KDP paperback vs hardcover: trims, page counts, printing cost and royalties
Short answer
A KDP hardcover costs more to print and needs more pages. On Amazon.com a 6 × 9 in, 300-page black-and-white book costs $4.60 to print as a paperback and $9.25 as a hardcover, so it earns $4.65 less per copy at the same list price. Hardcovers start at 75 pages, paperbacks at 24.
Key numbers
- Paperback: 16 trims, 24–828 pages
- Hardcover: 5 trims, 75–550 pages
- 300-page 6 × 9 in on Amazon.com: $4.60 paperback, $9.25 hardcover
- Minimum list price: $9.20 paperback, $15.42 hardcover
- Expanded Distribution: paperback only
By kdpbook.io editorialUpdated ✓ Checked against KDP Help on
Paperback and hardcover differ in almost everything KDP sets: the trims on offer, the page range, the marketplaces, the cover file and what a copy earns. The tables below compare them side by side, with one novel as the running example.
How do paperback and hardcover compare?
| Feature | Paperback | Hardcover |
|---|---|---|
| Trim sizes | 16 standard sizes, plus custom sizes from 4 × 6 in to 8.5 × 11.69 in | 5: 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10, 8.25 × 11 in. No custom sizes. |
| Page count | 24–828, depending on trim and paper | 75–550 on every trim |
| Ink and paper | Premium color · white paper; Standard color · white paper; Black & white · white paper; Black & white · cream paper; Black & white · groundwood paper | Premium color · white paper; Black & white · white paper; Black & white · cream paper |
| Build | Soft cover on 80 lb (220 GSM) white stock, glossy or matte | Case laminate: the cover is printed on the case over 2 mm boards, glossy or matte, with no dust jacket. Endpapers match the interior paper, and books over 120 pages get a black-and-white headband. |
| Amazon marketplaces | All 14 print marketplaces | 11 marketplaces, plus Amazon.ca only through Amazon.com. Not on Amazon.co.jp. For Amazon.com.au, KDP’s help pages disagree: it is missing from the hardcover distribution list, but the Hardcover page says to reach it through Amazon.com. |
| Expanded Distribution | Yes, at 40%, on eligible trims and papers | No |
| ISBN | Free KDP ISBN or your own | Its own ISBN, never the paperback’s (free KDP ISBN or your own) |
| Printing cost (6 × 9 in, 300 pages, B&W, Amazon.com) | $4.60 | $9.25 |
| Minimum list price (same book) | $9.20 | $15.42 |
| Royalty rate | Same for both: 60% from $9.99, 50% below, minus the printing cost | |
Which trims and page counts does each allow?
Every hardcover trim also exists as a paperback except 8.25 × 11 in, which is hardcover only. The popular paperback-only sizes are the small novel trims (5 × 8 in and similar), the square and landscape picture-book sizes and 8.5 × 11 in. See them all to scale in the trim size tool.
The page floor is the bigger difference. A hardcover needs at least 75 pages, so a 32-page picture book, a 24-page toddler book or a short activity book can only be a paperback. Paperback limits depend on the trim and paper (lower on 8.25 and 8.5 in wide trims); every hardcover trim allows 75–550 pages. Standard color and groundwood paper are paperback only.
How much more does a hardcover cost to print?
On Amazon.com, a black-and-white paperback costs a flat $2.30 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page. A black-and-white hardcover costs a flat $6.80 from 75 to 108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012 per page. In premium color it is $1.00 + $0.065 per page for the paperback (a flat $3.60 up to 40 pages) and $5.65 + $0.065 per page for the hardcover. Large trims cost more per page in both bindings. Because the per-page rates match, a hardcover costs a fixed $4.65 more per copy once both are past the flat range.
