By Jesse Wood, founder of Build Until Publishing · November 10, 2026 · 6 min read
KDP royalties depend on format and price. An ebook earns 70% when priced from $2.99 to $9.99 in the US store, and 35% outside that range. A paperback earns 60% of the list price minus printing at $9.99 or more, and 50% below. A 200-page 6 x 9 paperback at $16.99 earns about $6.79.
Those are the rules in the US store as we write this. Amazon can change rates and printing costs, so use the numbers below to plan and KDP's own tools to confirm.
An ebook earns 70% or 35%, depending on its price.
| Ebook list price (US store) | Royalty rate |
|---|---|
| $2.99 to $9.99 | 70% |
| Below $2.99 or above $9.99 | 35% |
At 70%, Amazon also subtracts a small delivery fee based on the file size in megabytes. A text-only book has a tiny file, so the fee is small. A book full of images has a bigger file and a bigger fee.
Here's what that looks like. At $6.99, 70% is about $4.89 before the delivery fee. At $12.99, the 35% rate applies, which comes to about $4.55. So the higher price actually pays less per copy. That's why most nonfiction ebooks sell at $4.99 to $9.99.
A paperback royalty is your share of the list price, minus what it costs Amazon to print the copy.
| Paperback list price (US store) | Your share before printing |
|---|---|
| $9.99 or more | 60% |
| Below $9.99 | 50% |
Printing a black and white paperback runs about $1.00 plus roughly a cent and a quarter per page. For short books, there's a higher minimum. Our calculator uses about $2.30 for books up to 108 pages. Color costs much more, which matters a lot for picture books.
Take a 200-page, 6 x 9 black and white paperback priced at $16.99.
Now try the same book at $12.99. Your share is 60% of $12.99, about $7.79, minus the same $3.40 printing cost, which leaves about $4.39. The price dropped $4.00 and your royalty dropped $2.40. Every dollar you add to the price adds about 60 cents to your pocket, so price with your eyes open.
Every page adds printing cost, so a longer book earns less per copy at the same price. A 300-page book costs about $4.60 to print by the same formula, which is $1.20 more than the 200-page book. If you're deciding whether to add a bonus chapter, run the numbers first.
The free book specs calculator does this math for you. Enter your trim size, page count, ink and price, and it shows Amazon's estimated printing cost and what you earn per copy. It's an estimate built from KDP's published rates. Before you set your price, confirm the final figure in KDP's own pricing page and royalty calculator.
Hardcovers use different math, and other Amazon stores can have their own rates, so check KDP's pricing page for those.
Amazon pays royalties about 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale happened. You need your tax interview and bank details completed first, or payments are held. Our full Amazon walkthrough shows where to add both.
Nobody can promise that, and we won't. The royalty rate tells you what you earn per sale. It doesn't tell you how many sales you'll make, and nobody can promise that. Reviews, a clear cover, a strong description and the readers you reach on your own all affect it. Positioning matters too, so read our guide to comp titles before you set your price and categories.
KDP Select is optional. You give Amazon 90 days of ebook exclusivity, and in return you can join Kindle Unlimited, where you earn from pages read, and run promotions. Your paperback can still sell anywhere. Whether it's worth it depends on your book and your plans, so read KDP's current terms before opting in. If you're unsure, publishing the ebook without Select first keeps your options open, since you can decide again later.
Want a clearer picture of your book's reader and shelf before you price it? Start free and you'll get your Voice profile and the Acquisitions Board's read on your idea.
70% when your price is between $2.99 and $9.99 in the US store, minus a small delivery fee by file size. Outside that range the rate is 35%.
You earn 60% of the list price minus printing cost at $9.99 or more, and 50% minus printing cost below that. A 200-page 6 x 9 book at $16.99 earns about $6.79 per copy.
Use the royalty calculator on KDP's pricing page for your real number. Printing costs and rates can change, so confirm it there before you publish.
About 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale happened, once your tax interview and bank account are set up.