KDP Royalties Explained: How Ebook and Paperback Royalties Are Calculated (2026 Guide)

How is a KDP ebook royalty calculated?

KDP gives you two ebook royalty options: 35% and 70%. The 35% option is available across a very wide price range. The 70% option is only available when your list price falls inside a set price band, which in the US store has long been from $2.99 to $9.99. Other marketplaces have their own bands and currencies, and Amazon can change them, so check the current ranges on the pricing screen.

The 35% option is simple: royalty equals 35% of your list price, less any applicable taxes in marketplaces where tax is included in the displayed price. The 70% option has an extra step. KDP deducts a delivery fee based on the file size of your ebook, then pays 70% of what is left.

So the formula for the 70% option is: (list price minus delivery fee) multiplied by 0.70. The 35% option has no delivery fee. This is why a very large ebook, such as one with many high-resolution images, can make the 70% option less attractive than it first looks.

What is the ebook delivery fee and when does it apply?

The delivery fee is charged per copy sold under the 70% option, and it is calculated from the size of your final ebook file in megabytes. The US rate has been quoted as a set amount per MB, but it differs by country and can change, so read the current figure on the KDP pricing help page rather than relying on a number in an article.

For a plain-text novel the file is usually tiny, often well under 1 MB, so the fee is a few cents at most. For an illustrated ebook, a cookbook or a children's book with lots of images, the file can be many megabytes and the fee can take a visible bite out of each sale.

You can reduce the fee by compressing images sensibly before upload, without making them blurry. Check the file size KDP reports after it converts your manuscript, because that processed size is what counts.

What does a worked ebook example look like?

Take an ebook with a list price of $4.99 and a converted file size of 2 MB. For this example only, assume a delivery fee of $0.15 per MB, which makes the fee $0.30. Under the 70% option, the royalty is ($4.99 minus $0.30) multiplied by 0.70, which is $4.69 multiplied by 0.70, or about $3.28 per sale.

Under the 35% option, the same book earns $4.99 multiplied by 0.35, or about $1.75 per sale. The difference is large, which is why most authors aim for the 70% band when it is available to them.

Now raise the price to $10.99. That is outside the usual 70% band, so the royalty drops to the 35% rate: $10.99 multiplied by 0.35 is about $3.85. In this example you would earn more per sale at $10.99 than at $4.99, but you would probably sell fewer copies. The calculation only tells you what each sale pays, not what readers will accept. Our guide to pricing your ebook covers that side.

How is a KDP paperback royalty calculated?

Paperback royalties work differently. KDP pays a royalty rate of 60% of your list price for books sold on Amazon, then subtracts the printing cost of that specific book. The formula is: (list price multiplied by 0.60) minus printing cost.

Printing cost is not a flat fee. It is built from a fixed cost per book plus a cost per page, and the numbers depend on the marketplace, the trim size, whether the interior is black ink or colour, and the paper. KDP publishes the current rates by marketplace and shows the exact printing cost for your book on the pricing screen once your page count is set.

Because printing cost rises with page count, a 500-page novel and a 120-page workbook at the same list price can earn very different royalties. Colour interiors cost far more to print than black and white, which is why colour picture books and cookbooks need careful price planning. Hardcovers use a similar structure with their own printing costs, which our hardcover guide covers.

What does a worked paperback example look like?

Use illustrative numbers only. Suppose a 300-page black-ink paperback has a printing cost of $4.60, built from an assumed fixed cost of $1.00 plus $0.012 per page. Real rates vary, so do not copy these figures. With a list price of $12.99, the royalty is ($12.99 multiplied by 0.60) minus $4.60, which is $7.79 minus $4.60, or about $3.19 per copy.

You can also work backwards to find your minimum list price. KDP will not let you price below the point where your royalty would be zero. Divide the printing cost by 0.60 and you get the floor: $4.60 divided by 0.60 is about $7.67. At that price you would earn nothing, so the useful range starts higher.

To check the effect of page count, use your own trim size and interior type. Our Book Printing Cost Calculator and the KDP Royalty Calculator at cruxone.io/tools let you test different prices quickly, though you should always confirm the final figure on the KDP screen, which is the source of truth.

What changes the royalty for expanded distribution, author copies and taxes?

Expanded distribution lets your paperback reach other retailers and libraries through KDP, but the royalty rate is lower, typically 40% rather than 60%, and printing cost is still deducted. Using the example above, 40% of $12.99 is about $5.20, minus $4.60, leaves about $0.60. For thin-margin books this can drop close to nothing, so run the numbers before you switch it on. Rates and eligibility can change.

Author copies do not earn a royalty. You pay the printing cost plus shipping and any applicable tax, and then sell or give the copies yourself. Selling directly at events can be very profitable per copy, but you carry the cost and the effort.

Taxes and currency also matter. In some marketplaces the displayed price includes VAT or similar taxes, and your royalty is calculated on the price without them. Sales in other currencies are converted, and royalties are paid after a delay, so the figure in your dashboard will not always match your first back-of-envelope sum exactly. Reports show royalties by marketplace, which helps you spot patterns.

How do you use these calculations to plan your prices?

Start from your costs, not from a guess. For a paperback, find your printing cost, calculate the minimum price, and then test a few price points to see the royalty at each. For an ebook, confirm your file size and which royalty option your price falls into. Then compare the per-sale royalty in each format side by side.

Remember that royalty per sale is only one half of income. Total earnings are royalty multiplied by copies sold, and the number of copies depends on genre norms, the cover, the blurb and the reviews. If you also use Kindle Unlimited, page reads are paid from a shared fund and follow a separate calculation, covered in our Kindle Unlimited guide.

If you want a single place to organise the rest of the process, CruxOne is a browser-based AI publishing platform for indie authors that covers formatting, covers and publishing to Amazon KDP and other stores, and has 100+ free author tools. Whatever you use, keep a simple spreadsheet of price, royalty and sales per format, and revisit it every few months, because Amazon's rates and printing costs can change.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage does KDP pay on ebooks?

KDP offers a 35% or 70% royalty option. The 70% option needs a list price within a set band for your marketplace and deducts a file-size delivery fee first.

How do I calculate a KDP paperback royalty?

Multiply your list price by 0.60, then subtract the printing cost for your book. Printing cost depends on page count, trim size, ink type and marketplace.

What is the lowest price I can set for a paperback?

The floor is where your royalty would reach zero, which is the printing cost divided by 0.60 for Amazon sales. KDP shows the exact minimum on the pricing screen.

Do I earn royalties on author copies?

No. You pay the printing cost plus shipping and any tax, then keep whatever you earn by selling or giving the copies yourself.

Are KDP royalty rates and fees fixed?

No. Percentages, price bands, delivery fees and printing costs can change and differ by marketplace, so confirm current figures in your KDP dashboard.