Amazon KDP royalties are what Amazon pays you after its share. For print, Amazon then subtracts the cost of printing that copy. They are not the fee you paid for editing, a cover, or a publishing package.
Figures below are from KDP help and KDP’s own earn sample, read on 20 October 2026, for Amazon.com. Other marketplaces use their own thresholds. Amazon changes these rules. The number in your KDP pricing page is the one that pays you.
Amazon.com rates at a glance
| Format | What KDP lists | What comes off |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook, 70% option | $2.99–$12.99 list price, qualifying books, eligible territories. The top of this band moved from $9.99 to $12.99 on 7 July 2026. | Delivery fee. KDP’s Amazon.com sample uses $0.15 per MB. |
| Ebook, 35% option | Prices outside that option, and sales that do not qualify for 70%. | No delivery fee in KDP’s description of the 35% option. |
| Paperback or hardcover on Amazon | 60% of list price at $9.99 and above. 50% at $9.98 and below. | Printing cost for that copy. |
| Paperback, Expanded Distribution | 40% of list price, where the channel is offered. | Printing cost. Hardcover is not in Expanded Distribution. |
The print formula
KDP’s paperback help states it this way:
(royalty rate × list price) − printing cost = royalty
Printing cost is a fixed amount plus a per-page amount. It depends on marketplace, trim size, ink, and page count. On Amazon.com, a regular-trim black-ink paperback of 24–110 pages is a flat $2.30 in KDP’s printing-cost table. Longer books use the fixed-plus-per-page formula. KDP’s earn sample for a 250-page regular-trim black-ink paperback is $1.00 + (250 × $0.012) = $4.00 printing.
KDP’s own Amazon.com sample
| Ebook | Paperback | |
|---|---|---|
| List price | $2.99 | $9.99 |
| Rate | 70% → $2.09 | 60% → $5.99 |
| Subtract | $0.30 delivery (2 MB × $0.15) | $4.00 printing (250 pages) |
| Royalty in the sample | $1.79 | $1.99 |
A $9.98 paperback on Amazon.com would use 50%, not 60%, and the same printing cost still comes off. Raise the list price, shorten the book, or drop color interiors when the remainder is near zero. Model a different page count on the Resources royalty calculator or in the KDP royalty calculator walkthrough.
Package fee and KDP payout are different invoices
You pay AuthorShelf once, or on a Milestone Plan, for production. Amazon pays you when a copy sells. AuthorShelf does not take a percentage of those sales. Net on titles we produce is the same shape: channel earnings minus print cost. See self publishing packages and author services if the book still needs editing, a cover, or formatting before any royalty exists.
Common questions
What is the Amazon KDP royalty rate?
On Amazon.com, as read from KDP help on 20 October 2026, qualifying ebooks can earn 70% of list price from $2.99 to $12.99 minus a delivery fee, or 35% otherwise. Print sold on Amazon earns 60% at $9.99 and above, or 50% at $9.98 and below, then minus printing cost. Expanded Distribution for paperbacks is 40% minus printing cost. Confirm the rate in your KDP account.
Does AuthorShelf take a cut of KDP royalties?
No. The package fee pays for production. Amazon pays the author when a copy sells. AuthorShelf does not add a percentage on top of KDP royalties.