How to Price Your Ebook (2026 Guide to Pricing for Profit)

How does ebook pricing affect your royalties?

On Amazon KDP, an ebook priced from $2.99 to $9.99 can earn the 70% royalty option. Outside that range the royalty is 35%. The 70% option also deducts a small delivery fee based on file size, so image-heavy books keep a little less. A book at $2.99 earns roughly $2.05 per sale, while the same book at $2.49 earns roughly $0.87. That cliff is why $2.99 is treated as a floor for most full-length books.

There are conditions on the 70% rate. Your ebook price generally has to be at least 20% below the lowest list price of the print edition, and some countries only pay 35% whatever your price. Check the eligibility notes on the pricing page for each marketplace.

Other stores work differently. Apple Books pays roughly 70% on most prices, Kobo has a lower rate for books priced under $2.99 and a higher one above it, and Google Play has its own structure. Treat these as things to verify, because they can change. If you publish wide, make sure your price lands well on every retailer, not just Amazon.

What is the best price for a fiction ebook?

For most genre fiction, $2.99 to $5.99 is the usual range. It stays inside the 70% tier and still feels like an impulse purchase. Romance, thrillers, mystery and fantasy from indie authors cluster here, and readers of those genres arrive with that expectation. Look at the bestsellers in your own category and note what independent authors charge.

A new author with a first book often does better at $2.99 to $3.99, where the risk for a reader trying someone unknown feels small. Established authors, longer books and later books in a series can sit higher. A very long epic fantasy at $2.99 may be underpriced; a 25,000-word novella at $5.99 may be overpriced. Length sets reader expectations, so match your price to what you are actually delivering.

Prices ending in .99 are still the norm for ebooks, and most readers expect them. Whether $3.99 beats $4.99 for your book is a question only testing can answer.

How should you price non-fiction?

Non-fiction readers judge price against the problem the book solves, not against its page count. That supports higher prices. Many self-published non-fiction ebooks sell at $6.99 to $9.99, and specialised professional or technical titles can go higher, though the 70% tier on Amazon ends at $9.99.

Price to the value of the outcome. A book that helps someone earn money, pass an exam or fix a painful problem can justify more than a general-interest book on the same subject. A very low price can even work against you here, because it suggests the advice is thin.

Also think about what the ebook is for. If it is a lead-in to coaching, courses or speaking, a lower price that brings in more readers may be worth more than the royalty you give up.

Should you use free or 99-cent pricing?

Free and 99-cent pricing are marketing tools, not long-term prices for a standalone book. They work best on the first book of a series, where a low entry price brings in readers who then buy the next books at full price. At 99 cents, KDP pays only 35%, so you earn very little per sale and are really paying for visibility.

Amazon does not let you set a permanent free price directly. Authors usually make a book free on another store, such as Apple Books or Kobo, and Amazon price-matches it, which is why permafree is mostly a wide-publishing tactic. If you are in KDP Select, you can instead run a limited number of free promotion days in each enrolment period. See our guide to KDP Select for the trade-offs.

Before you discount, ask three questions. Is there a next book to buy? Is the first book good enough to earn the read-through? Will the sale be paired with some promotion, such as a newsletter slot or an ad? A discount with no answer to those rarely pays back.

How do Kindle Unlimited and print prices change your ebook price?

If your book is in Kindle Unlimited, subscribers read it for no extra cost and you are paid per page read from a shared fund, so your list price does not change that income. Your price then only affects readers who buy. Many authors in KU still price at $3.99 to $4.99 to protect the value of a purchase. Our guide on how Kindle Unlimited pays authors explains the payout in more detail.

Your paperback also matters. Because of the 20% rule on the 70% royalty, a print price set very low can push your ebook price down with it. Readers also compare formats, and an ebook that costs nearly as much as the paperback can look poor value. A gap of a few dollars or more feels fair to most buyers.

Finally, think about other currencies. Amazon sets prices in each marketplace from your base price, and you can adjust them. Check that the converted prices still end sensibly and still qualify for the royalty rate you expect.

How do you price a box set or a series?

A box set of three or more books is usually priced well below the combined price of the individual titles, often $6.99 to $9.99, so readers see a clear saving. It still earns the 70% royalty, and it earns more per sale than any single book. The Box Set Price Calculator can help you find a price that feels like a deal without giving away too much.

Across a series, a common structure is a free or low-priced first book, then full price for the rest. The aim is to remove friction at the start, when readers do not know you, and earn steadily once they are invested. Your read-through rate, meaning how many readers go on to buy the next book, decides how much you can afford to discount book one.

Do not put the whole series at the same low price out of habit. Later books are bought by readers who already like you, and they will usually pay the full price.

How do you test and change your price?

Ebook prices can be changed at any time, and changes usually take effect within a day or two, so you can run real tests. Change one thing at a time, keep each price for at least two to four weeks, and compare total earnings, not just units sold. Note any promotions, new releases or ad changes during each period so you do not credit the wrong cause.

Look for the price that maximises total income, not sales count. Selling half as many copies at double the price can earn the same or more. Also watch your rank and your ad costs, because a price that lowers your conversion rate can make your advertising less efficient.

Recheck pricing whenever you release a new book, finish a series or start a promotion. A growing catalogue changes the maths, and the price that was right for a debut may be too low a year later.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best price for an ebook?

For most fiction, $2.99 to $5.99. For non-fiction, $6.99 to $9.99 is common. Both ranges keep the 70% royalty on Amazon KDP.

Why do so many ebooks cost $2.99?

It is the lowest price that qualifies for Amazon KDP's 70% royalty. Below $2.99 the royalty drops to 35%.

Should I give my book away for free?

Only as a strategy, usually for the first book in a series, so new readers try you and then buy the rest at full price.

How should I price a box set?

Well below the combined price of the individual books, often $6.99 to $9.99, so readers see a clear saving.

How often can I change my ebook price?

Whenever you like. Changes usually take effect within a day or two, so test a price for a few weeks before judging it.