Step 1
Configure the book
Format, pages, ink, paper, and trim determine print cost.
Free tool · No signup required
KDP royalty calculator, without the guesswork.
Estimate paperback, hardcover, and Kindle eBook earnings using current Amazon.com rates. See exactly how printing or delivery costs affect every sale.
Book and pricing details
Estimate your royalty
Book format
24–828 pages
Optional projection
Your estimated royalty
See where every dollar goes
Royalty per sale
$5.59
Calculation
$14.99 × 60% = $8.99
$8.99 − $3.40 printing = $5.59
37.3%effective
Where the list price goes
- Your royalty
- $5.59
- Printing
- $3.40
- Amazon share
- $6.00
Compare nearby prices
| List price | Rate | Per sale | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12.99 | 60% | $4.39 | $175.60 |
| $13.99 | 60% | $4.99 | $199.60 |
| $14.99Current | 60% | $5.59 | $223.60 |
| $15.99 | 60% | $6.19 | $247.60 |
| $16.99 | 60% | $6.79 | $271.60 |
Pricing insight
KDP's estimated minimum for this configuration is $6.80. The royalty percentage applies before the full printing cost is deducted.
Amazon.com estimate
Estimates exclude withholding, refunds, price matching, and non-US customer rules.
The formula
How KDP royalties really work
The advertised royalty percentage is not your final profit margin. Amazon first applies the rate to the list price, then deducts production costs from your share.
Step 2
Apply the rate
Price and channel determine the royalty percentage.
Step 3
Subtract costs
Printing or delivery is deducted to reveal the royalty.
Why a $16.99 paperback can earn only $1.11
1. Calculate your 60% share
$16.99 × 60% = $10.19
2. Subtract printing
$10.19 − $9.08 = $1.11
Amazon keeps its 40% share and deducts the full printing charge from the author's portion. The 60% label describes the first step of the formula, not the percentage of profit you keep after production.
Why we built this free calculator
A royalty percentage does not tell the whole story.
Authors often see “60%” or “70%” and reasonably expect that percentage of the sale price. Printing charges, eBook delivery fees, distribution channels, and eligibility rules make the actual KDP earnings less obvious.
ReviewBunch built this estimator to put the complete calculation in one view: the rate Amazon applies, every modeled deduction, the effective royalty margin, and a practical monthly projection. It is free, runs locally in your browser, and uses current official US KDP tables.
How to use the KDP royalty calculator
Choose a format
Select paperback, hardcover, or Kindle eBook.
Enter production details
For print, add ink, trim, paper, and final page count. For eBooks, select 35% or 70% and enter KDP's converted file size.
Set the Amazon.com price
Enter the US list price and, for paperbacks, choose Amazon marketplace or Expanded Distribution.
Review earnings and costs
Compare the royalty, production cost, effective margin, price breakdown, minimum price, and monthly projection.
Current US rules
Rates, costs, and thresholds
This calculator uses Amazon.com pricing and production tables. International marketplaces use different currencies, thresholds, taxes, and costs.
KDP royalty formulas at a glance
Current Amazon.com formulas modeled by this estimator.
| Format and channel | Estimated formula | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Kindle eBook, 35% | List price × 35% | No delivery fee deduction |
| Kindle eBook, 70% | (List price − delivery) × 70% | $2.99–$12.99 US price band |
| Paperback or hardcover on Amazon | List price × 50% or 60% − printing | Rate changes at the format's US threshold |
| Paperback Expanded Distribution | List price × 40% − printing | Eligible paperbacks only |
Paperback and hardcover
50% or 60%, minus printing
- 50% through $9.98 and 60% from $9.99
- Printing varies by pages, ink, paper, and trim
- Expanded Distribution is 40% for eligible paperbacks
- Minimum price must cover the production charge
Kindle eBook
35% or 70%, with different rules
- 35% has no file delivery deduction
- 70% deducts $0.15 per converted MB in the US
- $2.99–$12.99 US price band for 70%
- Buyer territory and book eligibility affect the final rate
Royalty is not direct-sale profit
KDP retail royalties do not subtract customer shipping. If you order author copies and sell them at events or from your website, calculate sale price minus printing, shipping, payment fees, and your selling expenses instead.
Use the final converted details
For print, use the final page count and actual trim category. For eBooks, use the converted file size shown by KDP rather than the source manuscript size. Small differences can change the estimate.
Turn the estimate into a decision
Price for readers, margin, and your publishing budget.
