KDP royalty and print cost calculator. Every line of the math.
Your royalty per copy on Amazon.com for a paperback or an eBook, with the printing cost worked out from page count, trim and ink at KDP's current US rates.
Need your cover size instead? Use the KDP cover calculator.
The figures here are before any tax KDP withholds. For eBooks, KDP's formulas also take out any VAT included in the price; this calculator follows KDP's US examples, where that VAT is $0.00. KDP rounds printing costs, delivery costs and royalties to the cent, and so does this calculator.
How KDP royalties work.
KDP pays a share of the list price you set. eBooks have two royalty options. Paperbacks earn a share of the list price minus the cost of printing each copy, which KDP takes out of the sale, so you pay nothing up front.
| Format | Royalty per copy | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| eBook, 70% option | 70% × (list price − delivery) | List prices from $2.99 to $12.99, at least 20% below the print list price |
| eBook, 35% option | 35% × list price | List prices from $0.99 to $200, with a higher minimum for larger files |
| Paperback on Amazon | 60% × list price − printing | List price of $9.99 or more |
| Paperback on Amazon | 50% × list price − printing | List price of $9.98 or less |
| Expanded Distribution | 40% × list price − printing | Paperbacks enrolled in it, at an eligible trim and paper |
eBooks: 70% or 35%
On the 70% option, KDP first takes out a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB of your eBook file on Amazon.com, with the file size rounded up to the kilobyte and a minimum of $0.01, then pays 70% of what is left. KDP raised the top of the 70% price range from $9.99 to $12.99 on July 7, 2026. The 35% option has no delivery cost. Its lowest list price depends on the file: $0.99 under 3 MB, $1.99 from 3 MB to under 10 MB, and $2.99 at 10 MB or more.
Paperbacks: 60% or 50%, minus printing
On Amazon.com, a paperback listed at $9.99 or more earns 60% of the list price, and one listed at $9.98 or less earns 50%. KDP then subtracts the printing cost. Its example: a 333-page black-ink paperback at a regular trim size, listed at $15, earns (0.60 × $15) − $5.00 = $4.00.
KDP won't take a list price below the printing cost divided by the royalty rate, so the royalty always covers printing, and the highest paperback list price on Amazon.com is $250. A $4.60 printing cost sets the minimum at $9.20, which falls in the 50% range.
Expanded Distribution: 40%, minus printing
Expanded Distribution offers your paperback to bookstores, libraries and other retailers through KDP's distributors. Those copies earn 40% of the list price, minus the same printing cost, and KDP says the minimum list price is different for a book enrolled in it. Only some trim and paper pairs qualify: the calculator checks yours against KDP's chart.
KDP printing cost formulas.
Fixed cost plus page count times a per-page cost, set by ink, paper and trim. These are KDP's figures for books sold on Amazon.com.
| Ink and paper | Pages | Regular trim | Large trim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black ink, white or cream paper | 24 to 110 | $2.30 | $2.84 |
| Black ink, white or cream paper | More than 110 | $1.00 + $0.012 a page | $1.00 + $0.017 a page |
| Black ink, groundwood paper | 24 to 112 | $2.23 | $2.75 |
| Black ink, groundwood paper | 114 to 828 | $1.00 + $0.0114 a page | $1.00 + $0.0162 a page |
| Premium color ink | 24 to 40 | $3.60 | $4.20 |
| Premium color ink | 42 to 828 | $1.00 + $0.065 a page | $1.00 + $0.08 a page |
| Standard color ink | 72 to 600 | $1.00 + $0.0255 a page | $1.00 + $0.0402 a page |
A large trim is one wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in. Of KDP's 16 US paperback sizes, five are regular: 5 × 8, 5.06 × 7.81, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5 and 6 × 9 in. The other eleven are large, and so is any custom size wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in.
So a 300-page black-ink book costs $1.00 + 300 × $0.012 = $4.60 to print at 6 × 9 in, and $1.00 + 300 × $0.017 = $6.10 at 7 × 10 in. Groundwood costs about 5% less per page than white or cream. Bleed and cover finish don't change the price.
