Let Professionals Set Up Your Book forMaximum Royalties

On Amazon.com, KDP pays 60% of the list price for paperbacks priced at $9.99 or more, or 50% for paperbacks priced at $9.98 or less, minus the printing cost. For example, a $15 paperback with a $5.00 printing cost earns (0.60 × $15) − $5.00 = $4.00 per copy.

Printing cost is a fixed cost plus a per-page cost. For a regular-trim black-ink paperback on Amazon.com, books of 24 to 110 pages cost $2.30, and longer books cost $1.00 plus $0.012 per page. Large trims and color interiors cost more.

KDP offers 70% or 35%. The 70% option on Amazon.com requires a list price between $2.99 and $12.99 and subtracts a delivery cost of $0.15 per megabyte. The 35% option has no delivery cost and allows a wider price range.

According to KDP's help pages, the maximum list price for the 70% royalty option on Amazon.com increased from $9.99 to $12.99 effective July 7, 2026.

The minimum list price is the printing cost divided by the royalty rate. KDP will not let you set a price that results in a negative royalty.

Paperbacks sold through Expanded Distribution earn 40% of the list price minus the printing cost, so they require a higher list price to earn a meaningful royalty.

No. Kindle Unlimited pays from a monthly fund based on pages read, and the per-page rate changes every month, so it cannot be calculated in advance.

This calculator shows royalties before income tax. US authors report royalties as income, and non-US authors may have tax withheld depending on their tax interview and treaty status.