# How to price a book on KDP: minimum prices, royalty bands and worked examples

Source: https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp · Updated 2026-10-04

KDP pricing with numbers: the minimum list price, the 50% to 60% jump at $9.99, Kindle’s 35% and 70% bands, delivery costs, KDP Select and 3 worked examples.

Short answer: KDP’s minimum print list price is the price whose royalty covers the printing cost. On Amazon.com, print books earn 50% of the list price below $9.99 and 60% from $9.99, minus printing, so one cent can add about $1.00 per copy. Kindle eBooks earn 70% from $2.99 to $12.99, at least 20% below print, 35% otherwise.

Key numbers:
- 50% below $9.99, 60% from $9.99: about $1.00 more per copy
- 32-page 8.5 × 8.5 in picture book: printing $4.20, minimum list price $8.40
- 300-page 6 × 9 in novel: printing $4.60, minimum list price $9.20
- Kindle 70%: $2.99–$12.99, at least 20% below the print price

Sections: Which KDP rules set a price? · How does the printing cost set the minimum price? · Why does $9.99 pay more than $9.98? · What do three real books earn? · What can a Kindle eBook cost, and what does it earn? · What does KDP Select change? · What changes in other marketplaces, and with VAT? · How do you settle on a price?

What to charge is your call; KDP only sets the limits. Below: how each rule plays out on three real formats (a picture book, a guided journal and a novel), the Kindle price bands, KDP Select, other marketplaces and VAT, and a routine to settle on a price.

## Which KDP rules set a price?

KDP doesn’t tell you what to charge, but it fixes the floor, the ceiling and the [royalty](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/royalty) bands. On Amazon.com:

| Rule | Print (paperback, hardcover) | Kindle eBook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Royalty rate** | 60% from $9.99, 50% at $9.98 and below | 70% from $2.99 to $12.99; 35% at any price |
| **Deducted** | The printing cost of each copy | On 70% only: a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB of the converted file |
| **Minimum price** | Where the royalty covers the printing cost | $0.99, $1.99 or $2.99 at 35%, by file size (under 3 MB, 3 to 10 MB, 10 MB and more); $2.99 at 70% |
| **Maximum price** | $250.00 | $200.00 at 35%; $12.99 at 70% |
| **Other conditions** | Expanded Distribution (paperback only): 40% minus printing cost | For 70%: at least 20% below the print list price, no public-domain works, and KDP Select for sales in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico |

## How does the printing cost set the minimum price?

KDP’s formula is royalty = rate × list price − printing cost. The [printing cost](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/printing-cost) depends on the ink, the trim and the page count. On Amazon.com a black-and-white paperback costs a flat $2.30 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page; premium color costs a flat $3.60 up to 40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065 per page. Those are regular-trim rates; large trims cost more. The [premium vs standard color guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-premium-color-vs-standard-color) has the full tables.

The minimum list price is the lowest price at which the royalty isn’t negative. In practice:

- If twice the printing cost is $9.98 or less, the minimum is twice the printing cost (royalty 50%).
- If the printing cost is between about $5.00 and $5.99, the minimum is $9.99 itself.
- Above that, the minimum is the printing cost divided by 0.6 (royalty 60%).

The minimum is a floor, not a recommendation: at the minimum you earn nothing per copy. The printing cost is the same for every copy, however many you sell, so the levers are the price, the page count and the ink.

## Why does $9.99 pay more than $9.98?

The rate change makes one price point stand out. Moving from $9.98 to $9.99 adds about $1.00 to the royalty on every copy, because 60% now applies to the whole price. A book priced at $9.99 earns what it would earn at about $11.99 if the 50% rate still applied. Prices just under $9.99 therefore earn noticeably less than $9.99 itself, as the table below shows. Other currencies have their own threshold (see [other marketplaces](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp#marketplaces)).

## What do three real books earn?

Three paperbacks in the default trim and ink of a kdpbook book type, sold on Amazon.com. Printing costs come from KDP’s printing cost tables; minimum prices and royalties (per copy) follow KDP’s royalty formula.

| Book | Trim, ink, pages | Printing cost | Minimum price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Picture book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator) | 8.5 × 8.5 in, premium color · white paper, 32 pages | $4.20 | $8.40 |
| [Guided journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker) | 6 × 9 in, black & white · white paper, 120 pages | $2.44 | $4.88 |
| [Novel](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-novel-writer) | 5.5 × 8.5 in, black & white · cream paper, 300 pages | $4.60 | $9.20 |

