--- title: "KDP Royalty Calculator: Printing Cost and Royalty" description: "Free KDP royalty calculator: printing cost, royalty per sale and minimum list price for paperbacks, hardcovers and eBooks, with KDP's 2026 rates." url: https://podly.co/tools/kdp-royalty-calculator/ --- [Free tools](https://podly.co/tools/) [Calculators](https://podly.co/tools/#calculators) # KDP royalty calculator for print books and eBooks This KDP royalty calculator shows the printing cost, your royalty per sale and the lowest price KDP accepts. Pick the format, marketplace, ink and page count, then enter your list price. - Free - No signup needed - KDP rates checked November 2026 Book format Marketplace Interior and paper Trim size Large: wider than 6.12 in (155.5 mm) or taller than 9 in (228.6 mm), like 7 × 10 or 8.5 × 11. Page count 24 to 828 pages List price Before VAT or GST Paperback · Amazon.com (US) Royalty per sale $4.39 60% royalty rate on Amazon.com (US) 1. List price (before tax) $14.99 2. Royalty rate (60%) $8.99 3. Printing cost ($1.00 + 300 × $0.012) $4.60 4. Royalty per sale $4.39 **Printing cost** $4.60 Black ink, white or cream paper, regular trim **Minimum list price** $9.20 Printing cost ÷ royalty rate **Expanded Distribution** $1.40 40% of list price − printing cost **60% rate from** $9.99 50% at $9.98 and below ## How we calculate this The calculator uses KDP's own printing-cost tables for each marketplace, rounds to the cent like KDP does, then applies the royalty rate that matches your list price. For eBooks it takes the VAT or GST out of the list price first, then the delivery cost on the 70% option. **Printing cost** fixed cost + page count × per-page cost **Print royalty** 50% or 60% × list price − printing cost **eBook royalty (70%)** 70% × (list price − VAT − delivery cost) Rates and tables come from KDP Help, checked on November 14, 2026. KDP shows your exact printing cost and royalty on the pricing page of your book setup. ![Podly Merch Database: filters for marketplace, product type, date, BSR, price and estimated sales above a grid of results](https://podly.co/images/home-v2/tab-research-1400.webp) Merch Database In Podly Know your royalty. Now see what sells on Amazon. Podly shows the price, rank and estimated sales of 50M+ Amazon print-on-demand products, updated every day. [Start free](https://app.podly.co/register?utm_source=podly.co&utm_medium=website&utm_content=kdp_royalty_calculator) Free plan · No credit card ## How to use the KDP royalty calculator 1. Choose **Paperback**, **Hardcover** or **eBook**. 2. Pick the Amazon marketplace where the book sells. Printing costs and royalty bands differ by store. 3. For print books, pick the ink and paper, the trim size class and your page count. Trim size only matters as regular or large: anything wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in is large. 4. Enter your list price before tax. The result shows the printing cost, your royalty per copy, the minimum list price and, for paperbacks on Amazon.com and .co.uk, the Expanded Distribution royalty. ## KDP royalty rates as of November 2026 | Format | Royalty | Condition | | --- | --- | --- | | Paperback and hardcover | 60% − printing cost | List price $9.99+ (£7.99, €9.99, CA$13.99, A$13.99, ¥1,000) | | Paperback and hardcover | 50% − printing cost | List price $9.98 or less | | Paperback, Expanded Distribution | 40% − printing cost | Bookstores and libraries, US and UK distributors | | eBook, 70% option | 70% × (price − VAT − delivery) | $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com, $0.15 per MB delivery | | eBook, 35% option | 35% × (price − VAT) | Any price from $0.99 (larger files need more) | KDP now pays 50% instead of 60% on print books priced under $9.99, and in 2026 it raised the top of the eBook 70% band from $9.99 to $12.99. A black ink paperback on Amazon.com costs a flat $2.30 to print up to 110 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page (large trim: $2.84, then $0.017 per page). Groundwood paper is about 5% cheaper per page. Standard color costs $0.0255 per page and premium color $0.065. A black ink hardcover costs $5.65 + $0.012 per page. Sources, all on KDP Help: [Paperback Royalty](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330), [Paperback Printing Cost](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340), [Hardcover Royalty](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G77F3WPD3KQLJTFS), [Hardcover Printing