KDP royalty calculator (paperback, hardcover, Kindle)
KDP pays 60% of the list price minus printing on paperbacks and hardcovers priced at $9.99 or more on Amazon.com, 50% below that and 40% through Expanded Distribution. Kindle eBooks earn 35%, or 70% between $2.99 and $12.99 minus a $0.15/MB delivery cost.
By kdpbook.io editorialUpdated ✓ Checked against KDP Help on
Changed on : the 70% Kindle royalty band on Amazon.com now runs from $2.99 to $12.99; it used to stop at $9.99. The calculator uses the new band. All KDP rule changes in 2026
Without VAT or sales tax, as in KDP's pricing page.
Expanded Distribution is shown by trim and paper only, for paperbacks. KDP’s distributors don’t accept coloring books, journals, notebooks, planners or other low-content books, and may decline some topics, such as puzzle, activity and cookbooks. Which books KDP’s distributors accept · KDP Help: Expanded Distribution (opens in a new tab)
For a 6 × 9 in, 200-page black & white paperback on white paper listed at $12.99 on Amazon.com:
- Royalty rate:
- 60% · 60% from $9.99
- Rate × list price:
- $7.79
- − Printing cost:
- $3.40
- = Royalty:
- $4.39
- Maximum list price:
- $250.00
Royalty at other prices for this book
Cite this tool
kdpbook.io, “KDP royalty calculator (paperback, hardcover, Kindle)”, https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator (checked against KDP Help on ).
Paperback and hardcover royalties
KDP’s print royalty is rate × list price − printing cost, rounded to the cent. The rate is 60% when your list price reaches the threshold of the marketplace currency, and 50% below it. These thresholds took effect in June 2025:
| Currency | 60% from | Maximum list price |
|---|---|---|
| USD | 9.99 | 250 |
| EUR | 9.99 | 250 |
| GBP | 7.99 | 250 |
| CAD | 13.99 | 350 |
| AUD | 13.99 | 350 |
| JPY | 1,000 | 30,000 |
| PLN | 40.00 | 1,200 |
| SEK | 110.00 | 2,500 |
The printing cost is the same whatever you charge, so a low price shrinks your royalty fast. See exactly what KDP charges in the printing cost calculator.
KDP royalty per copy for a 6 × 9 in paperback
What one copy sold on Amazon.com earns by page count and list price, for a black & white 6 × 9 in paperback on white paper. Each cell is the calculator’s result: the royalty rate at that price (60% from $9.99) times the list price, minus the printing cost of that page count.
| Pages | At $9.99 | At $12.99 | At $14.99 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 pages ($2.30 printing) | $3.69 | $5.49 | $6.69 |
| 200 pages ($3.40 printing) | $2.59 | $4.39 | $5.59 |
| 300 pages ($4.60 printing) | $1.39 | $3.19 | $4.39 |
Kindle eBooks work differently: 35% of the list price, or 70% minus a delivery cost inside a price band (see Kindle eBook royalties). The Kindle eBook tab of the calculator works them out for your file size.
Kindle eBook royalties
Kindle eBooks have two options. 35% of the list price (without VAT), with no delivery cost. 70% of the list price minus a delivery cost based on the converted file size, available only inside a price band. Since July 7, 2026, the 70% band on Amazon.com goes up to $12.99.
| Marketplaces | 70% band | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| US (USD) | 2.99–12.99 | 0.15 / MB |
| UK (GBP) | 1.77–12.99 | 0.1 / MB |
| DE, FR, ES, IT, NL (EUR) | 2.69–12.99 | 0.12 / MB |
| JP (JPY) · KDP Select required | 250–1650 | 1 / MB |
| IN (INR) · KDP Select required | 99–599 | 7 / MB |
| CA (CAD) | 2.99–12.99 | 0.15 / MB |
| BR (BRL) · KDP Select required | 5.99–31.99 | 0.3 / MB |
| MX (MXN) · KDP Select required | 34.99–199.99 | 1 / MB |
| AU (AUD) | 3.99–15.99 | 0.15 / MB |
For a typical 2 MB novel priced at $4.99, 70% pays $3.28 per sale. Image-heavy books change the picture: a 40 MB picture book at the same price earns $1.75 at 35%, while at 70% the $6.00 delivery cost takes the whole royalty (−$0.71 by the formula). To qualify for 70%, the eBook must also be at least 20% cheaper than the print edition on Amazon.
What a 2 MB eBook earns per sale on Amazon.com around the old $9.99 ceiling and the new $12.99 one ($0.30 delivery cost at 70%):
| List price | At 70% | At 35% |
|---|---|---|
| $9.99 | $6.78 | $3.50 |
| $10.99 | $7.48 | $3.85 |
| $12.99 | $8.88 | $4.55 |
| $13.00 | Not offered above $12.99 | $4.55 |
How to use it
- 01
Pick print or Kindle
Print royalties subtract the printing cost; Kindle royalties can subtract a delivery cost.
- 02
Describe the edition
For print: marketplace, binding, ink, trim and pages. For Kindle: marketplace and file size.
- 03
Enter a list price
Print prices exclude VAT; Kindle prices in the EU and UK include it.
- 04
Compare
Check the royalty per copy, the minimum price, and which Kindle option pays more.
Questions
What royalty does KDP pay on paperbacks?
60% of the list price minus the printing cost when the list price is at least $9.99 on Amazon.com, and 50% below that. Books sold through Expanded Distribution earn 40%.
What is the KDP royalty on a $12.99, 6 × 9 in, 300-page paperback?
$3.19 per copy on Amazon.com: 60% × $12.99 = $7.79, minus $4.60 printing. That is for a black & white interior on white paper; the royalty table on this page gives 100, 200 and 300 pages at three list prices.
Is it better to price a paperback at $9.99 or $9.98?
$9.99. For a 300-page black-and-white 6 × 9 in paperback (printing cost $4.60), $9.99 earns $1.39 per copy at 60%, while $9.98 earns only $0.39 at 50%.
Is the Kindle 70% royalty still capped at $9.99?
No. Since July 7, 2026, the 70% option covers Kindle eBooks listed from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com; it used to stop at $9.99. A 2 MB eBook at $12.99 earns $8.88 at 70%, against $4.55 at 35%.
When does the 70% Kindle royalty make sense?
When your list price is between $2.99 and $12.99 (Amazon.com) and the file is small. 70% is paid after a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB, so a 40 MB picture book at $4.99 earns $1.75 at 35%, while at 70% the $6.00 delivery cost takes the whole royalty (the formula gives −$0.71).
Are royalties calculated on the price with VAT?
No. Print list prices on KDP are set without VAT, and eBook prices in VAT marketplaces include it: KDP removes the VAT before applying the royalty rate.
Can a royalty be negative?
Not on a print book: KDP won't let you set a list price below the minimum that covers the printing cost, and the calculator shows that minimum for your book. On a Kindle eBook, the 70% option subtracts the delivery cost first, so a large file at a low price comes out below zero (−$0.71 for a 40 MB eBook at $4.99): the calculator then shows $0.00 at 70% and marks 35% as the better option.
Can I sell KDP paperbacks on Amazon.in?
No. On Amazon.in, Amazon.com.br and Amazon.com.mx, KDP sells Kindle eBooks only: it doesn't distribute paperbacks or hardcovers to those stores. On Amazon.in, the 70% option covers eBooks listed from ₹99 to ₹599 and needs KDP Select; the Kindle eBook tab of the calculator includes it.