KDP Royalties 2026: What You Earn on Paperback, Hardcover and Kindle (New $12.99 Rule)
Self-publishing on Amazon KDP is free, but every format pays a different royalty, and in July 2026 Amazon changed one of its oldest rules. Here is exactly what you earn per copy in 2026 — paperback, hardcover and Kindle — with real numbers.
What changed in 2026
From July 7, 2026, the Kindle ebook 70% royalty band on Amazon.com runs from $2.99 to $12.99. Before, anything above $9.99 earned only 35%. Authors of nonfiction, long fantasy and series box sets can now price between $10 and $12.99 and still keep 70%. Books already live are not repriced automatically — you choose.
Paperback royalties
Royalty = royalty rate × list price − printing cost
| List price on Amazon.com | Royalty rate |
|---|---|
| $9.99 or more | 60% |
| $9.98 or less | 50% |
Printing for a black-and-white paperback on a regular trim with 110+ pages costs $1.00 + $0.012 per page.
| Book | Printing | Royalty per copy |
|---|---|---|
| 300 pages at $14.99 | $4.60 | 60% × $14.99 − $4.60 = $4.39 |
| 200 pages at $12.99 | $3.40 | 60% × $12.99 − $3.40 = $4.39 |
| 200 pages at $9.49 | $3.40 | 50% × $9.49 − $3.40 = $1.35 |
Notice the last row: pricing just under $9.99 drops you to 50% and can cut your royalty by more than half. For most paperbacks, $9.99 is the real minimum.
Hardcover royalties
Hardcovers use the same 60% idea with higher printing costs: on Amazon.com, black-and-white hardcovers of 110–550 pages cost $5.65 + $0.012 per page. A 300-page hardcover costs $9.25 to print, so at $24.99 you earn 60% × $24.99 − $9.25 = $5.74.
Kindle ebook royalties
- 70% option: for prices from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com. A delivery cost of $0.15 per MB is taken out first.
- 35% option: for prices outside the band, with no delivery cost.
| Ebook price (2 MB file) | Royalty |
|---|---|
| $0.99 | 35% = $0.35 |
| $4.99 | 70% × ($4.99 − $0.30) = $3.28 |
| $9.99 | 70% × ($9.99 − $0.30) = $6.78 |
| $12.99 (new in 2026) | 70% × ($12.99 − $0.30) = $8.88 |
| $14.99 | 35% = $5.25 |
Big files with many images pay more delivery cost — compress images before upload. For sales in India, Japan, Brazil and Mexico, the 70% option also requires KDP Select. Check KDP’s pricing page for the full eligibility rules.
Kindle Unlimited
If your ebook is in KDP Select, you also earn for every page read in Kindle Unlimited (KENP). The rate changes monthly — usually around half a US cent per page. A 300-page book read in full earns roughly $1.30–$1.50.
Other marketplaces
Each Amazon store has its own thresholds, printing costs and currency. UK and EU prices include VAT, which is removed before your royalty is calculated, so the same price earns less there. Choose the marketplace in the KDP royalty calculator to see the right numbers.
How to earn more per copy
- Keep paperbacks at $9.99 or more to stay on 60%.
- Test ebook prices between $9.99 and $12.99 if your genre supports it — now still at 70%.
- Cut pages: a slightly bigger trim size lowers printing cost — check with the page count estimator and print cost calculator.
- Price inside your genre’s usual range — the book pricing calculator suggests one.
Figures are for Amazon.com and the KDP rules published at the time of writing (October 2026). Always confirm on your KDP Bookshelf before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the KDP royalty on a paperback?
On Amazon.com it is 60% of the list price minus the printing cost for books priced at $9.99 or more, and 50% for books priced at $9.98 or less.
What is the Kindle 70% royalty price range in 2026?
On Amazon.com the 70% band is $2.99 to $12.99 since July 7, 2026. Prices outside the band earn 35%.
What is the KDP delivery cost?
Under the 70% option, Amazon.com deducts a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB of your ebook file before calculating the royalty.
