How is the Amazon KDP paperback royalty calculated?

For sales on Amazon stores, KDP pays a 60% royalty rate: your royalty = (list price × 0.60) − printing cost. The printing cost depends on page count and interior type, not trim size. Example: a 200-page black-and-white paperback priced at $12.99 costs about $3.40 to print, so the royalty is ($12.99 × 0.60) − $3.40 = $7.79 − $3.40 = $4.39 per sale. Sales through Expanded Distribution (non-Amazon retailers) pay 40% instead of 60%.

How much does KDP charge to print a paperback?

KDP printing cost = a fixed cost + (page count × a per-page cost), based on the interior type. For black & white on white or cream paper in the US store: books of 24–110 pages are a flat $2.30, and books of 110+ pages are $1.00 + ($0.012 × page count). For standard color it is $1.00 + ($0.0255 × page count). So a 300-page black-and-white book costs $1.00 + (300 × $0.012) = $4.60 to print. Trim size does not change the printing cost in the current KDP formula.

What is the minimum price I can list my KDP book at?

Your minimum list price has to cover the printing cost out of Amazon’s 40% share, so the minimum = printing cost ÷ 0.60. If your book costs $4.60 to print, the minimum list price is $4.60 ÷ 0.60 = $7.67. Price below that and your royalty goes negative — Amazon will not let you publish at a price that does not cover printing. The calculator flags this and shows the minimum.

How is the Kindle ebook royalty calculated?

Kindle pays either 70% or 35% of the list price, with no printing cost (it is a digital file). You earn the 70% rate when your list price is between $2.99 and $9.99, minus a small delivery cost (about $0.15 per MB of file size). Outside that price band you earn 35% with no delivery cost. Example: a $4.99 ebook that is 2 MB earns ($4.99 − $0.30) × 0.70 = $3.28. The same book priced at $12.99 earns $12.99 × 0.35 = $4.55.

What is the Kindle delivery cost?

On the 70% royalty tier, Amazon deducts a delivery fee of roughly $0.15 per megabyte of your ebook file (US store). For a text-only book of 1–3 MB that is just $0.15–$0.45 per sale. It only matters for image-heavy books with large files. The 35% royalty tier has no delivery fee.

Why is my royalty negative or very low?

A negative royalty means your list price is too low to cover the printing cost out of Amazon’s 40% share — you are priced below the minimum. Raise the list price to at least the printing cost ÷ 0.60. A low-but-positive royalty usually means a high page count (more printing cost) or a low price; raise the price or, for very long books, consider whether the content can be tightened.

Does trim size affect the printing cost?

No. In Amazon KDP’s current printing-cost formula, the cost is determined by page count, interior type (black & white vs color), and marketplace — not by trim size. A 6×9 and a 5×8 book of the same page count and interior cost the same to print. Trim size does affect your spine width and full-cover dimensions, which you can work out with a spine-width calculator.

Is this KDP royalty calculator accurate?

It uses Amazon KDP’s published printing-cost and royalty rates for the US store (Amazon.com) as of June 2026. KDP shows the authoritative printing cost on the pricing screen when you publish, so treat these as close estimates. This version covers US paperback (black & white and standard color) and Kindle; UK and EU marketplaces, premium color, and hardcover are planned additions.

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KDP Royalty Calculator

See what you actually earn per sale on Amazon KDP. Enter your page count, interior, and list price to get your royalty, printing cost, and the minimum price to break even — for paperback and Kindle.

Paperback 60% royaltyKindle 70% / 35%Amazon.com (US)

Interior

Page count (24–828)

List price (USD)

Your royalty per sale

$2.59

Printing cost: $3.40
Royalty rate: 60%
Minimum list price: $5.67

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Estimates for Amazon.com (US) based on KDP’s published printing-cost and royalty rates (June 2026). KDP shows your exact cost at publish time.

How to calculate your KDP royalty

1
Choose your format
Pick Paperback for a printed book or Kindle ebook for a digital book. The royalty math is different for each: paperback pays 60% minus printing cost, Kindle pays 70% or 35% with no printing cost.
2
Set the interior and page count (paperback)
Choose black & white or standard color, then enter your page count. Page count and interior type are what drive the KDP printing cost.
3
Enter your list price
Type the price you plan to list the book at on Amazon. For Kindle, also enter the file size in MB so the 70% delivery cost is included.
4
Read your royalty per sale
The calculator instantly shows your royalty per sale, the printing cost, the royalty rate applied, and the minimum list price you can use without losing money.
5
Tune the price to your target
Adjust the list price up or down to hit the royalty you want. If the royalty shows red, you are priced below cost — raise the price to at least the minimum shown.

