How to estimate Amazon KDP print royalties

Start with the print royalty formula

For a print book sold through an Amazon marketplace, the basic estimate is: royalty rate × tax-exclusive list price − printing cost = royalty per sale. The list price and printing cost must use the same marketplace currency.

Use the KDP Royalty Calculator to run the arithmetic while comparing price options.

Choose the correct royalty rate

Paperback sales through Amazon marketplaces currently use either a 50% or 60% rate. The 60% tier begins at a marketplace-specific list price: 9.99 USD on Amazon.com, 7.99 GBP on Amazon.co.uk, 9.99 EUR in supported euro marketplaces, 13.99 CAD on Amazon.ca, 13.99 AUD on Amazon.com.au, 1,000 JPY on Amazon.co.jp, 40 PLN on Amazon.pl, and 110 SEK on Amazon.se.

Paperback Expanded Distribution uses a 40% rate before printing cost. KDP’s hardcover documentation uses a 60% rate for marketplace sales. Check Amazon’s current paperback royalty guidance and hardcover pricing guidance because rates and availability can change.

Find the right printing cost

Printing cost is not a single flat number. It depends on the marketplace, format, page count, ink type, paper choice, and trim-size category. KDP commonly expresses it as a fixed cost plus a per-page cost, although some short paperback configurations use only a fixed cost.

The most reliable input is the estimate displayed in your book’s Rights & Pricing screen. You can also compare the tables in Amazon’s paperback printing-cost guide or its official printing cost and royalty calculator.

Example paperback estimate

Suppose a US paperback has a tax-exclusive list price of $12.99 and a printing cost of $3.50. Because the list price is at least $9.99, the estimate uses 60%:

(0.60 × $12.99) − $3.50 = $4.29 per sale

At a $9.98 list price, the same paperback would use the 50% tier, so a one-cent price change can materially change the estimate. Compare prices on both sides of the marketplace threshold.

Turn royalty per copy into a sales scenario

Once you have an estimated royalty per copy, multiply it by an assumed number of copies sold in a month. The royalty calculator shows example volumes so you can compare the arithmetic. If your KDP estimate is $4.29 per copy, then 10 copies would produce about $42.90 in estimated royalties before your other expenses.

This calculation says what a chosen sales volume could return; it does not predict the number of copies your book will sell. Actual sales can be zero or vary by title and over time. Ad spend, design and production expenses, returns, taxes, and currency differences can change your overall business result.

What the estimate does not include

• Taxes, tax withholding, VAT or GST presentation, and currency conversion.
• Returns, refunds, price changes, or future KDP policy and cost updates.
• eBook delivery fees or Kindle royalty plans; this calculator is for print books.
• A guarantee of earnings. Your KDP pricing screen and royalty reports are authoritative.

A practical pricing check

Try several list prices, then compare the estimated royalty with the value readers receive and similar books in your category. Leave room for printing-cost changes, and do not treat the highest possible royalty as the only pricing goal.

Before publishing, confirm the list price, royalty rate, printing cost, and minimum price inside KDP. Then use the KDP Interior PDF Checker for a separate basic review of the manuscript file.