Amazon KDP royalties (also searched as Amazon self publishing royalties) are what Amazon pays you after its share — and, for paperbacks, after print manufacturing. They are not the fee you paid a designer or a publishing package.
Kindle vs paperback (the split that matters)
- eBook: KDP uses list-price bands and delivery rules. There is no print cost. Confirm current rates in your KDP account; Amazon changes them.
- Paperback / hardcover via KDP: list price minus Amazon’s cut minus the print cost of that copy. A too-low list price on a long color book can leave little or nothing.
AuthorShelf does not take a third cut on those sales. Our net formula for titles we produce is the same idea: channel earnings minus print cost. Broader explainer: author royalties.
How much royalty do authors get?
There is no single “typical author royalty” across traditional and self-pub. On KDP it depends on list price, marketplace, and format. Model print with trim and page count before you lock a price: royalty calculator · how to use a royalties calculator.
Package fee vs KDP payout
You pay AuthorShelf once (or on a Milestone Plan) for production. Amazon pays you when copies sell. Those are different invoices. See how to publish on KDP.