Royalty per copy on Amazon.com at common list prices:

| List price | Picture book | Guided journal | Novel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $7.99 | Below minimum | $1.56 | Below minimum |
| $8.99 | $0.30 | $2.06 | Below minimum |
| $9.98 | $0.79 | $2.55 | $0.39 |
| $9.99 | $1.79 | $3.55 | $1.39 |
| $12.99 | $3.59 | $5.35 | $3.19 |
| $14.99 | $4.79 | $6.55 | $4.39 |
| $19.99 | $7.79 | $9.55 | $7.39 |

### 32-page picture book

Premium color costs a flat $4.20 on this large trim up to 40 pages, so 24, 32 and 40 pages cost the same. The minimum is $8.40, and at $9.99 the book earns $1.79 per copy against $0.79 one cent lower. A hardcover isn’t an option at this length: KDP hardcovers need 75 pages or more. Expanded Distribution is offered on this trim and ink, but KDP excludes paperbacks whose interior pages require a high concentration of ink to print, which can include full-page color art.

The Kindle edition is a fixed-layout eBook, and picture-book files are large. Assuming a 12 MB file at $4.99, 70% pays $2.23 after a $1.80 delivery cost and 35% pays $1.75. With the paperback at $9.99, the eBook must stay at $7.99 or less to keep 70%. See [fixed-layout Kindle picture books](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kindle-kids-book-creator-alternative).

### 120-page guided journal

In black & white on white paper, past 108 pages the cost uses the per-page formula: $1.00 + 120 × $0.012 = $2.44. The minimum is $4.88, so every price up to $9.98 falls in the 50% band: $2.55 at $9.98, then $3.55 at $9.99.

A journal is print only: KDP’s Kindle content guide lists books whose main purpose is to be written or colored in as better suited to print. Expanded Distribution excludes paperbacks with frequent lined or blank pages such as journals, so plan on Amazon sales only. A hardcover edition would cost $7.09 to print, for a minimum of $11.82.

### 300-page novel

On 5.5 × 8.5 in cream paper, the novel costs $4.60 to print and has a minimum of $9.20. Between that minimum and $9.98 it earns at most $0.39; at $9.99 it earns $1.39, and at $14.99 $4.39. Through Expanded Distribution the same copy at $14.99 would earn $1.40 (40% minus printing cost).

A 2 MB Kindle edition at $4.99 earns $3.28 at 70% (delivery $0.30) or $1.75 at 35%. With the paperback at $14.99, 70% allows up to $11.99. The top of the band matters: at $12.99 the eBook earns $8.88, but at $13.99 it drops to 35% and earns $4.90.

## What can a Kindle eBook cost, and what does it earn?

On Amazon.com, the 70% option covers list prices from $2.99 to $12.99; KDP raised the ceiling from $9.99 on July 7, 2026. It pays 70% of the price without VAT minus the delivery cost: $0.15 per MB of the converted file, rounded up to the kilobyte. The 35% option has no delivery cost. So 70% pays more only while the list price is more than 2 times the delivery cost, which is why large, image-heavy eBooks sometimes earn more at 35%.

| List price | 35% | 70%, 2 MB file | 70%, 12 MB file | 35% pays more for files over |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $2.99 | $1.05 | $1.88 | $0.83 | about 10 MB |
| $4.99 | $1.75 | $3.28 | $2.23 | about 16.6 MB |
| $7.99 | $2.80 | $5.38 | $4.33 | about 26.6 MB |
| $9.99 | $3.50 | $6.78 | $5.73 | about 33.3 MB |
| $12.99 | $4.55 | $8.88 | $7.83 | about 43.3 MB |

- **The 20% rule.** For 70%, KDP asks that the eBook’s list price be at least 20% below the Amazon list price of any physical edition. A $9.99 paperback caps the 70% eBook at $7.99.
- **Public domain.** Works in the public domain, or made mostly of public-domain content, only earn 35%.
- **Price matching.** KDP says Amazon may sell your eBook below your list price, for example to match another store’s price.

## What does KDP Select change?

[KDP Select](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/kdp-select) is a free, optional program for Kindle eBooks only. It trades the right to sell the eBook elsewhere for Amazon’s subscription and promotion tools:

- **Exclusivity.** For each 90-day term, the eBook must be exclusive to the Kindle Store. Print, audio and other formats can still be sold anywhere. Terms renew automatically unless you opt out.
- **Kindle Unlimited.** Enrolled eBooks are included in Kindle Unlimited, and you earn a share of the monthly KDP Select Global Fund based on pages read the first time (up to 3,000 normalized pages per title per customer). The rate per page isn’t fixed: KDP sets the fund each month.
- **Promotions.** One type per 90-day term: either up to 5 free days (no royalty while free) or a Kindle Countdown Deal, a time-limited discount on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
- **70% in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico.** Sales to these countries earn 70% only if the book is enrolled and priced within the band.