One wrinkle: KDP's paperback royalty page says trim size does not affect printing cost, while its printing cost page charges more for large trims. This calculator follows the printing cost page, which lists the rates. KDP's own printing cost and royalty calculator shows the exact figure for your book.
Worked examples.
A novel: 300 pages, 6 × 9 in, black ink on cream paper, $14.99
Printing$1.00 + 300 × $0.012=$4.60
Amazon.com60% × $14.99 = $8.994 − $4.60=$4.394, so $4.39 a copy
Expanded Distribution40% × $14.99 = $5.996 − $4.60=$1.396, so $1.40 a copy
Lowest list price$4.60 ÷ 50%=$9.20
A picture book: 32 pages, 8.5 × 8.5 in, premium color, $12.99
Printinglarge trim, 24 to 40 pages, fixed=$4.20
Amazon.com60% × $12.99 = $7.794 − $4.20=$3.594, so $3.59 a copy
Expanded Distribution40% × $12.99 = $5.196 − $4.20=$0.996, so $1.00 a copy
Lowest list price$4.20 ÷ 50%=$8.40
8.5 in is wider than 6.12 in, so this is a large trim. KDP's Expanded Distribution chart lists 8.5 × 8.5 in with premium color as eligible.
An eBook: 2 MB, $4.99
Delivery2 MB × $0.15=$0.30
70% option70% × ($4.99 − $0.30)=$3.283, so $3.28 a sale
35% option35% × $4.99=$1.7465, so $1.75 a sale
For what the rest of a book costs to make, from editing to the cover, see how much it costs to self-publish a book.
The 70% rules authors miss.
- 20% below print. On the 70% option, your eBook's list price must be at least 20% below the list price of any print edition on Amazon. Beside a $14.99 paperback, the eBook can be $11.99 at most.
- Public domain books. A book made mostly of public domain content can only take the 35% option.
- Where the reader lives. 70% applies to sales to customers in KDP's list of 70% territories, which includes the United States. Sales elsewhere earn 35%. For Brazil, Japan, Mexico and India, the eBook must also be enrolled in KDP Select.
- Price matching. If Amazon matches a lower price for your book and the Amazon price falls below $2.99, that sale earns 35%.
- Staying eligible. If a book stops meeting the 70% rules, KDP pays it at 35% and can adjust royalties it already reported or paid.
Page count is the lever.
On a black-ink paperback past 110 pages, every page costs $0.012 at a regular trim and $0.017 at a large one. Cut 40 pages from a 300-page 6 × 9 in book and printing falls from $4.60 to $4.12, so each copy earns $0.48 more.
Words to pages
Type size, line spacing and margins decide how many pages your words fill. Our guide turns word count into page count by trim and type size.
Trim and ink
A bigger page can mean fewer pages, but past 6.12 × 9 in every page costs more, and color costs more again. See how to choose a KDP trim size.
Your real count
Inkbound shows your page count at your trim as you design, so you can price the book from the pages it will print. See book formatting in Inkbound.
Inkbound is a Mac app for Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 12 or later: $1 for the first week, then $14.99/month, or $129 once for Lifetime.
Royalty questions.
How are KDP royalties calculated?
How much does KDP charge to print a paperback?
What is the KDP royalty on a $14.99 paperback?
Does KDP take a delivery fee on eBooks?
When does KDP pay royalties?
What does Expanded Distribution pay?
Checked against KDP help on October 22, 2026
Every rate on this page comes from KDP's own help pages: eBook List Price Requirements, Digital Book Pricing Page, Paperback Printing Cost, Paperback Royalty, Print Book Pricing Page, Expanded Distribution, Print Options, Paperback Submission Guidelines and When will I get paid? KDP can change its rates, so check your book in KDP's own calculator before you set a price.
Price it from your book's page count. From November 21.
Opens November 21macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon · $1 first week, then $14.99/mo, or $129 Lifetime