KDP paperback printing cost (Amazon.com)

Printing cost is a fixed amount plus a per-page charge, set by your interior type. These are Amazon’s published US rates; trim size does not change them.

Interior	Page range	Fixed cost	Per page
Black & white	24–110 pages	$2.30 flat	—
Black & white	110+ pages	$1.00	$0.012
Standard color	72–600 pages	$1.00	$0.0255

Royalty on Amazon stores is 60% of list price minus this printing cost. Kindle ebooks pay 70% (from $2.99 to $9.99, minus a ~$0.15/MB delivery fee) or 35% outside that band, with no printing cost.

Frequently asked questions

How is the Amazon KDP paperback royalty calculated?: For sales on Amazon stores, KDP pays a 60% royalty rate: your royalty = (list price × 0.60) − printing cost. The printing cost depends on page count and interior type, not trim size. Example: a 200-page black-and-white paperback priced at $12.99 costs about $3.40 to print, so the royalty is ($12.99 × 0.60) − $3.40 = $7.79 − $3.40 = $4.39 per sale. Sales through Expanded Distribution (non-Amazon retailers) pay 40% instead of 60%.
How much does KDP charge to print a paperback?: KDP printing cost = a fixed cost + (page count × a per-page cost), based on the interior type. For black & white on white or cream paper in the US store: books of 24–110 pages are a flat $2.30, and books of 110+ pages are $1.00 + ($0.012 × page count). For standard color it is $1.00 + ($0.0255 × page count). So a 300-page black-and-white book costs $1.00 + (300 × $0.012) = $4.60 to print. Trim size does not change the printing cost in the current KDP formula.
What is the minimum price I can list my KDP book at?: Your minimum list price has to cover the printing cost out of Amazon’s 40% share, so the minimum = printing cost ÷ 0.60. If your book costs $4.60 to print, the minimum list price is $4.60 ÷ 0.60 = $7.67. Price below that and your royalty goes negative — Amazon will not let you publish at a price that does not cover printing. The calculator flags this and shows the minimum.
How is the Kindle ebook royalty calculated?: Kindle pays either 70% or 35% of the list price, with no printing cost (it is a digital file). You earn the 70% rate when your list price is between $2.99 and $9.99, minus a small delivery cost (about $0.15 per MB of file size). Outside that price band you earn 35% with no delivery cost. Example: a $4.99 ebook that is 2 MB earns ($4.99 − $0.30) × 0.70 = $3.28. The same book priced at $12.99 earns $12.99 × 0.35 = $4.55.
What is the Kindle delivery cost?: On the 70% royalty tier, Amazon deducts a delivery fee of roughly $0.15 per megabyte of your ebook file (US store). For a text-only book of 1–3 MB that is just $0.15–$0.45 per sale. It only matters for image-heavy books with large files. The 35% royalty tier has no delivery fee.
Why is my royalty negative or very low?: A negative royalty means your list price is too low to cover the printing cost out of Amazon’s 40% share — you are priced below the minimum. Raise the list price to at least the printing cost ÷ 0.60. A low-but-positive royalty usually means a high page count (more printing cost) or a low price; raise the price or, for very long books, consider whether the content can be tightened.
Does trim size affect the printing cost?: No. In Amazon KDP’s current printing-cost formula, the cost is determined by page count, interior type (black & white vs color), and marketplace — not by trim size. A 6×9 and a 5×8 book of the same page count and interior cost the same to print. Trim size does affect your spine width and full-cover dimensions, which you can work out with a spine-width calculator.
Is this KDP royalty calculator accurate?: It uses Amazon KDP’s published printing-cost and royalty rates for the US store (Amazon.com) as of June 2026. KDP shows the authoritative printing cost on the pricing screen when you publish, so treat these as close estimates. This version covers US paperback (black & white and standard color) and Kindle; UK and EU marketplaces, premium color, and hardcover are planned additions.

Rates based on Amazon KDP’s published printing-cost and royalty schedule for Amazon.com (US). Last verified: June 4, 2026. KDP shows your exact printing cost on the pricing screen at publish time.