KDP royalty calculator
On Amazon.com, KDP pays 60% of the list price at $9.99 or more (50% below that) minus the printing cost, for paperbacks and hardcovers. A $15 paperback of 333 pages earns $4.00 a copy; a $24.99 hardcover of 300 pages earns $5.74. Enter your format, trim size, pages and price below.
How it works
Royalty = royalty rate × list price − printing cost. The rate is 60% at a list price of $9.99 or more and 50% at $9.98 or less. Printing cost is a fixed amount plus a cost per page. For black ink on Amazon.com: a paperback is $2.30 up to 110 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page; a hardcover is $6.80 for 75 to 108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012 per page (large trims cost more, see the questions below).
The lowest list price KDP accepts is the printing cost divided by the rate, and the highest is $250. eBooks earn 70% for list prices from $2.99 to $9.99 and 35% otherwise, before delivery costs.
Colour interiors, other Amazon marketplaces and Expanded Distribution use different figures: use KDP's own printing cost and royalty calculator for those. If you publish through Harmony Publishing you keep 100% of the royalties that Amazon KDP and IngramSpark pay; Harmony does not take a share of your sales.
Questions
- How much royalty does KDP pay on a paperback?
- On Amazon.com, 60% of the list price at $9.99 or more (50% at $9.98 or less), minus the printing cost. KDP's own example: a $15 list price on a 333-page black-ink paperback is 0.60 × $15 − $5.00 = $4.00 per copy.
- How much royalty does KDP pay on a hardcover?
- The same rule as a paperback: 60% of the list price at $9.99 or more (50% below that), minus the printing cost. Hardcover printing costs more: on Amazon.com a 300-page black-ink regular-trim hardcover costs $5.65 + 300 × $0.012 = $9.25 to print (KDP's example), so a $24.99 list price earns 0.60 × $24.99 − $9.25 = $5.74.
- What does KDP charge to print a paperback?
- On Amazon.com, black ink, regular trim: $2.30 per book for 24 to 110 pages, and $1.00 plus $0.012 per page from 112 pages. Large trims (wider than 6.12 inches or taller than 9) cost $2.84 up to 110 pages, then $1.00 plus $0.017 per page. Colour interiors and other marketplaces differ.
- What does KDP charge to print a hardcover?
- On Amazon.com, black ink: $6.80 per book for 75 to 108 pages (regular trim; $7.49 for large trims), and $5.65 plus $0.012 per page from 110 pages up to 550 ($0.017 per page for large trims).
- What is the eBook royalty on KDP?
- 70% for list prices from $2.99 to $9.99 and 35% otherwise, before delivery costs. A $4.99 eBook earns about $3.49 a sale.
- What is the lowest price I can set?
- KDP will not accept a list price whose royalty would not cover the printing cost. The calculator shows the minimum for your book: the printing cost divided by 50% when that is $9.98 or less, otherwise the larger of $9.99 and the printing cost divided by 60%. The maximum is $250.
- Does Expanded Distribution pay the same royalty?
- No. If you enable Expanded Distribution, KDP pays 40% of the list price minus printing cost on those sales, not 50% or 60%. This calculator covers sales on Amazon.com only.
- Do I keep my royalties if I publish with Harmony Publishing?
- Yes. Authors keep 100% of the royalties paid by Amazon KDP and IngramSpark; the package price is a one-time cost.
Sources
- Amazon KDP: Paperback Printing Cost
- Amazon KDP: Paperback Royalty
- Amazon KDP: Hardcover Printing Cost
- Amazon KDP: Hardcover Royalty
Figures checked on 16 October 2026. Check the source before you rely on a number for a print order.
If you would rather have it done for you, ask for a free consultation call or see the packages and prices. To compare printing prices outside KDP, use the book printing cost calculator.
Written by the Harmony Publishing Editorial Team. More free tools.