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KDP royalty calculator

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 editorialPublished ✓ Checked against KDP Help on

Binding
pages
USD

Without VAT or sales tax, as in KDP's pricing page.

Sales channel
Royalty per copy$4.3960% of the list price, minus printing
Printing cost$3.40Minimum list price $6.80
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

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:

Currency60% fromMaximum list price
USD9.99250
EUR9.99250
GBP7.99250
CAD13.99350
AUD13.99350
JPY1,00030,000
PLN40.001,200
SEK110.002,500

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.

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.

Marketplaces70% bandDelivery
US (USD)2.99–12.990.15 / MB
UK (GBP)1.77–12.990.1 / MB
DE, FR, ES, IT, NL (EUR)2.69–12.990.12 / MB
JP (JPY) · KDP Select required250–16501 / MB
IN (INR) · KDP Select required99–5997 / MB
CA (CAD)2.99–12.990.15 / MB
BR (BRL) · KDP Select required5.99–31.990.3 / MB
MX (MXN) · KDP Select required34.99–199.991 / MB
AU (AUD)3.99–15.990.15 / 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 more at 35% ($1.75) than at 70% ($-0.71). To qualify for 70%, the eBook must also be at least 20% cheaper than the print edition on Amazon.

How to use it

  1. 01

    Pick print or Kindle

    Print royalties subtract the printing cost; Kindle royalties can subtract a delivery cost.

  2. 02

    Describe the edition

    For print: marketplace, binding, ink, trim and pages. For Kindle: marketplace and file size.

  3. 03

    Enter a list price

    Print prices exclude VAT; Kindle prices in the EU and UK include it.

  4. 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%.

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%.

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 $-0.71 at 70% versus $1.75 at 35%.

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 in practice: KDP won't let you set a list price below the minimum that covers the printing cost. The calculator shows that minimum for your book.

Make it with kdpbook

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