How many books do I need to sell to make $1,000 a month?

It depends entirely on your royalty per book. At $2.50 per book it's 400 sales a month; at $5 per book it's 200. Enter your numbers above to see yours.

What royalty per book should I use?

Your actual earnings per sale after Amazon's cut. Ebooks at the 70% rate earn the most per sale; print earns 50–60% of list price minus printing cost. Use the KDP Royalty Calculator to find it.

Does this include Kindle Unlimited?

Not directly. KU pays per page read (about $0.004–$0.005), so add your estimated KU income to your goal math separately.

Is this how much I WILL sell?

No. It shows what you'd need to sell to hit your goal — not a prediction. Most books sell modestly, especially early on.

KDP Profit Goal Calculator

Most authors start with a dollar goal — "I want to make $1,000 a month" — but the real question is how many books that takes. This calculator works backward from your goal to the number of sales you need, per month and per day. Tip: your royalty per book varies a lot by format and price, so grab your real number from the KDP Royalty Calculator first.

Last Updated: June 2026

Reviewed for current platform fees and pricing rules.

Income goal ($)

Goal period

Average royalty per book ($)

Number of titles in your catalog (optional)

Enter a number of titles.

Books per month

400

Books per week

Books per day

13.3

Avg sales per title / month

—

KDP Profit Goal Quick Tips

Use your real royalty per book, not your list price — Amazon's cut and printing costs make them very different.
Most KDP income comes from a catalog of titles, not one breakout book. Spreading sales across more books makes each title's target smaller.
Kindle Unlimited page-read income adds to royalties if you're enrolled — factor it in separately for a fuller picture.

Estimates assume consistent sales. Actual results vary by niche, quality, pricing, and promotion.

Formula

Books needed per month = monthly income goal ÷ royalty per book · Books per day = books per month ÷ 30 · Books per week = books per month ÷ 4.3

Worked example

Goal: $1,000/month. Royalty per book: $2.50.

Books per month = $1,000 ÷ $2.50 = 400
Books per day ≈ 400 ÷ 30 = 13.3
With a catalog of 10 titles, that's about 40 sales per title per month.

Answer: 400 books per month · ~13 per day · ~40 per title

How it works

Divide your monthly income goal by what you earn per book to get the number of sales you need. A higher royalty per book (from better pricing or format) lowers the number of sales required. Spreading the goal across more titles makes each title's target smaller and more achievable.

Seeing it per day is the reality check — 400 sales a month is real momentum, and it's why most authors grow a catalog rather than rely on one book.

Common mistakes

Using your list price instead of your actual royalty per book — they're very different after Amazon's cut and printing costs.
Assuming one book can carry the whole goal; KDP income usually comes from a catalog.
Forgetting Kindle Unlimited page-read income, which adds to royalties if you're enrolled.

FAQ

How many books do I need to sell to make $1,000 a month?: It depends entirely on your royalty per book. At $2.50 per book it's 400 sales a month; at $5 per book it's 200. Enter your numbers above to see yours.
What royalty per book should I use?: Your actual earnings per sale after Amazon's cut. Ebooks at the 70% rate earn the most per sale; print earns 50–60% of list price minus printing cost. Use the KDP Royalty Calculator to find it.
Does this include Kindle Unlimited?: Not directly. KU pays per page read (about $0.004–$0.005), so add your estimated KU income to your goal math separately.
Is this how much I WILL sell?: No. It shows what you'd need to sell to hit your goal — not a prediction. Most books sell modestly, especially early on.

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