Cost](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GHT976ZKSKUXBB6H), [Expanded Distribution](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45), [Digital Book Pricing Page](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634500) and [eBook List Price Requirements](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634560). Checked on November 14, 2026. ## Worked example: a 300-page paperback at $14.99 - Printing cost on Amazon.com: $1.00 + 300 × $0.012 = $4.60 - Royalty: 60% × $14.99 − $4.60 = $4.39 a copy - Minimum list price: $4.60 ÷ 50% = $9.20 - Expanded Distribution: 40% × $14.99 − $4.60 = $1.40 a copy Drop the same book to $9.98 and the rate falls to 50%: you earn $0.39. One cent more, at $9.99, pays $1.39. The eBook edition at $4.99 with a 2 MB file earns $3.28 on the 70% option (70% × ($4.99 − $0.30)), against $1.75 on 35%. ## Mistakes that cost KDP authors money - **Pricing just under $9.99.** At $9.98 the rate drops to 50%. On a $4.60 book that is $1.00 less per copy for one cent. - **Picking a large trim by habit.** 8.5 × 11 costs $0.017 a page instead of $0.012. On 120 pages that is $0.60 a copy. - **Heavy eBook files on 70%.** A 20 MB picture book pays $3.00 delivery on each sale. Compress images, or compare with 35%. - **Counting on Expanded Distribution for low-content books.** Journals, planners and puzzle books are usually refused. Making the cover next? The [KDP cover calculator](https://podly.co/tools/kdp-cover-calculator/) gives the full cover size and spine width for the same page count. Selling T-shirts too? The [Merch on Demand royalty calculator](https://podly.co/royalties-calculator/) does the same job for Amazon Merch. Facts checked and page updated on November 14, 2026. ## KDP royalty questions, answered. Something we missed? [Send us a message.](https://podly.co/contact/) A human answers. **01 How much does KDP pay per paperback?** KDP pays 60% of the list price minus the printing cost when the list price is $9.99 or more on Amazon.com, and 50% minus the printing cost at $9.98 or less. A 300-page black ink paperback at $14.99 costs $4.60 to print, so you earn $4.39 a copy. **02 How is the KDP printing cost calculated?** A fixed cost per book plus a cost per page, which depend on the marketplace, the ink, the paper and whether the trim size is regular or large. On Amazon.com a black ink paperback costs $1.00 + $0.012 per page from 112 pages, and a flat $2.30 up to 110 pages. **03 What is the minimum list price on KDP?** Your printing cost divided by your royalty rate, so you never lose money on a copy. A book that costs $4.60 to print needs a list price of at least $9.20 (4.60 ÷ 50%). KDP will not accept a lower price. **04 Is Expanded Distribution worth it?** It pays 40% of the list price minus the printing cost, so at low prices the royalty is small or even zero. It is free, paperback only, and only for books on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Many low-content books (journals, planners, coloring and puzzle books) are not accepted. **05 Can I get 70% on a Kindle eBook priced above $9.99?** Yes, since July 7, 2026. The 70% royalty option now covers list prices from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com, with matching bands in other stores. KDP subtracts a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB on that option. More free tools ## Keep going with these free tools. - Design & print ### KDP cover calculator Cover size and spine width for your book - Calculators ### Merch royalties calculator Your Merch on Demand royalty at any price - Calculators ### Break-even ROAS calculator The ad return you need to stay profitable Free ebook ## +1,000 Print-On-Demand niches. Free, in your inbox. More than 1,000 hot Print-On-Demand niches, updated weekly. Discover top-selling ideas and start getting more sales. [See what's in the guide](https://podly.co/1100-free-niche-for-merch-by-amazon/). ![The 1,000+ Niches That Sell ebook standing in the clouds](https://podly.co/images/home-v2/ebook.webp) ## Know your royalty. Then find books and designs that sell. Join 6,000+ Merch sellers who check Podly before they design. [Start free, find best-sellers](https://app.podly.co/register?utm_source=podly.co&utm_medium=website&utm_content=kdp_royalty_calculator_final) [Add to Chrome, free](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/podly-ai-toolset-for-merc/dipicnapjjmogjmpcncbfooffdhcfndk) ![Podly Merch Database](https://podly.co/images/home-v2/tab-research.webp)