Whether Select pays off depends on your readers, not on the rules: it makes sense if you only planned to sell the eBook on Amazon anyway, and costs you the other eBook stores if not.

## What changes in other marketplaces, and with VAT?

Each marketplace has its own printing costs, thresholds and minimums. In the UK and EU you enter print prices **without VAT**; Amazon adds VAT at checkout and KDP calculates the royalty on the VAT-exclusive price. Minimum list prices of the three examples:

| Marketplace | 60% from | Picture book | Guided journal | Novel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Amazon.com | $9.99 | $8.40 | $4.88 | $9.20 |
| Amazon.co.uk | £7.99 | £6.48 | £4.10 | £7.70 |
| Amazon.de | €9.99 | €7.22 | €4.38 | €8.70 |
| Amazon.ca | CA$13.99 | CA$10.52 | CA$6.36 | CA$12.12 |
| Amazon.com.au | A$13.99 | A$12.84 | A$10.12 | A$15.03 |

Check any trim, ink, page count and marketplace with the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator) and the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator).

## How do you settle on a price?

1. **Fix the format first.** Trim, ink and page count set the printing cost, and trim and ink are locked once the paperback is published. They move the minimum price more than anything else.
2. **Find the minimum** for each format and marketplace you’ll sell in.
3. **Look at comparable books** in your category on Amazon: same format, similar length. That part is your judgment; KDP’s rules only set the limits.
4. **Mind the threshold.** If your price lands just under $9.99, compare it with $9.99 itself.
5. **Price the eBook under the print edition**, at least 20% lower if you want 70%, and check the delivery cost for image-heavy files.
6. **Decide on KDP Select** for the eBook before you publish it elsewhere.

kdpbook.io builds the print and Kindle files; the price stays your decision. If you’re still choosing the format, compare [paperback and hardcover](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-paperback-vs-hardcover), or see the default trim and ink of each book type on the [book types](https://kdpbook.io/book-types) page.

Sources (checked 2026-09-28):
- [KDP Help: Printing Cost (paperback)](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340)
- [KDP Help: Paperback Royalty](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330)
- [KDP Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GSQF43YAMUPFTMSP)
- [KDP Help: VAT and list prices](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GPQL5W3J6WNRCZTV)
- [KDP Help: Expanded Distribution](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45)
- [KDP Help: Update Your Book Details (what is locked after publishing)](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200736410)
- [KDP Help: Guide to Kindle Content Quality](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200952510)
- [KDP Help: List Price Requirements (eBook)](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634560)
- [KDP Help: eBook Royalties](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200644210)
- [KDP Help: Digital Book Pricing Page (delivery costs)](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634500)
- [KDP Help: KDP Select](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200798990)
- [KDP Help: How to enroll in KDP Select](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GD9PMU58BV24QFZ7)
- [KDP Help: KDP Select Benefits](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GEZBMTMYGN9EBTLG)
- [KDP Help: Royalties in Kindle Unlimited](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201541130)
- [KDP Help: Free Book Promotions](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201298240)

## Questions

Q: What is the minimum list price for a KDP paperback?
A: It depends on the printing cost: KDP won't accept a price whose royalty doesn't cover it. On Amazon.com, a 300-page 5.5 × 8.5 in novel on cream paper costs $4.60 to print, so its minimum list price is $9.20; a 32-page 8.5 × 8.5 in premium color picture book costs $4.20 and starts at $8.40.

Q: Why price a KDP paperback at $9.99 instead of $9.98?
A: Because the royalty rate on Amazon.com rises from 50% to 60% at $9.99. One more cent adds about $1.00 to the royalty on every copy, whatever the printing cost.

Q: What price range earns 70% on a Kindle eBook?
A: On Amazon.com, $2.99 to $12.99 since July 7, 2026. The 70% option also subtracts a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB, and the eBook must be at least 20% cheaper than the print edition's list price. Outside that range the royalty is 35%.

Q: Is KDP Select required for the 70% royalty?
A: Only for sales in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico. Elsewhere, 70% depends on the price band, not on KDP Select. Select makes the eBook exclusive to Amazon for 90 days at a time and pays Kindle Unlimited page reads from a monthly fund.

Q: Does VAT change my KDP royalty?
A: No. In the UK and EU marketplaces you enter print list prices without VAT, Amazon adds VAT at checkout, and KDP calculates the royalty on the VAT-exclusive price. eBook royalties are also calculated on the price without VAT.