The published MSRP is an issue, but generally books are available at wholesale for 40% off. So there is still a decent margin to start from, rent and staffing quickly eat into that cut. It&#x27;s all about sales volume. Most mainstream hardcovers are around $16-35; after markup would be about $6.40-$14&#x2F;copy in gross profit.<p>I used to work at an independent bookstore that had a niche for local and regional(WV&#x2F;Appalachia) authors and stories. This worked great as we were in a tourist area, so the influx of new customers was readily available.<p>For local customers we offered custom orders, to address issues with limited supply. Though it would be cheaper to go to Amazon, a large portion of the community are artists and craftsmen so they liked to encourage the local economy.