Tennessee Extension is a non-profit organization. We do not sell publications to make a profit. Rather, the purpose is to enhance or expand our educational programming beyond what we can do with appropriations, grants, gifts and contracts.
The decision to sell a publication and the amount to charge for a publication are determined on a case-by-case basis by the author(s) and the senior author’s department head in consultation with a publications editor. These decisions should be guided by the following points.
- Printed publications more than eight pages long that are not intended for limited resource audiences and that are not supported with grants, gifts or revenues generated from fees will be sold at a price that recovers costs.
- A publication should be priced to recover printing, handling and shipping costs, sales tax and e-Marketplace fees. No overhead or development costs should be included.
- To determine a ballpark estimate for the unit price of a publication, calculate the following: (Cost of printing x 2) + shipping + 15% (includes sales tax & e-Marketplace fee)
- Publications paid for with grant, gift or contract funds can be sold if the purpose is to accumulate funds for future reprinting. Permission to sell publications should be included in the grant, gift or contract agreement.
- County Extension offices will pay 50 percent of the sale price of a publication for use in their educational programs. Cost should be recovered through user-fees for the programming.
- At their discretion, county Extension offices may recover costs of printing a for-sale publication using their equipment and supplies.
- Specialists and the author(s) of a publication will also receive a 50 percent discount. Money received from sales will be credited to the senior author(s) unit. Shipping costs, sales tax and e-Marketplace fees will be paid by the senior author(s)’ unit.
- Extension programs are open to all regardless of individual ability to pay. Provisions should be made for low-income individuals who may not be able to afford to buy for-sale publications.
- All for-sale publications will be available from the Extension publications website, where they may be downloaded and printed for free.
