About the Amazon KDP Royalty Calculator
This Amazon KDP royalty calculator estimates what you earn on each Kindle eBook or paperback sold through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.com. For eBooks it applies the 35% or 70% royalty option, including the delivery cost deducted on 70% sales and the list-price band the 70% option requires. For paperbacks it calculates the printing cost from page count, ink type and trim size, applies the 50% or 60% royalty rate depending on list price, and also shows the Expanded Distribution royalty and the minimum list price KDP will accept.
It is built for self-published authors, low-content and journal publishers, and small presses pricing a new title or comparing formats. Add your expected monthly sales to turn the per-copy royalty into a monthly and yearly income estimate.
Figures follow KDP’s Amazon.com (USD) help pages as reviewed for this tool: the 70% eBook option requires a list price of $2.99–$12.99 (the maximum rose from $9.99 on July 7, 2026) with delivery costs of $0.15 per MB; paperbacks earn 60% at list prices of $9.99 and above and 50% below that, minus printing. Other marketplaces use different prices, VAT and printing costs, and Kindle Unlimited page reads are paid from a separate monthly fund, so they are not included.
With the default inputs, the royalty per copy is $4.39. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the amazon kdp royalty calculator
- 1Choose paperback or Kindle eBook.
- 2Enter the Amazon.com list price you plan to set.
- 3For eBooks, pick the royalty option and enter the file size; for paperbacks, enter pages, ink and trim size.
- 4Add expected monthly sales to see monthly and yearly royalties.
- 5Adjust the price to compare royalty rates, or check the minimum list price.
Formula and method
For Kindle eBooks on the 70% option, KDP deducts a delivery cost of $0.15 per megabyte (minimum $0.01) from the list price and pays 70% of the rest; the option is only available for list prices from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com. The 35% option pays 35% of list price with no delivery cost and is used here whenever the price falls outside the 70% band.
For paperbacks, royalty = royalty rate × list price − printing cost. The rate is 60% at list prices of $9.99 or more and 50% below $9.99. Printing cost on Amazon.com is a fixed $2.30 (black ink, up to 110 pages, regular trim) or $1.00 plus a per-page charge — $0.012 for black, $0.0255 for standard color and $0.065 for premium color on regular trim, with higher rates for large trim. Expanded Distribution pays 40% of list price minus printing. The minimum list price is printing cost ÷ royalty rate.
- R
- Royalty per copy sold
- P
- List price (USD, excluding tax)
- MB
- eBook file size in megabytes
Worked examples
$14.99 paperback, 300 pages, black ink
Printing costs $1.00 + 300 × $0.012 = $4.60. At $14.99 the 60% rate applies: 0.60 × $14.99 − $4.60 = $4.39 per copy, or $439.40 for 100 copies a month. Expanded Distribution pays 40% − printing = $1.40.
$8.99 paperback, 120 pages (50% rate)
Below $9.99 the paperback rate drops to 50%. Printing is $1.00 + 120 × $0.012 = $2.44, so the royalty is $4.495 − $2.44 = $2.06. Raising the price to $9.99 would switch to 60% and pay $3.55.
$4.99 Kindle eBook on the 70% option, 2 MB
A 2 MB file costs 2 × $0.15 = $0.30 to deliver. The royalty is 70% × ($4.99 − $0.30) = $3.28 per copy, or $328.30 for 100 sales a month.
$14.99 eBook (above the 70% band)
Amazon.com’s 70% option tops out at $12.99, so a $14.99 eBook earns the 35% rate: 0.35 × $14.99 = $5.25 per copy. Pricing at $12.99 on the 70% option would pay more.
40-page premium color picture book, large trim
Premium color books of 24–40 pages on large trim have a fixed $4.20 printing cost. At $12.99 the 60% rate gives $7.79 − $4.20 = $3.59 per copy.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Amazon KDP pay per book?+
Paperbacks earn 60% of list price (50% below $9.99) minus printing on Amazon.com. Kindle eBooks earn 70% of list price minus delivery costs when priced $2.99–$12.99, or 35% of list price otherwise.
How is the KDP paperback printing cost calculated?+
On Amazon.com a black-ink regular-trim book up to 110 pages costs a flat $2.30; above that it is $1.00 plus $0.012 per page. Color interiors and large trim sizes (wider than 6.12" or taller than 9") cost more per page.
What is the KDP eBook delivery cost?+
On the 70% royalty option Amazon.com deducts $0.15 per megabyte of the converted file (minimum $0.01) from each sale before applying the 70% rate. The 35% option has no delivery cost, which can make it better for very large, image-heavy files.
Should I price my eBook at $9.99 or $12.99?+
Since July 7, 2026 the 70% band on Amazon.com runs up to $12.99, so prices between $9.99 and $12.99 now earn 70% instead of 35%. Test prices against your genre’s norms, since higher prices can reduce sales volume.
What is KDP Expanded Distribution?+
Expanded Distribution makes your paperback available to bookstores, libraries and other retailers. The royalty is 40% of list price minus printing cost, so you usually need a higher list price for it to pay anything.
Are Kindle Unlimited page reads included?+
No. KDP Select authors are paid for Kindle Unlimited pages read from a monthly global fund whose per-page rate changes every month, so it cannot be calculated from list price.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.