The offer is one number. What you keep is another.

How the calculation works

Net before taxes = gross payment − percentage fee on gross − fixed fees − preparation costs − review costs.

Amounts are in U.S. dollars. Each monetary component is rounded to cents. A percentage fee is applied to the gross amount and rounded to cents before subtraction. Negative results are shown: preparation can cost more than the proposed payment.

The calculator starts blank. “Load fictional example” compares a $50,000 payment with $20,500 in fees and costs against a $40,000 payment with $9,000 in fees and costs. The resulting nets are $29,500 and $31,000. These are arithmetic examples, not market prices or earnings estimates.

Keep the assumptions beside the result.

• Use a payment for a defined delivery. Keep uncertain renewals and royalties separate.
• Only combine costs that apply to this transaction. Avoid counting the same fee in two fields.
• If a fee uses a different basis, calculate it separately and enter it as a fixed fee.
• Taxes, financing, payment timing, nonpayment, holdbacks and future support work are outside this calculation.
• Acceptance-based payments require a separate rejection scenario. Work already completed may still cost you money if no payment follows.

Compare the actual scope and rights alongside the figures. Read the pricing guide and offer comparison method before treating a higher net as the better proposal.

Start before you have an offer.

If you are still exploring, describe the collection, source systems, history and known restrictions using the dataset brief. A clear scope gives the next conversation something concrete to evaluate.