How much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon KDP?

The money goes elsewhere: into the printing taken out of every copy you sell, into extras you choose or skip, and into the work of making the book. Below, each one with the numbers from KDP’s own tables, then what one sale pays back.

Is it free to publish on KDP?

Yes. KDP’s help says you can self-publish eBooks, paperbacks and hardcovers for free (Start publishing with KDP): there is nothing to pay to upload, list or keep a book on sale. KDP is paid out of each sale instead:

• Print books: the printing cost of every copy comes out of your royalty, so you never pay it up front. KDP’s formula is royalty rate × list price − printing cost.
• Kindle eBooks: there is no printing. Your royalty is 35% or 70% of the list price, and the 70% option also deducts a delivery cost for the file.

What you may pay before the first sale is optional: your own ISBN, proof or author copies, and whatever making the book costs you.

What does printing cost per copy?

It depends on the ink, the paper, the trim size and the page count. On Amazon.com a black-and-white paperback on a regular trim costs a flat $2.30 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 plus $0.012 per page; premium color costs a flat $3.60 up to 40 pages, then $1.00 plus $0.065 per page. The list price has to cover it: KDP’s minimum list price is the lowest price whose royalty covers the printing cost. A book that costs more than $4.99 to print can’t go below $9.99, where 60% applies.

Common books, each in the default trim and ink of a kdpbook book type, as paperbacks on Amazon.com:

Other trims, page counts and marketplaces are in the printing cost calculator; the pricing guide explains the minimum price and the $9.99 threshold.

Why does a children’s picture book cost more to print?

Because of its trim and its ink. KDP charges large-trim rates for books wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in, and the usual picture-book sizes, such as 8.5 × 8.5 in, are large trims. Picture books are also printed in premium color, the most expensive ink. A 32-page premium color paperback on Amazon.com costs:

• $4.20 at 8.5 × 8.5 in (large trim, flat fee up to 40 pages);
• $3.60 at 6 × 9 in, a regular trim;
• $4.36 at 8.5 × 8.5 in with 42 pages: past 40 pages, premium color is charged per page.

Standard color costs less per page but needs at least 72 pages, and a hardcover at least 75, so a 32-page picture book is a premium color paperback. At $9.99 it earns $1.79 per copy on Amazon.com. Everything else about the format is in how to publish a children’s picture book on KDP.

Do you have to pay for an ISBN?

No. KDP gives a free ISBN for each paperback and hardcover (one per format), and Kindle eBooks need none. With the free ISBN, Amazon shows “Independently published” as the publisher, and the number can only be used on KDP. In the US, Bowker charged $125 for one ISBN, $295 for ten and $575 for a hundred when we checked on September 28, 2026; ISBN Canada gives ISBNs to eligible Canadian publishers for free. Low-content books, such as notebooks and planners, can’t use the free KDP ISBN but can be published without one. The ISBN guide compares both options.

What does a Kindle eBook cost?

Nothing up front, and there is no printing. On Amazon.com the 35% option pays 35% of the list price. The 70% option pays 70% of the list price after a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB of the converted file is subtracted, for list prices from $2.99 to $12.99 (the band since July 7, 2026). A 2 MB novel at $4.99 pays $0.30 for delivery and earns $3.28 at 70%. Image-heavy files cost more to deliver; the royalties guide shows when 35% pays more. KDP lists coloring, puzzle and blank books as unsuited to Kindle, so for them print is the only format.

What does making the book cost?

This is the part KDP neither charges for nor controls. There are three routes, and you can mix them:

• Do it yourself. Write in a word processor, format with Kindle Create (Amazon’s free formatting tool) or a layout program, and build the cover on the free cover template. The cost is your time and any software you buy.
• Hire people: an editor, an illustrator, a cover designer or a formatting service. Their rates vary too much with the person, the length of the book and the country for a fair average, so this guide doesn’t quote one: ask each for a written quote for your book.
• Use an AI book tool such as kdpbook.io, which writes, illustrates and lays out the book and exports the files KDP asks for. Its cost is in credits, estimated before you start:

New accounts get 2,000 free credits once, with no card required. Free-plan books carry a kdpbook.io preview watermark and are shared in the community; a paid plan, from $25/month, exports clean files with a commercial license to sell them. A book made on the free credits can be exported again, clean, after upgrading. The cheapest paid plan, Starter, includes 2,500 credits a month; see kdpbook.io pricing.

Already written? An imported manuscript skips the writing: a novel of 80,000 words imported at the default 5.5 × 8.5 in trim comes to about 1,357 credits (about $14), for 288 pages. See the KDP formatting tool.

What does each sale pay back?

A print sale pays royalty rate × list price − printing cost: on Amazon.com, 60% of the list price from $9.99 and 50% below it. The printing table above shows what one copy of each book pays at $9.99 and $12.99. KDP pays royalties every month, about 60 days after the end of the month of the sale.

This guide doesn’t estimate sales: KDP’s rules say what one sale pays, not how many there will be. Run your own price and format in the royalty calculator, and read KDP royalties explained for every marketplace and Expanded Distribution.

Which costs are optional?

• Proof and author copies. KDP charges the printing cost of your book in the marketplace you order from, times the number of copies, and says it can’t offer further discounts (How much do proof or author copies cost?). For example, 5 author copies of the 32-page picture book cost 5 × $4.20 = $21.00 on Amazon.com, before shipping.
• Shipping for those copies, shown at checkout. KDP gives no formula: it depends on the number of items, the shipping speed, the destination, the Amazon site and the size and weight of the books, and proof and author copies don’t qualify for free or Prime shipping (What is the cost to ship my proof or author copy?).
• Your own ISBN, covered above.