Let’s talk about KDP royalties—because if you’re self-publishing on Amazon, this is the part you can’t afford to ignore. What you earn per sale isn’t just about pricing your book. It’s about understanding how Amazon royalties are actually calculated, what’s deducted before you get paid, and how to plan around things like delivery fees, printing costs, and taxes.
Whether you’re publishing ebooks or paperbacks—or both—this guide breaks it down in plain terms. No fluff. Just the key numbers, tools, and decisions that affect how much you take home.
What Are KDP Royalties?
KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) offers two royalty rates for ebooks: 70% and 35%. Your rate depends on your list price, file size, and the countries where your book is available.
Here’s the basic setup:
- 70% royalty: For ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99, sold in eligible countries. But Amazon deducts a delivery fee based on your ebook file size—usually a few cents per sale.
- 35% royalty: If your ebook falls outside that price range, or doesn’t meet Amazon’s requirements, you’ll default to this lower rate. No delivery fees here.
For paperbacks, Amazon pays you 60% of your list price, but only after subtracting printing costs. The exact amount depends on your book’s page count, trim size, ink type, and whether it’s printed in black-and-white or color.
That’s why your KDP royalties for each format will look a little different—and why it pays to run the numbers ahead of time.
How to Calculate Your KDP Royalties
Before you lock in a price, run your numbers through a book royalties calculator to see what you’d actually earn. But to give you a rough idea, here’s what typical earnings might look like:
- Ebook priced at $4.99 (70% royalty)
Royalty: $3.49
Minus delivery (say $0.15 for a 3MB file)
You earn: ~$3.34 per sale - Paperback priced at $12.99 (60% royalty)
Royalty: $7.79
Minus printing (let’s say $3.65)
You earn: ~$4.14 per sale
Multiply that by your monthly sales and you start to get a real picture of what’s possible.
The Real Cost to Self-Publish a Book
KDP doesn’t charge anything to upload your book. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to publish.
Here are the most common costs:
- Editing: $200–$1,000+ depending on the depth and experience of the editor
- Cover design: $50–$500 depending on quality and who you hire
- Formatting: Can be DIY, but hiring a pro saves time and cleanup
- Marketing: Includes Amazon ads, promo sites, or social media campaigns
So, while the cost to self publish a book can technically be zero, most serious authors invest somewhere between $100 and $1,000 to put out a professional-looking title.
Don’t Overlook Delivery Fees and Taxes
This is where a lot of authors get caught off guard.
- Delivery fees apply to ebooks earning 70% royalties. Amazon charges about $0.15 per megabyte in the U.S. So if your file is 3MB, you’ll lose $0.45 per sale.
- Taxes: Your KDP royalties count as income. If you’re in the U.S., Amazon will issue a 1099 if you cross the reporting threshold. If you’re outside the U.S., Amazon may withhold up to 30% of your royalties unless you file the proper tax form (W-8BEN or similar) based on your country’s tax treaty. More information here. Learn more here.
Plan for this. Don’t wait until tax season to realize half your royalty income isn’t as “net” as you thought.
Kindle Unlimited and Page Reads
If you enroll your book in Kindle Unlimited, you won’t earn per sale. Instead, Amazon pays you based on how many pages readers complete. This comes from a monthly fund Amazon splits among all KU authors.
You’ll earn around $0.004 to $0.005 per page read. If someone reads your 300-page book cover to cover, that’s roughly $1.20. In binge-heavy genres, this can really add up.
How Much Can You Actually Make?
It depends on your pricing, file size, format, and how many books you sell. But here’s a realistic starting point:
- 100 ebooks/month at $4.99 = ~$334
- 50 paperbacks/month at $12.99 = ~$207
Total: ~$541/month from one book
Now imagine what happens when you build a series or publish consistently. This is how indie authors grow their income—slowly at first, then more reliably over time.
KDP royalties are fair but not always simple. Between royalty tiers, delivery fees, printing costs, and taxes, what you earn per sale is often less than you expect—unless you take the time to understand the full picture.
Use a book royalties calculator. Test your pricing. Learn how Amazon book royalties really work. When you treat your publishing like a business, you make smarter decisions—and that shows in your bottom line.
