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KDP Royalty Calculator

Estimate your Amazon KDP earnings: enter your book price, page count, format, print cost, and royalty rate to see your royalty, printing cost, net profit per sale, and margin.

Last Updated: June 2026

Reviewed for current platform fees and pricing rules.

Who this calculator helps

  • First-time KDP authors pricing a paperback before launch.
  • Low- and no-content book publishers (journals, planners, logbooks) comparing margins across page counts.
  • Authors deciding between paperback, hardcover, and Kindle for the same title.
  • Series authors modeling per-book royalties to set a sustainable price across the catalog.
  • Self-publishers comparing KDP against IngramSpark or other POD printers.

Royalty earned

$5.99

Printing cost

$2.85

Net profit / sale

$3.14

Profit margin

31.5%

High Profit Potential

Real Profit Snapshot

After platform fees

Estimated monthly profit

$157.20

Verdict: Healthy margin — this product has strong room to scale with ads or volume.

KDP Royalty Quick Tips

  • KDP royalties can vary depending on your book price, printing costs, marketplace, and royalty option selected.
  • Books with heavy color interiors often have higher printing costs, which can reduce profit margins.
  • Many self-publishers test different price points to balance royalties, competitiveness, and reader demand.

Royalty estimates may vary depending on Amazon marketplace fees and future pricing changes.

Selling on Etsy too? Try the Etsy Profit Calculator to compare margins across platforms.

All calculations are estimates based on average platform fees. Real profits may vary depending on category, ads, and shipping.

Royalty rates, printing costs, and delivery fees change and vary by marketplace and trim size. Always confirm current figures in your KDP dashboard. Planning estimates only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.

Free worksheet for your next step

Use this checklist to plan royalties, sales goals, and launch math.

  • WorksheetKDP

    KDP Royalty Worksheet

    Estimate royalties, track earnings, and plan book income with confidence.

    Open the worksheet →
  • ChecklistKDP

    KDP Launch Checklist

    A launch-day checklist for KDP authors covering metadata, categories, keywords, and pre-publish QA.

    Open the checklist →

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter your numbers in each field above — the calculator updates instantly as you type, so there's nothing to submit.
  2. Use your real figures when you have them, or sensible estimates while you're planning. If a field doesn't apply, leave it at zero.
  3. Compare the results, then change one input at a time to see how each lever (price, cost, fees, volume) moves the outcome.

When to use this calculator

  • Before uploading a new title — to pick a list price that clears printing cost with a healthy royalty.
  • When deciding whether to add a hardcover edition, which usually carries a much higher print cost.
  • When testing a price change on an existing title to see the per-unit royalty impact.
  • When choosing between black-and-white and color interiors for a kids' book or cookbook.
  • When planning Amazon Ads budget — royalty per book is the ceiling on what each click can profitably cost.

Formula

Royalty = Price × Royalty% ÷ 100 · Net profit = Royalty − Printing cost · Margin = Net profit ÷ Price × 100

Worked example

A $9.99 paperback, 250 pages, black & white interior, $2.85 print cost, 60% royalty.

  1. Royalty = 9.99 × 0.60 = $5.99
  2. Printing cost = $2.85
  3. Net profit = 5.99 − 2.85 = $3.14
  4. Margin = 3.14 ÷ 9.99 × 100 ≈ 31.4%

Answer: $3.14 net profit per sale (≈31.4% margin)

More worked examples

Kindle eBook at $4.99 with the 70% royalty option. No printing cost.

  1. Royalty = 4.99 × 0.70 = $3.49 (before ~$0.05–0.15 delivery fee)
  2. Printing cost = $0.00
  3. Net profit ≈ $3.49
  4. Margin = 3.49 ÷ 4.99 × 100 ≈ 69.9%

Answer: ≈$3.49 royalty per Kindle sale (~70% margin) — eBooks carry the strongest unit economics on KDP.

Color hardcover cookbook: $34.99 list, 200 pages, premium color, ~$13.40 print cost, 60% royalty.

  1. Royalty = 34.99 × 0.60 = $20.99
  2. Printing cost = $13.40
  3. Net profit = 20.99 − 13.40 = $7.59
  4. Margin = 7.59 ÷ 34.99 × 100 ≈ 21.7%

Answer: $7.59 per copy (≈22% margin) — color hardcovers need premium pricing to stay profitable.

120-page low-content journal at $6.99, B&W interior, ~$2.30 print cost, 60% royalty.