The highest royalty per copy is not automatically the best book price. Compare realistic price points, similar titles in your subgenre, and the number of sales needed to recover production and launch costs.
Compare price points
Test two or three prices. Watch the $9.99 print-rate threshold and the current $2.99–$12.99 Kindle 70% band.
Control production costs
Compare page count, ink, trim, and converted eBook size without sacrificing readability or image quality.
Check market fit
Use comparable books to judge perceived value. A sustainable price must work for readers as well as your margin.
Simple break-even formula
publishing costs ÷ royalty per sale = sales to break even
If editing, cover design, formatting, proofs, and launch costs total $1,500 and the royalty is $3 per sale, the simple target is 500 sales. Advertising, taxes, returns, and changing costs require separate tracking.
Not included in this estimate
- VAT, sales tax, or withholding
- Refunds and returned copies
- Price matching and promotions
- Advertising and launch expenses
- Kindle Unlimited or KENP reads
- Non-US marketplace rules
Preparing your print edition?
Calculate the exact cover canvas next.
Use the same page count in our KDP cover size calculator to get spine, bleed, and 300-DPI dimensions.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How does Amazon calculate KDP paperback royalties?
For Amazon.com paperback sales, KDP multiplies the list price by 50% or 60%, then subtracts the full printing cost. Prices at or below $9.98 use 50%, while prices at or above $9.99 use 60%.
Why is my KDP royalty lower than 60% of the profit?
The 60% rate is applied to the list price before printing is deducted. For a $16.99 book with a $9.08 printing cost, the calculation is $16.99 × 60% − $9.08 = $1.11. It does not mean the author keeps 60% after printing.
What affects KDP printing cost?
Printing cost depends on marketplace, book format, page count, ink type, paper, and whether the trim is regular or large. Cover finish and bleed do not change Amazon's printing charge.
What is the KDP Expanded Distribution royalty?
Eligible paperbacks earn 40% of the list price through Expanded Distribution, minus printing cost and applicable taxes or withholding. Hardcovers are not eligible.
How are Kindle eBook royalties calculated?
The 35% option pays 35% of the list price without a delivery deduction. The 70% option pays 70% of the list price after applicable tax and file delivery cost are deducted.
What is the current 70% Kindle price range?
On Amazon.com, the 70% eBook royalty option uses a $2.99 to $12.99 list-price band effective July 7, 2026. Other eligibility rules still apply.
Does customer shipping reduce my normal KDP royalty?
Customer shipping is not deducted from the standard Amazon retail royalty formula. Shipping matters when ordering author copies or selling copies yourself, which is a different profit calculation.
Is this the same as profit from selling author copies directly?
No. A direct-sale estimate should subtract the author-copy printing cost, shipping, payment fees, and selling expenses from the amount you collect. This tool estimates royalties on KDP sales.
Why can my KDP report differ from this estimate?
Actual royalties can vary because of customer location, marketplace, price matching, promotions, refunds, taxes, Expanded Distribution, and withholding. Confirm final pricing in KDP before publishing.
Should I choose the 35% or 70% Kindle royalty option?
Compare both options for your specific price and converted file size. The 70% option usually pays more for an eligible Amazon.com sale, but it has price, territory, public-domain, and physical-edition pricing requirements and deducts delivery cost. The 35% option has no delivery deduction and supports a wider price range.
Does this calculator include Kindle Unlimited or KENP earnings?
No. Kindle Unlimited pays from the monthly KDP Select Global Fund according to eligible normalized pages read, not the retail eBook royalty formula. This calculator estimates paid unit sales only.
How can I reduce KDP printing or eBook delivery costs?
For print, compare page count, ink choice, and trim category without making the book harder to read. For eBooks, use KDP's converted file size and optimize oversized images while preserving quality. Do not remove useful content solely to reduce cost.
How do I calculate the sales needed to recover publishing costs?
Divide your total editing, cover, formatting, proof, and launch costs by the estimated royalty per sale. For example, $1,500 in costs divided by a $3 royalty is approximately 500 sales before advertising, taxes, refunds, or changing costs.
Does the buyer's location affect an eBook royalty?
Yes. The 70% option applies only to eligible sales in Amazon's listed 70% territories. A sale through Amazon.com can still use 35% when the customer is outside an eligible territory, so buyer location can make KDP reports differ from this US planning estimate.
After the numbers make sense
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Tool updated September 22, 2026
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