Amazon KDP Book Royalty Calculator
Calculate your Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing royalties for eBooks and paperbacks based on list price, format, and delivery costs.
Amazon KDP’s two-tier royalty system
Kindle Direct Publishing pays authors at either 35% or 70% royalties depending on price band. Most self-published authors aim for the 70% tier because the math is so much better:
eBooks at the 70% royalty option require the list price to be $2.99 to $9.99 in the US marketplace. The formula:
royalty = list price × 0.70 − delivery cost
Delivery cost (US): file size in MB × $0.15. A standard novel without images is typically 1 to 3 MB. A heavily-illustrated cookbook or photography book can be 10+ MB. Big files at the 70% tier get penalised.
eBooks at the 35% royalty option are available at any price ($0.99 to $200 list). No delivery fee. The formula:
royalty = list price × 0.35
For a $5.99 novel with a 2 MB file:
- 70% option: $5.99 × 0.70 − $0.30 = $3.89/sale
- 35% option: $5.99 × 0.35 = $2.10/sale
The 70% rate is the right answer for almost every fiction book and most non-fiction. The only times to use the 35% option are when:
- Your book is priced under $2.99 (often for the first book in a series, used as a loss leader)
- Your book is priced over $9.99 (high-end professional or specialty content)
- Your file is so large (15+ MB) that delivery costs eat the 70% advantage
Paperback — 60% royalty after printing cost
royalty = list price × 0.60 − printing cost
Printing cost depends on page count, paper type, and interior color:
| Format | Cost formula (US, KDP Print) |
|---|---|
| Black & white interior, white paper, paperback | $0.85 + ($0.012 × page count) |
| Black & white interior, cream paper, paperback | $0.85 + ($0.012 × page count) |
| Standard color interior, paperback | $0.85 + ($0.07 × page count) |
| Premium color interior, paperback | $1.00 + ($0.085 × page count) |
| Hardcover (B&W) | $6.80 + ($0.012 × page count) |
So a 200-page black & white novel: $0.85 + (200 × $0.012) = $3.25 printing cost. At $14.99 list, royalty is $14.99 × 0.60 − $3.25 = $5.74/sale. A 300-page hardcover at $24.99: $6.80 + $3.60 = $10.40 printing cost. Royalty: $24.99 × 0.60 − $10.40 = $4.59/sale.
Pricing strategy by genre (2024 data)
| Genre | Typical eBook price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Romance | $2.99 to $5.99 | Heavy readers; volume-priced |
| Thriller / mystery | $3.99 to $7.99 | Established genre pricing |
| Literary fiction | $5.99 to $9.99 | Higher production value perception |
| Sci-fi / fantasy (first in series) | $0.99 or free | Loss leader; sell books 2+ |
| Children’s picture book | $2.99 to $4.99 | Often impulse buys |
| Cookbooks | $7.99 to $9.99 | Premium category |
| Business / self-help | $7.99 to $14.99 | Buyers expect to pay more |
| Romance series book 2-5 | $4.99 to $7.99 | Hooked readers pay more |
| Technical / reference | $14.99 to $39.99 | Expert audience; less price-sensitive |
KDP Select — the trade-off
Enrolling in KDP Select gives you:
- Kindle Unlimited (KU) inclusion — you get paid per page read ($0.004 to $0.005/page in 2024)
- Free promotion days — make your book free for 5 days per 90-day enrollment period
- Countdown deals — discounted with countdown timer
In exchange, you give up:
- 90-day exclusivity — cannot publish on Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, or anywhere else in eBook form during that window
For most romance and prolific genre authors, KU enrolment pays back many times over because KU readers consume voraciously. A typical 250-page romance read fully through KU at $0.0045/page = $1.13/read — comparable to a $3.99 sale. For literary fiction or non-fiction, where readers don’t binge, going wide (off KU, distributed everywhere) usually nets more.
Income reality at scale
| Books published | Monthly sales (typical) | Monthly royalty (average) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (debut) | 1 to 20 | $5 to $80 |
| 5 (series, established) | 100 to 500 | $400 to $2,500 |
| 20+ (prolific author) | 1,000 to 10,000 | $4,000 to $40,000 |
| Hit book (bestseller) | 30,000+ | $100,000+ |
The single biggest factor is how many books you have published. Authors with one book make almost nothing. Authors with 10+ books in the same series or sub-genre make full-time incomes. The Amazon algorithm rewards backlist depth above almost anything else.
Marketing costs
A book with no marketing typically sells fewer than 100 copies lifetime. A book with $500 to $2,000 in launch advertising (Amazon Ads, Facebook Ads, BookBub promos) and a strong cover and description can sell 1,000 to 10,000+ copies. Most KDP authors operate at a small profit or loss on advertising — the goal is to drive readers into a series, where they then buy backlist organically at zero marketing cost.
KDP Print vs IngramSpark for print
KDP Print is exclusive to Amazon for the most part. IngramSpark distributes to bookstores, libraries, and other online retailers (Barnes & Noble, Indigo, etc.). Many serious print authors use both: KDP Print for Amazon, IngramSpark for everywhere else.
Tax (US)
Amazon issues a 1099-K when royalties exceed federal thresholds. Royalties are taxable as self-employment income if writing is your trade or business; as supplemental income if it’s a hobby. Track all related expenses — editing, cover design, advertising, software — these are deductible.