Find the optimal price for your ebook or paperback to maximize both sales and revenue. Get data-driven recommendations based on your genre, format, and audience.
KDP Royalty Tiers: Price between £2.36 - £7.89 to earn 70% royalty. Outside this range: 35% royalty.
Market average - standard pricing for your genre
See how different price points affect your potential revenue
| Price | Your Royalty | Revenue/mo | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1.61 | £0.56 | £104 | Low |
| £2.14 | £0.75 | £98 | Optimal |
| £2.68 | £1.88 | £188 | Optimal |
| £3.22 | £2.25 | £180 | Optimal |
| £3.75 | £2.63 | £176 | High |
Everything you need to know about book pricing, royalties, and pricing strategies
Consider four key factors: genre expectations (romance readers expect lower prices than business readers), format (ebooks typically cost less than print), your audience size (established authors can charge more), and competition (check similar books in your category). Use our calculator to input these factors and get data-driven price recommendations.
For most fiction genres, $2.99-$4.99 is the sweet spot, qualifying for Amazon's 70% royalty tier while remaining competitive. Non-fiction and business books can command $5.99-$9.99. Romance and thriller readers often prefer $2.99-$3.99. The key is staying within the $2.99-$9.99 range to earn 70% royalties instead of 35%.
At $0.99, you earn only 35% royalty ($0.35 per sale), so you need 6x more sales to match $2.99 earnings ($2.09 per sale at 70%). Price at $0.99 only for: launch promotions, first book in a series to hook readers, or short stories under 20,000 words. For full-length books, $2.99+ is almost always more profitable.
Amazon KDP offers two royalty tiers: 35% for books priced $0.99-$2.98 or above $9.99, and 70% for books priced $2.99-$9.99. The 70% tier also deducts a delivery fee based on file size (about $0.01-$0.10 for most books). For paperbacks, you earn 60% of list price minus printing costs.
There's no universal answer - it depends on genre and price elasticity. Romance readers are highly price-sensitive (small price increases cause significant sales drops), while business book readers are less sensitive. Our calculator uses genre-specific elasticity data to estimate how sales volume changes at different price points, helping you find the revenue-maximizing price.
Start with Amazon's minimum viable price: printing cost / 0.60. For a 250-page black & white book, printing costs about $3.85, so minimum price is ~$6.42. Most authors price paperbacks $9.99-$14.99 for fiction, $12.99-$19.99 for non-fiction. Paperbacks should be $3-$6 more than your ebook to maintain perceived value.
Yes, industry convention is ebooks priced 40-60% below paperback price. Readers expect this discount because there's no physical production cost. A $12.99 paperback pairs well with a $4.99-$6.99 ebook. Pricing ebooks at or above paperback price can hurt sales significantly.
Test new prices for at least 2-4 weeks to gather meaningful data. Common times to adjust: launch week (promotional pricing), after 30+ reviews (can increase price), during promotions (temporary discounts), and seasonally. Avoid constant changes as it can confuse readers and affect your also-bought recommendations.
Not necessarily. While lower prices generally increase volume, there are diminishing returns. A $0.99 book may sell only 2-3x more than a $2.99 book, not 6x needed to match revenue. Very low prices can also signal low quality to readers. Some genres (business, self-help) actually sell better at higher prices due to perceived value.
Genre averages: Romance $2.99-$4.99, Thriller/Mystery $3.99-$5.99, Fantasy/Sci-Fi $4.99-$6.99, Non-Fiction $5.99-$9.99, Business $6.99-$12.99, Self-Help $4.99-$7.99, Children's $2.99-$4.99. These are ebook prices; add $4-$8 for paperback, $8-$12 for hardcover. Our calculator adjusts for your specific factors.
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Explore our launch strategy servicesIndustry-standard price ranges for different book genres (USD)
| Genre | Ebook | Price Sensitivity |
|---|---|---|
| Romance | $2.99-$4.99 | High |
| Thriller/Mystery | $3.99-$5.99 | Medium |
| Fantasy/Sci-Fi | $4.99-$6.99 | Low |
| General Fiction | $3.99-$5.99 | Medium |
| Non-Fiction | $5.99-$9.99 | Low |
| Business/Finance | $6.99-$12.99 | Very Low |
| Self-Help | $4.99-$7.99 | Low |
| Children's | $2.99-$4.99 | High |
| Young Adult | $3.99-$5.99 | Medium |
| Memoir | $4.99-$7.99 | Low |
Price sensitivity indicates how much sales volume changes with price adjustments. High = readers are very price-conscious.
Understanding how your price affects your earnings
$0.99 book = $0.35 royalty
Use for promos or short reads
$4.99 book = $3.49 royalty
Optimal range for most books
$12.99 book = $4.55 royalty
Limited use cases
Different approaches to pricing your book
Price lower ($0.99-$2.99) to build initial reviews and readership, then increase.
Best for: First-time authors, series starters
Price at market average for your genre to maximize long-term revenue.
Best for: Established authors, proven concepts
Price above market to signal quality. Requires strong positioning.
Best for: Non-fiction experts, brand authors
Price book 1 low to hook readers, then full price for subsequent books.
Best for: Fiction series, trilogies
Our professional launch strategy services help you maximize sales from day one with proven pricing and marketing tactics.