KDP Royalties and Printing Costs Explained: Formulas, Current Rates and Worked Examples

This is general information, not financial or tax advice.

KDP pays paperback royalties of 60% of list price minus printing cost at $9.99 and above on Amazon.com, or 50% minus printing cost at $9.98 and below. Printing cost is a fixed fee plus a per-page charge that depends on ink, paper, trim size and marketplace. eBooks pay 35%, or 70% (after VAT and a small delivery fee) for prices between $2.99 and $12.99 on Amazon.com. All figures here are as of October 2026.

Those three sentences cover the rules. The money is in the details, especially the cliff at $9.99 and how fast page count adds up on large trims. Here are the formulas, current rates and examples.

Key takeaways

• Paperback royalty = (royalty rate x list price) − printing cost.
• On Amazon.com the rate jumps from 50% to 60% at $9.99.
• Printing cost = fixed cost + (pages x per-page cost); trims wider than 6.12" or taller than 9" cost more.
• The 70% eBook band on Amazon.com now runs $2.99 to $12.99 (since July 7, 2026).
• Royalties are paid about 60 days after the end of the month of sale.

Paperback royalties

The formula

(Royalty rate x list price) − printing cost = royalty

KDP's own example: a $15, 333-page, regular-trim, black-ink paperback on Amazon.com: (0.60 x $15) − $5.00 = $4.00.

Royalty rate by marketplace

Expanded Distribution (other retailers and libraries) pays 40% of list price minus printing cost.

The $9.99 cliff

For a book costing $4.60 to print:

• At $9.98 (50%): $4.99 − $4.60 = $0.39
• At $9.99 (60%): $5.99 − $4.60 = $1.39

One cent of price more than triples the royalty. If your book costs more than a couple of dollars to print, pricing just under $9.99 is rarely a good idea.

Paperback printing costs

Fixed cost + (page count x per-page cost) = printing cost

Bleed and cover finish don't affect cost. Large trim = more than 6.12" wide or more than 9" tall.

Amazon.com rates (USD)

Other marketplaces have their own tables. For example, a regular-trim black-ink book of 110 to 828 pages on Amazon.co.uk costs £0.85 plus £0.010 per page.

Worked examples

From experience: On activity books, we found the trim decision mattered as much as the price. An 8.5 x 11 large trim feels like better value to buyers, but every page costs more to print. Run the numbers at two trims before you design a single page.

Minimum and maximum list price

KDP won't accept a price below the minimum:

• In the 60% range: printing cost ÷ 0.60
• In the 50% range: printing cost ÷ 0.50

For a $4.60 book, the 50%-range minimum is $9.20, so your real choices are $9.20 to $9.98 at 50%, or $9.99 and up at 60%. The maximum paperback price is $250 on Amazon.com (£250, €250, C$350, A$350, ¥30,000).

Promotional discounts by Amazon don't reduce your royalty; it's based on your list price.

eBook royalties

35% vs 70%

The 35% minimum price rises with file size: $0.99 under 3 MB, $1.99 from 3 to 10 MB, $2.99 at 10 MB or more.

Examples (1 MB file, US buyer, no VAT):

• $2.99 at 70%: 0.70 x ($2.99 − $0.15) = $1.99
• $12.99 at 70%: 0.70 x ($12.99 − $0.15) = $8.99
• $13.99 falls outside the 70% band, so it earns 35%: $4.90

You don't need to live in a 70% territory to get the 70% rate; it depends on where the buyer is. That matters for authors in Pakistan, the UAE and Malaysia selling mainly to US and UK readers.

KDP Select and Kindle+

Enrolling an eBook in KDP Select (90-day exclusivity for the digital edition) places it in Kindle+, the reading subscription Amazon renamed from Kindle Unlimited in October 2026. You earn from the KDP Select Global Fund based on your share of pages read (KENP), in addition to regular sales. The fund size changes monthly, so per-page earnings aren't fixed.

Common royalty mistakes

• Pricing a print book at $9.98 instead of $9.99 and losing the 60% rate.
• Forgetting that large trims cost more per page than regular trims.
• Enrolling in Expanded Distribution by default, then wondering why royalties look thin.
• Choosing color ink for a book that only needs a color cover; the cover is always printed in color.
• Setting an eBook price above the 70% band without meaning to.

Taxes, currency and payment timing

• Tax withholding: set by your KDP tax interview. Treaty rates depend on your country of residence.
• Currency: where royalties are paid in a different currency, Amazon converts at its exchange rate, inclusive of conversion fees. Direct deposit in the sale currency avoids conversion where available.
• Timing: monthly, about 60 days after the month of sale; 90 days for Expanded Distribution.
• Minimums: none for direct deposit; wire and check require a minimum, such as $100 on Amazon.com.

If you're in Pakistan and want to understand reporting foreign income, see the freelancer tax guide for Pakistan.

A four-step method for choosing a price

1. Find the floor. Calculate printing cost and KDP's minimum list price for your format. That's the lowest you can go.
2. Check the shelf. Look at the prices of ten close competitors in your main marketplace, in the same format and similar page count. Note the range most of them sit in.
3. Apply the threshold test. If the competitive range straddles $9.99 (or £7.99, €9.99), price at or above the threshold unless you have a strong reason not to, because of the jump from 50% to 60%.
4. Compare royalty per copy at two or three prices. Pick the one that balances competitiveness with a royalty that can fund ads and still leave a profit.

For eBooks the same logic applies to the 70% band: within $2.99 to $12.99, test a couple of prices over several weeks. KDP's timelines page lists about 24 hours for eBook list price updates to appear; check the same page for current paperback timelines before planning a promotion.

Hardcover in brief

KDP also prints hardcovers with their own printing cost and royalty tables. Hardcovers cost more to make and suit gift books, picture books and premium editions. Check the Hardcover Royalty and Hardcover Printing Cost pages before adding one, and remember that each format needs its own ISBN.

Pricing checklist

• [ ] Printing cost calculated for your exact trim, ink, paper and page count
• [ ] Price clears the 60% threshold (US $9.99, UK £7.99, EU €9.99) if print cost is meaningful
• [ ] Royalty per copy written down for each marketplace you'll promote
• [ ] Expanded Distribution decision made deliberately
• [ ] eBook price inside the 70% band unless you have a reason
• [ ] File size checked (delivery cost and 35% minimum price)
• [ ] Break-even ACOS noted if you'll advertise

Next steps

• Price your book at two trims and two price points with the tables above.
• Use your royalty to set a break-even ACOS in Amazon Ads for KDP authors.
• For activity titles, see the economics in how to make a puzzle book for KDP.
• Confirm final numbers in KDP's Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator before publishing.
• Turning books into a business with a site or store? Contact us.

Sources

• KDP Help, Paperback Royalty: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330
• KDP Help, Paperback Printing Cost: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340
• KDP Help, eBook Royalties: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200644210
• KDP Help, eBook List Price Requirements: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634560
• KDP Help, Royalties in Kindle+: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201541130
• KDP Help, When will I get paid?: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GK2MKZUL6U3SFBPZ

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