Printing cost of the same 6 × 9 in book on Amazon.com:
| Pages | Paperback B&W | Hardcover B&W | Paperback premium color | Hardcover premium color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | $2.30 | $6.80 | $5.94 | $10.59 |
| 108 | $2.30 | $6.80 | $8.02 | $12.67 |
| 120 | $2.44 | $7.09 | $8.80 | $13.45 |
| 200 | $3.40 | $8.05 | $14.00 | $18.65 |
| 300 | $4.60 | $9.25 | $20.50 | $25.15 |
| 400 | $5.80 | $10.45 | $27.00 | $31.65 |
| 550 | $7.60 | $12.25 | $36.75 | $41.40 |
Other marketplaces have their own tables (hardcovers reach Amazon.ca only through Amazon.com). Compare any configuration with the printing cost calculator.
What does each earn, and what is the minimum price?
Both bindings use the same formula: royalty = rate × list price − printing cost, with 60% at $9.99 and above on Amazon.com and 50% below. KDP won’t let the royalty drop below zero, which sets the minimum list price: $9.20 for the example paperback and $15.42 for the hardcover.
| List price | Paperback royalty | Hardcover royalty |
|---|---|---|
| $14.99 | $4.39 | Below the $15.42 minimum |
| $19.99 | $7.39 | $2.74 |
| $24.99 | $10.39 | $5.74 |
To earn what the paperback earns at $19.99, the hardcover would need a list price of about $27.73. Paperbacks can also be sold through Expanded Distribution, KDP’s channel outside Amazon, at 40%: the same paperback at $19.99 earns $3.40 there. Hardcovers can’t use it. Try your own numbers in the royalty calculator.
How does the cover file differ?
A paperback cover has 0.125 in of bleed on each outside edge. A hardcover cover wraps around the boards instead: 15 mm of wrap on every edge, boards 5 mm wider and 6 mm taller than the trim, and a 10 mm hinge on each side of the spine that must stay free of text. For the 6 × 9 in, 300-page example, the paperback cover is 12.926 × 9.25 in with a 0.676 in spine; the hardcover cover is 14.439 × 10.417 in with a 0.865 in spine. You can’t reuse one for the other. The cover size calculator gives both, and the cover dimensions guide explains every zone.
When does each make sense?
- Paperback only: books under 75 pages (picture books, toddler books, short activity books), square or landscape trims, standard color or groundwood paper, low list prices, Expanded Distribution, and sales on Amazon.co.jp.
- Paperback first: for most novels, non-fiction and workbooks it’s the edition with the lowest price and the widest reach.
- Hardcover as a second edition: books readers keep or give, such as gift books, illustrated storybooks of 75 pages or more at 8.25 × 11 in, and novels or non-fiction for readers who prefer a hardcover. Its list price has to carry the extra printing cost.
- Adding one: a hardcover edition needs its own ISBN and a new cover file, and it counts toward KDP’s weekly limits of 2 new titles created and 2 submitted per format.
kdpbook.io offers a hardcover on 30 of its 36 book types, only in the trims and page counts KDP accepts, and builds the hardcover case cover from the final page count. The trim sizes and paper guide covers the paperback options in more detail.
Questions
Is a KDP hardcover more expensive to print than a paperback?
Yes. On Amazon.com a 6 × 9 in, 300-page black-and-white book costs $4.60 to print as a paperback and $9.25 as a hardcover. Above 108 pages the difference is a fixed $4.65 per copy, because both bindings use the same per-page rate.
What is the minimum page count for a KDP hardcover?
75 pages (KDP rounds odd counts up, so 76 in practice), up to 550. Paperbacks start at 24 pages.
Do KDP hardcovers have a dust jacket?
No. KDP hardcovers are case laminate: the cover art is printed on the case itself, with a glossy or matte finish, and there is no dust jacket.
Can a paperback and a hardcover share an ISBN?
No. Each format needs its own ISBN. KDP offers a free ISBN for the hardcover, or you can enter your own.
Can a KDP hardcover use Expanded Distribution?
No. Expanded Distribution (40% royalty) is for paperbacks only; hardcovers are sold on Amazon marketplaces.