Tariffs, Trade, and Tabletop Publishing

Lately, there’s been a lot of noise about tariffs and how they might affect publishing. I’ve seen confusion, worry, and some understandable venting from folks in the industry. So I figured I’d offer a calm, fact-based post from the Lightspress side of things, with some commentary where necessary.

Here’s what matters most for anyone ordering Lightspress books in the United States. If you buy a print copy through Amazon, and soon through DriveThruRPG, it’s printed here in the U.S. That means it’s not subject to direct tariffs. No international shipping complications, no unexpected fees, no customs bottlenecks. Just a book, printed and shipped within the country.

That doesn’t mean printers themselves won’t feel pressure. I don’t have access to their supply chains, so I can’t say what raw materials might be affected. If they’re importing paper, ink pigments, or adhesives, their costs could go up. But I can say this clearly: a book printed and shipped within the U.S. isn’t directly hit by these tariffs, and that’s what Lightspress offers.

We’re not even going to get into what’s happening with the post office and how that might affect shipping costs. That’s a mess for another day, but it’s on my radar too.

There’s also the matter of daily survival. Even if production costs hold steady, the cost of living doesn’t. I still have to eat, put gas in the car, pay for prescriptions, and cover all the rest of what it takes to stay afloat. If it gets harder to make ends meet, I either need to sell more books or raise prices. I’d rather sell more, always. But when everyone’s feeling the squeeze, fewer people are buying books at all. A lot of folks are choosing eggs and gasoline over roleplaying materials, and I understand why.

The way tariffs are being discussed right now often skips over how trade economics are usually measured. By standard International Monetary Fund (IMF) definitions, trade balances are calculated based on finished goods. Raw materials and services aren’t counted. So importing paper from Canada or glue from Mexico isn’t considered as creating a trade deficit as long as the final product, a printed book, comes out of a U.S. facility.

This administration seems to be using a different formula. It looks like they’re only measuring dollars in versus dollars out, without much nuance. That’s how you end up with a so-called deficit involving an island full of penguins, simply because American tourists visit and the penguins aren’t spending their fish-money on American goods in return.

Economists have pointed out for years that trade deficits aren’t inherently bad, especially in a service-based economy. The U.S. imports goods, but it also exports software licenses, media subscriptions, cloud infrastructure, and consulting work. A lot of what the world pays us for doesn’t come in a box.

And no, most publishers don’t go overseas to save a few cents. Often, they go because domestic options no longer exist. Specialty printers, unique formats, and large-scale runs are capabilities that have vanished here. You can’t buy American if there’s no American option. Tariffs alone won’t fix that. There’d need to be a major investment in domestic manufacturing, and a plan that ramps up slowly as new capacity becomes available. Without that, it’s all pain and no progress. As my grandmother used to say, you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.

That’s the reality, from where I’m sitting. No scare tactics. No policy advice. Just a clear look at how this affects Lightspress, and by extension, you.

I’ll keep doing everything I can to keep the books as affordable as possible while still bringing in enough to keep going. That’s the balance I work toward every day, and I’m not about to stop.

If you’ve got thoughts or questions, leave a comment at the bottom of this post. I’m always up for a thoughtful conversation.