For tax purposes keep an accurate-to-the-penny record of all costs associated with your book.
This includes all copies you buy yourself and how much you make should you resell them.
Make sure you keep track of
all sales--if any--that PA makes through its (limited) venues and cross check them against the numbers on your royalty statements. PA has a poor reputation when it comes to accounting.
But that would cost me money. This way, it hasn't.
As has been said, not
yet it hasn't.
PA's costs just aren't up front. As I'm sure you'll have read many times in the PA threads here they make their money off writers buying their own books.
For what you're doing, Lulu.com would have been much, MUCH better!
And no, sadly, you are not yet in the published authors' club. We'd love to have you in, though!
You're technically "published", but anything placed with PA is not considered to be a professional credit in the wide world outside of PA's website.
Pro writers get paid upfront for their work. They get paid a LOT more than a dollar.
I hope you will take the high you're presently on and write another children's book--but place it with a real publishing house that will write you a nice multi-figure advance check! (Or at least with Lulu!)
As for your friend--he or she will have a better time of things by NOT mentioning PA in any business conversation.
It's an instant tip-off that there's been a rip-off.
