How KDP paperback royalties work
Royalty = royalty rate × list price − printing cost. On Amazon.com the rate is 50% for list prices of $9.98 or less and 60% from $9.99 up. Books sold through Expanded Distribution (bookstores and libraries) earn 40%.
Printing cost
KDP charges a fixed fee per book plus a fee per page. Short black-ink books (up to 110 pages) pay only a flat fee. Trims wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in count as large and cost more per page. Example from KDP: a 300-page 6 × 9 in book in black ink costs $1.00 + 300 × $0.012 = $4.60 to print.
| Ink and paper | Pages | Regular trim | Large trim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black, white or cream | 24 to 110 | $2.30 flat | $2.84 flat |
| Black, white or cream | 112 to 828 | $1.00 + $0.012/page | $1.00 + $0.017/page |
| Black, groundwood | 24 to 112 | $2.23 flat | $2.75 flat |
| Black, groundwood | 114 to 828 | $1.00 + $0.0114/page | $1.00 + $0.0162/page |
| Premium color | 24 to 40 | $3.60 flat | $4.20 flat |
| Premium color | 42 to 828 | $1.00 + $0.065/page | $1.00 + $0.08/page |
| Standard color | 72 to 600 | $1.00 + $0.0255/page | $1.00 + $0.0402/page |
The $9.99 threshold
Because the rate jumps from 50% to 60% at $9.99, a dollar of price can change your royalty a lot. A 100-page 8.5 × 11 in coloring book in black ink costs $2.84 to print: at $8.99 you earn $1.66 per sale, at $9.99 you earn $3.15.
What this calculator leaves out
- Other marketplaces (UK, EU, Japan and others have their own currencies, costs and VAT rules).
- Ebook royalties (35% / 70%, with a delivery fee) and hardcover pricing.
- Amazon Ads spend and taxes withheld from your payments.