How to use the KDP royalty calculator
- Choose Paperback, Hardcover or eBook.
- Pick the Amazon marketplace where the book sells. Printing costs and royalty bands differ by store.
- 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.
- 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, Paperback Printing Cost, Hardcover Royalty, Hardcover Printing Cost, Expanded Distribution, Digital Book Pricing Page and eBook List Price Requirements. 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 gives the full cover size and spine width for the same page count. Selling T-shirts too? The Merch on Demand royalty calculator does the same job for Amazon Merch.
Facts checked and page updated on .
