How much does KDP pay in royalties?

On Amazon.com, ebooks priced $2.99-$12.99 can earn 70% minus a delivery fee. Paperback royalties are 50% or 60% depending on list price and marketplace, minus printing cost; expanded distribution uses 40%.

What is the KDP delivery fee?

Amazon charges about $0.06 per MB of file size, capped at $2.00 per ebook, on 70%-royalty titles. 35%-royalty titles pay no delivery fee.

Is 70% or 35% KDP royalty better?

For Amazon.com, 70% is usually better when your price is between $2.99 and $12.99, but run both through a royalty calculator — delivery fees can eat into very cheap books.

KDP Royalty Calculator

Ebook and print royalties using 2026 KDP rates. Choose a format below.

Format

List price ($) Ebook file size (MB) — affects delivery fee

Royalty breakdown

Royalty basis:

Delivery fee:

Printing cost (print only):

Per-copy royalty (Amazon):

$0.00

Per-copy royalty (expanded distribution):

Minimum list price (print):

Yearly at 100 sales/month:

How KDP royalties work in 2026

Ebooks

70% royalty when the Amazon.com list price is $2.99–$12.99, minus a delivery fee of ~$0.06/MB (capped at $2.00).
35% royalty outside that US price range or on non-eligible marketplaces — no delivery fee. Other marketplaces have equivalent local limits.
Kindle Unlimited page reads (KENP) pay separately — estimate those here.

Running Amazon ads? Use the KDP Ads Break-Even Calculator to compare ACOS, TACOS and royalty contribution before increasing your ad budget.

70% royalty price range guide — understand the current Amazon.com $2.99–$12.99 band and its limits.

Paperback

50% or 60% of list price minus printing cost on Amazon, depending on list price and marketplace.
40% of list price minus printing cost via expanded distribution (bookstores, libraries).
KDP enforces a minimum list price so royalties always cover printing — calculate your minimum price.

Ebook and paperback royalty rules verified against current KDP Help on 2026-08-12. Hardcover printing costs differ and are not calculated here. KDP's own calculator is authoritative.