Amazon KDP Royalty Calculator: the Exact Formula (2026)
Updated August 4, 2026 · by the AI Books Writer typesetting team
Paperback royalty table (black ink, Amazon marketplace)
| List price | 100 pages | 150 pages | 200 pages | 300 pages | 400 pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $9.99 | $3.94 | $3.34 | $2.74 | $1.54 | $0.34 |
| $12.99 | $5.74 | $5.14 | $4.54 | $3.34 | $2.14 |
| $14.99 | $6.94 | $6.34 | $5.74 | $4.54 | $3.34 |
| $19.99 | $9.94 | $9.34 | $8.74 | $7.54 | $6.34 |
| $24.99 | $12.94 | $12.34 | $11.74 | $10.54 | $9.34 |
Premium color printing costs $0.85 + $0.0585 per page — nearly 5× the per-page rate — which is why color interiors only make sense at higher list prices.
Ebook royalties are different
Kindle ebooks pay 70% of list price for books priced $2.99–$9.99 (minus a small delivery fee), or 35% outside that range. There is no printing cost, which is why many authors publish both formats from the same manuscript.
The page-count lever nobody prices in
Every 50 extra pages cost $0.60 of royalty on every copy, forever. Two books of the same price and quality can differ by a third of their profit purely on typesetting — trim size, font size, and margins decide the page count, and the page count decides the print bill.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you make per book on Amazon KDP?
Paperback: 60% of list price minus printing ($0.85 + $0.012/page for black ink). A 150-page paperback at $9.99 earns $3.34 per sale. Kindle ebooks earn 70% of list price between $2.99 and $9.99.
What does it cost to print a KDP paperback?
Amazon charges $0.85 fixed plus $0.012 per page for black ink (a 200-page book costs $3.25 to print), or $0.85 plus $0.0585 per page for premium color.
Is publishing on KDP free?
Yes. There is no upfront cost — Amazon deducts printing from each sale. Your only costs are producing the manuscript and cover.
Skip the formatting entirely
AI Books Writer turns an idea into a complete KDP-ready book — manuscript, print PDF at exact trim size with the correct spine and gutter, EPUB, and an AI-designed cover. The first book is free.
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