total Income — All money coming in
- Total Expenses — All money going out
- Profit/Loss — The difference (income minus expenses)
- Recent Transactions — Your latest income and expenses
Recording Income
Add income whenever you receive money from your author business:
- Click + New Transaction
- Select Income as the type
- Enter the amount (with two decimal places for cents)
- Add the date you received payment
- Optionally link to a pen name, series, book, or variation
- Add notes about the source (e.g., "Amazon royalties March")
Income Sources to Track
- Royalties from Amazon, Kobo, Apple, etc.
- Direct sales from Direct2Readers
- Audiobook income from Audible or Findaway
- Print book royalties
- Speaking fees or workshop income
- Patreon or subscription income
Recording Expenses
Track all the costs of running your author business:
- Click + New Transaction
- Select Expense as the type
- Enter the amount
- Add the date you paid
- Link to the relevant book, series, or vendor
- Add notes about what it was for
Common Author Expenses
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Editing | Developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading |
| Design | Cover design, interior formatting, custom illustrations |
| Marketing | Advertising (Amazon, Facebook, BookBub), newsletter swaps |
| Production | ISBNs, copyright registration, print proofs |
| Tools | Software subscriptions, website hosting, email service |
| Audio | Narrator fees, production costs, rights fees |
Tax Disclaimer
StorytellerOS is not tax or accounting software. Always consult with a qualified accountant for tax preparation. This tool is for personal tracking and business insights.
Linking Transactions
Link transactions to other records for better reporting:
- Link to Books — Track profit per book (especially useful for seeing if editing and cover costs have paid off)
- Link to Series — See total investment in a series vs. return
- Link to Pen Names — Compare profitability across author identities
- Link to Vendors — Track spending with each service provider
- Link to Variations — See if ebook, paperback, or audiobook is most profitable
Tip
When you link expenses to books, you can see the true profit after subtracting all costs. This helps you decide which genres or series are worth continuing.
Filtering and Reports
Filter transactions to see specific time periods or categories:
- By Date Range — This month, this quarter, this year, custom
- By Type — Income only, expenses only, or both
- By Book/Series — See financials for a specific project
- By Vendor — Track spending with each service provider
Financial Insights
Use your financial data to make better decisions:
- Book ROI — Did the money you spent on editing and cover earn back?
- Series Profitability — Which series generate the most profit?
- Marketing Efficiency — Which ad spend gives the best return?
- Format Comparison — Is audiobook production worth the investment?
Note
Financial data is stored in your Airtable base. You can export it anytime or create custom views in Airtable for more detailed analysis.
Best Practices
- Record as you go — Add transactions when they happen, not at the end of the month
- Be consistent — Use the same naming conventions for easier filtering
- Link everything — The more you link, the better your insights
- Review monthly — Check your profit/loss each month to stay on track
- Keep receipts — Add notes with invoice numbers for tax time