How much will I earn per book on KDP?
Amazon KDP royalties depend on the format, the list price, the printing cost and the marketplace. This KDP royalty calculator shows paperback, hardcover and ebook royalties side by side for the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan and India, using KDP’s published rules and printing costs.
KDP royalty rules (2026)
| Format | Royalty |
|---|---|
| Paperback & hardcover, list price at or above the threshold ($9.99 on Amazon.com) | 60% of list price − printing cost |
| Paperback & hardcover below the threshold | 50% of list price − printing cost |
| Expanded Distribution (bookstores, libraries) | 40% of list price − printing cost |
| Kindle ebook in the 70% band ($2.99–$12.99 on Amazon.com) | 70% of list price − delivery cost |
| Kindle ebook outside the band | 35% of list price |
VAT is removed from the price first in marketplaces that include it. Check the KDP help pages for the latest rules.
Example
A 300-page 6 × 9 in black-and-white paperback costs about $4.60 to print on Amazon.com. At $14.99 the royalty is 60% × $14.99 − $4.60 ≈ $4.39. The same book as a $4.99 ebook (1.5 MB) earns 70% × ($4.99 − $0.23) ≈ $3.33.
Price tips
- Paperbacks just under $9.99 only earn 50% — raising the price to $9.99 often increases royalty a lot.
- Ebooks above $12.99 drop to 35%.
- Large image-heavy ebooks pay higher delivery costs on the 70% plan.
- Kindle Unlimited pays per page read from the monthly KDP Select fund.
To choose prices for all formats at once, use the book pricing calculator. For printing costs only, see the KDP print cost calculator.
How KDP royalties are worked out
- Paperback: 60% of the list price minus the printing cost, for books priced at $9.99 or more on Amazon.com; books under $9.99 earn 50%.
- Hardcover: the same idea with hardcover printing costs.
- Ebook: 70% (minus a small delivery cost per MB) when the price is in the 70% band — $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com since July 7, 2026 — otherwise 35%.
- Kindle Unlimited: pages read (KENP) × the monthly per-page rate.
Example: 300-page 6 × 9 paperback at $14.99
Printing costs $1.00 + 300 × $0.012 = $4.60. Royalty = 60% × $14.99 − $4.60 = $4.39 per copy. The same book as a $4.99 ebook earns about $3.28 (70% after a delivery cost of about $0.30 for 2 MB).
Plan a month
Enter copies sold per month for each format and the pages read in Kindle Unlimited to see the monthly and yearly total. Add the author copies you want to order to see their cost.
Different marketplaces
Printing costs, royalty thresholds and currencies differ for Amazon.co.uk, the EU stores, Canada, Australia and Japan. Choose the marketplace and VAT setting where it applies — prices in the UK and EU include VAT, which is taken out before the royalty.