Free KDP Royalty Calculator

KDP 35% vs 70% royalty: which one applies to you

Amazon offers two eBook royalty bands and the difference is large. The 70% band only applies when the list price falls between $2.99 and $9.99 in Amazon.com (and the equivalent ranges in other marketplaces) and the book is enrolled in either KDP Select or distributed exclusively through Amazon. Outside those bounds, the royalty drops to 35%.

For most indie authors writing a novel between 250 and 500 pages, the 70% band is the right default. The 35% band is mainly used when the author wants prices below $2.99 (a launch promo or perma-free book) or above $9.99 (a deeply researched nonfiction title where the audience expects a higher list price).

If you can price between $2.99 and $9.99, 70% is almost always the right answer. The only common exception is a perma-free or $0.99 launch where the goal is reach, not per-unit revenue.

Royalty by format: paperback, eBook, hardcover, audiobook

Paperback royalties on KDP are calculated as 60% of the list price minus the print cost (Amazon distribution) or 40% minus print cost (Expanded distribution to other retailers and libraries). Print cost is a function of trim size, ink type, and page count. A 300-page black-ink paperback at $14.99 typically nets $4.20–$5.80 per copy on Amazon distribution.

eBook royalties run either 35% or 70% as covered above, with the 70% band including a small per-MB delivery fee deduction.

Hardcover follows the same 60% / 40% formula as paperback but with a higher print cost baseline. Hardcover is best used as a higher-priced edition for series or collector titles, not as the default format for a debut.

Audiobook royalties are not paid through KDP — they are paid through ACX. ACX pays 40% on exclusive distribution or 25% on non-exclusive, calculated against net retail. A typical Audible sale ranges $14.95–$24.95 list, which yields roughly $3–$8 to the author per audiobook sale.

• Paperback: 60% list price minus print cost (Amazon) or 40% minus print cost (Expanded).
• eBook 70%: list price × 0.70 minus per-MB delivery fee. List must be $2.99–$9.99.
• eBook 35%: list price × 0.35. No delivery fee. Used outside the $2.99–$9.99 band.
• Hardcover: same 60% / 40% formula as paperback with higher print cost.
• Audiobook (ACX): 40% exclusive or 25% non-exclusive of net retail.

How KDP delivery costs affect eBook royalties

Amazon charges authors in the 70% band a per-megabyte delivery fee on every eBook sale. The fee in the US marketplace is $0.15 per MB, billed against the book's actual file size after Amazon's conversion. A 3MB novel costs about $0.06 in delivery (because Amazon rounds and applies internal compression), while a 25MB illustrated children's book can cost over $1.00 per sale.

For most novels and prose nonfiction, delivery is a rounding error. For image-heavy formats — children's picture books, photography monographs, cookbooks, fully illustrated nonfiction — delivery cost can be the single biggest factor in the math, sometimes large enough that the 35% band yields more take-home than the 70% band.

Worked example: A 25MB illustrated $9.99 eBook in the 70% band nets ($9.99 × 0.70) − ($0.15 × 25) = $6.99 − $3.75 = $3.24. The same book in the 35% band nets $9.99 × 0.35 = $3.50. Run the math both ways before enrolling in 70%.

International KDP royalty rates and the 5 marketplaces with the highest payouts

The 70% royalty band is not available in every Amazon marketplace at every price point. Each marketplace has its own qualifying list-price range (denominated in local currency) and its own VAT treatment. The take-home for the same eBook can vary 20–40% across regions before currency conversion.

For most authors writing in English, the bulk of revenue comes from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon Australia. Amazon Canada and Amazon Germany are usually the next tier. Books that fit a specific market (fantasy in the UK, romance in Australia, technical nonfiction in Germany) can shift these orders meaningfully.

• Amazon.com (USD): 70% band $2.99–$9.99. Largest English-language audience.
• Amazon.co.uk (GBP): 70% band £1.99–£7.81. Strong for fantasy, literary, and YA.
• Amazon.com.au (AUD): 70% band A$2.99–A$11.99. High per-capita reading rates.
• Amazon.ca (CAD): 70% band C$2.99–C$11.99. Smaller volume but loyal audience.
• Amazon Europe (EUR): 70% band €2.99–€9.99. Mixed VAT — Germany 7%, France 5.5%, others vary.

When KDP pays you and how to read the payment notification email

KDP pays royalties on a 60-day delay. Sales from January are paid out at the end of March. Each marketplace has its own minimum payout threshold ($100 for direct deposit in the US, higher for some regions and check payments). Until the threshold is met, royalties roll forward to the next month.

The "KDP Royalty Payment Notification" email arrives a few days before the deposit hits. It lists the sales month, the marketplace, the payment amount in the marketplace currency, and the deposit reference. The actual deposit usually clears 3–5 business days after the email.

The royalty section of the KDP dashboard updates daily and is the most accurate live view. The monthly Sales Dashboard report breaks out paid sales, KENP read pages, and per-marketplace earnings — open it before any pricing or strategy decision rather than guessing from memory.

• Standard payout cycle: 60 days after end of sales month.
• Minimum threshold: $100 (US direct deposit). Lower thresholds exist for some regions.
• KU page-read income is paid on the same cycle as sales income.
• Payment notification email arrives 3–5 business days before the deposit clears.