Calculate your potential book earnings across Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Apple Books. Compare ebook and paperback royalties with our free tool updated for 2025 rates.
KDP accepts 24-828 pages
70% rate requires pricing $2.99-$9.99
Based on 100 monthly sales per platform
Best per-sale royalty: $6.99 on Apple Books (eBook)
Important Note
These calculations are estimates based on standard royalty rates. Actual earnings may vary based on delivery costs, exchange rates, marketplace fees, and specific platform terms. Print costs shown are approximations for black & white interiors.
Everything you need to know about book royalties, KDP earnings, and self-publishing profits
Amazon KDP calculates ebook royalties as a percentage of your list price minus delivery costs (for 70% royalty). For paperbacks, the formula is: (List Price × 60%) - Printing Cost = Your Royalty. The 70% royalty option is available for ebooks priced between $2.99-$9.99, while the 35% option applies to all price points.
The 70% royalty requires pricing your ebook between $2.99-$9.99 and includes a delivery cost deduction based on file size. The 35% royalty has no price restrictions and no delivery costs. The 70% option also has territory restrictions, while 35% is available globally. Most authors earn more with 70% despite the delivery fee.
Self-published ebook authors typically earn $2-$7 per sale depending on price and royalty rate. Paperback authors earn $2-$6 per sale after print costs. At a $4.99 ebook price with 70% royalty, you earn approximately $3.44 per sale. A $14.99 paperback with 200 pages earns roughly $5.59 after printing costs.
Amazon KDP calculates print costs using: Fixed Cost ($1.00) + Per-Page Cost × Page Count. For black & white interiors, the per-page cost is $0.012. A 200-page B&W book costs $3.40 to print. Color printing costs $0.0255-$0.065 per page depending on quality.
Choose 70% if your ebook is priced $2.99-$9.99 and your file size is reasonable (under 10MB). The 70% option almost always earns more despite delivery fees. Choose 35% if you're pricing under $2.99 (loss leaders), over $9.99, or targeting countries outside the 70% territories.
Ebook royalties are straightforward percentage calculations (35% or 70% of list price minus small delivery fees). Paperback royalties are fixed at 60% but have printing costs deducted. Ebooks have no manufacturing cost, so margins are higher. A $9.99 ebook at 70% earns ~$6.96, while a $14.99 paperback earns ~$5.59 after print costs.
Key factors include: list price (higher prices mean higher royalties per sale but may reduce volume), royalty rate selection (35% vs 70%), file size for ebooks (affects delivery costs), page count and ink type for paperbacks (affects print costs), marketplace (different rates by country), and distribution channel.
International sales involve currency conversion at Amazon's exchange rates. The 70% royalty is only available in certain territories (US, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, MX, CA, AU). Other territories default to 35%. Print costs also vary by marketplace.
Good profit margins are 50-70% for ebooks and 25-40% for paperbacks. For ebooks at $4.99 with 70% royalty, your margin is about 69%. For paperbacks, aim for at least $4-5 profit per sale. Price your paperback at 3-4× the print cost for healthy margins.
Maximize royalties by: pricing ebooks in the $2.99-$9.99 sweet spot for 70% royalty, optimizing file size to reduce delivery costs, formatting efficiently to minimize paperback page count, using black & white interiors when possible, and publishing across multiple platforms (KDP, Apple, IngramSpark).
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Explore our publishing servicesCompare royalty rates across major self-publishing platforms
| Platform | Rate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP (eBook) | 70% | $2.99-$9.99 price range |
| Amazon KDP (eBook) | 35% | Any price point |
| Amazon KDP (Paperback) | 60% | Minus print cost |
| IngramSpark (Print) | 40-55% | Depends on discount |
| Apple Books | 70% | All price points |
| Kobo | 70% | $2.99+ price |
| Google Play Books | 70% | $2.99+ price |
| Barnes & Noble Press | 65% | eBooks |
See how much you earn at different price points (200-page book)
| List Price | 35% eBook | 70% eBook | Paperback | Best Option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.99 | $0.35 | N/A | N/A | 35% |
| $2.99 | $1.05 | $2.09 | N/A | 70% |
| $4.99 | $1.75 | $3.49 | $1.59 | 70% |
| $9.99 | $3.50 | $6.99 | $4.59 | 70% |
| $14.99 | $5.25 | N/A | $5.59 | Paperback |
| $19.99 | $7.00 | N/A | $8.59 | Paperback |
* Paperback calculations assume 200 pages, black & white interior, $3.40 print cost
Price ebooks $2.99-$9.99 to qualify for 70% royalty. Even with delivery fees, you'll earn significantly more per sale.
For paperbacks, efficient formatting reduces print costs. Every 10 pages saved is $0.12 more profit per sale.
Publish on KDP, Apple, Kobo, and more. Different platforms reach different readers, maximizing your total earnings.
Our professional publishing services help authors optimize their books for maximum royalties with expert formatting, strategic pricing, and multi-platform distribution.