  1. Royalty = 6.99 × 0.60 = $4.19
  2. Printing cost = $2.30
  3. Net profit = 4.19 − 2.30 = $1.89
  4. Margin = 1.89 ÷ 6.99 × 100 ≈ 27.0%

Answer: $1.89 per copy — thin per-unit margins make catalog volume the lever for low-content publishers.

How it works

Amazon KDP pays a royalty that is a percentage of your book's list price. For paperbacks and hardcovers, Amazon then deducts the printing cost of each copy before paying you. The leftover is your net profit per sale.

Printing cost depends on page count, trim size, interior type (black & white is much cheaper than color), and format (hardcover costs more than paperback). Get the per-copy cost from KDP's printing cost calculator and paste it in here.

The royalty rate is usually 60% for paperback and hardcover on Amazon's main marketplaces. For Kindle eBooks the choice is 35% or 70% depending on price and territory — adjust the royalty field to match your book's setup.

Expert tips

  • Pull the exact per-copy print cost from KDP's own printing-cost tool — page count, trim size, and ink type all swing it by dollars.
  • If your Kindle list price falls outside $2.99–$9.99, the 70% royalty option isn't available and you'll drop to 35%; price intentionally inside the band when possible.
  • For Amazon Ads campaigns, aim for a cost-per-sale below ~50% of royalty per book so there's room for read-through and KU income — see the KDP Advertising ROI Calculator.
  • Stack hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions of the same title: each format reaches a different reader segment with different price tolerance.
  • Re-run this calculator when KDP changes printing costs (they have raised them several times recently) — yesterday's profitable price may be today's break-even.

How to interpret your results

  • Dollar values are shown per sale, per order, or per item unless a result is explicitly labelled monthly, weekly, or daily.
  • Percentages (margin, ROI, conversion rate) are easier to compare across products and price points than raw dollars — use them when you benchmark.
  • A positive result means you're ahead after the costs and fees you entered. A negative result means the current numbers don't work — change a lever (raise price, cut a cost, lower ad spend) and recalculate.
  • Treat the output as a planning estimate, not a guarantee. Fees, taxes, and conversion rates shift over time — re-run the numbers whenever a key input changes.

Limitations

  • Doesn't subtract the Kindle delivery fee (~$0.15/MB) on 70% royalty eBooks — large files can lose noticeable royalty.
  • Doesn't model Kindle Unlimited page-read income (KENP), which often adds 20–40% on top of direct sales for enrolled titles.
  • Doesn't include Amazon Ads spend; use the KDP Advertising ROI Calculator to layer that in.
  • Editing, cover, and formatting costs are one-time and not per-unit — use the KDP Book Launch Calculator for total launch ROI.
  • Royalty rates vary by Amazon marketplace; the defaults assume Amazon.com (US).

Common mistakes

  • Confusing list price with what Amazon actually pays — the royalty is a percentage of price, not the full price.
  • Forgetting to subtract printing cost on paperbacks and hardcovers — only eBooks skip this step.
  • Using a 70% Kindle royalty for a book priced outside the $2.99–$9.99 band where Amazon requires 35%.
  • Estimating print cost from page count alone without accounting for color interior or hardcover binding.

Related Guides

Go deeper with plain-English guides on the same topic.

FAQ

What royalty rate should I use?
Paperback and hardcover are typically 60% on Amazon. Kindle eBooks are 35% or 70% depending on list price and territory — check KDP's pricing page for current rules.
Where do I get the print cost?
KDP's own printing cost calculator gives an exact per-copy figure based on page count, trim size, ink (black & white vs. color), and format. Paste that number into the print cost field.
Does this include Amazon Ads or marketing spend?
No. This is the per-sale profit before ads. Subtract your ad spend per sale separately to get your true take-home.
Why is my margin lower on color or hardcover?
Color printing and hardcover binding both raise the per-copy print cost a lot. A hardcover with a color interior can leave very little profit unless the list price is high.
Does this work for Kindle eBooks?
Yes — set print cost to 0 and use 35% or 70% as your royalty rate. The net profit will simply be your royalty.
Is the royalty before or after Amazon's delivery fee?
For 70% Kindle royalties Amazon also charges a per-MB delivery fee that this calculator doesn't subtract. For 35% and for print books, no delivery fee applies.

Why trust this calculator?

This tool uses standard mathematical formulas and commonly accepted calculation methods, shown openly in the Formula section above so you can verify the math yourself. Results are estimates based on the information you enter and do not account for every individual circumstance. For important financial, tax, legal, medical, or business decisions, please double-check with a qualified professional before acting on the numbers.

What to calculate next

Once you know the royalty per copy, work out how many copies pay back your setup costs, compare it against other publishing routes, and check the monthly profit that volume produces.

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Related Resources

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