A challenge to Outskirts Press:prove you're not full of crap

A few days ago Outskirts Press rep Karl sent me an email saying, "Many authors have discovered that switching to Outskirts Press is more profitable for them... For one recent best-selling author on Amazon, switching to Outskirts Press from "Publisher A" was the best decision he ever made. His royalties increased from 15% of his retail price to 55% of his retail price as a result. Instead of $3.74 per book, he started making nearly $14 for every book he sold on Amazon."

Using some basic junior high school math, Karl's numbers point to a cover price for the book of $24.95. Karl claims that the author is getting nearly $14 (likely $13.72).

HOWEVER, if you use the royalty tables on the Outskirts website, the numbers are VERY DIFFERENT.

A 400 page paperback book with a $24.95 price pays royalties of $1.12, $2.12 or $3.12, depending on the publishing package the author decides to buy from Outskirts.

A 300 page book with a $24.95 price pays royalties of $2.72, $3.72 or $4.72.

A 200 page book with a $24.95 price (a bit of a stretch for a 200-page book) pays royalties of $4.32, $5.32 or $6.32.

A puny 45 page book (minimum possible size) with an absurd $24.95 price pays royalties of $5.96, $6.96 or $7.96.

Even if I decreased the page size from the common 6x9" size to a smaller 5x8" size to save bit of paper, the royalties did not increase.

If I "force" the online royalty calculator to work out the numbers for a 300-page deluxe hard-cover jacketed book with a $24.95 price, the royalties are NEGATIVE $1.93, $2.93 or $4.93!

It looks like the only way that Outskirts could pay a 55% royalty on a $24.95 book would be if the book had no pages. I doubt that many people would pay $24.95 for an empty cover.

OK, Karl or Brent, I'd like to see your numbers. I invite you to prove me wrong.