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KDP royalty and printing cost calculator
See what a KDP paperback costs to print on Amazon.com, what you earn per copy at any list price, and the lowest price you can set.
| List price | Rate | Printing | Royalty |
|---|
How the royalty is worked out
- Royalty = rate × list price − printing cost.
- On Amazon.com the rate is 60% at $9.99 and above, 50% at $9.98 and below.
- Books sold through Expanded Distribution earn 40% of list price minus printing instead.
- Other Amazon marketplaces have their own printing costs and thresholds.
KDP printing cost on Amazon.com
- Black ink, up to 110 pages: a flat $2.30 (regular trim) or $2.84 (large trim). Above that, $1.00 plus $0.012 or $0.017 a page.
- Standard color: $1.00 plus $0.0255 or $0.0402 a page, 72–600 pages.
- Premium color: a flat $3.60 or $4.20 up to 40 pages; above that, $1.00 plus $0.065 or $0.08 a page.
Need the book inside too?Bookhatch turns one sentence into a print-ready coloring book, picture book or novel: the pages, the interior PDF and a cover sized to match.
Start free with BookhatchChecked against KDP's help pages on 6 November 2026. KDP changes its rules from time to time, so confirm anything important on KDP's own pages before you publish. Bookhatch is not affiliated with Amazon.
Common questions
How much does KDP pay per paperback?
On Amazon.com, 60% of the list price minus printing at $9.99 and above, and 50% minus printing below $9.99.
What is the cheapest a KDP paperback can be?
The lowest list price is where the royalty reaches $0: the printing cost divided by the royalty rate. The calculator shows it for your book.
Why does $9.99 earn more than $9.98?
Because the royalty rate rises from 50% to 60% at $9.99 on Amazon.com, so one cent more in price adds about a dollar of royalty on a typical book.
Are these the costs for every country?
No. These are Amazon.com figures in US dollars. Other marketplaces have their own printing costs and royalty thresholds.
Other KDP calculators
Cover size calculator
Full-wrap cover size, spine width and pixels at 300 DPI, with a to-scale diagram.
Open the tool →Spine width calculator
Spine width for any page count and paper, and whether KDP allows spine text.
Open the tool →Margins & bleed
Inside and outside margins by page count, and the page size to set with bleed.
Open the tool →Guides
KDP paperback specs: trim size, paper, bleed and margins
Trim sizes and page limits, the four ink and paper options, bleed, margins by page count, spine width and image rules.
Read the guide · 10 min →PublishingKDP paperback royalties and printing costs, with worked examples
The 50% and 60% rates, printing cost formulas, the $9.99 threshold and worked examples for every book type.
Read the guide · 8 min →PublishingHow to make and publish a coloring book on KDP
Niche, trim size, line art that prints cleanly, single-sided pages, the cover, pricing and the KDP listing.
Read the guide · 9 min →Make the book that fits these numbers
Bookhatch sets trim, margins, bleed and spine for you. Start with 300 free credits and no card.
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