How to use the price and royalty goal
- Choose Paperback, Hardcover, or Kindle ebook. For print, use the trim size, interior and paper, and page count you expect to publish. This estimate rounds an odd page count up to the next even count. For an eBook, choose the 35% or 70% option and enter its file size in MB.
- Leave Desired royalty per copy blank for the permitted price floor. Enter an amount to look for the lowest modeled price that earns at least that royalty on one sale. Entering
0asks the calculator to find a price whose estimated royalty is at least $0.00. Some setups have no qualifying price in the selected band; the result will say so. - Read the price with its estimated royalty, selected rate, and printing cost or delivery deduction. If you entered a goal, the result also shows the KDP minimum and how far the goal price is above it. These are royalties before your other costs, not net profit.
- If the result says No price meets this royalty goal, the calculator has found no qualifying price within the selected option's allowed band. Compare the maximum list price with the highest modeled royalty, then lower the goal or change the book setup or eBook option. The maximum shown is a limit, not a price that meets your goal.
Why the $9.99 print threshold matters
For Amazon.com paperback and hardcover sales, KDP applies a 50% royalty rate through $9.98 and a 60% rate from $9.99. Printing cost is then subtracted. The calculator checks allowed prices one cent at a time because a single rate gives the wrong answer across that threshold. See KDP's paperback royalty rules and hardcover royalty rules.
A $1.39 royalty goal
A 300-page, 6 × 9 inch paperback with black ink on white paper has an estimated $4.60 printing cost on Amazon.com. At a $9.98 list price, the 50% rate gives $4.99 before printing cost, or a $0.39 royalty. At $9.99, the 60% rate gives $5.99 before printing cost, or a $1.39 royalty after printing cost. For a $1.39 goal, the calculator returns $9.99. Without a goal, its modeled KDP minimum is $9.20.
How eBook floors differ
The Amazon.com price bands depend on the royalty option. Under the 35% option, file size sets the minimum. Under the 70% option, the band is $2.99 to $12.99 regardless of file size.
| Royalty option | eBook file size | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35% | Below 3 MB | $0.99 | $200.00 |
| 35% | 3 MB to below 10 MB | $1.99 | $200.00 |
| 35% | 10 MB or more | $2.99 | $200.00 |
| 70% | File size does not change the band | $2.99 | $12.99 |
KDP's eBook list price requirements set these bands. The calculator uses the MB value you enter at the 3 MB and 10 MB boundaries. KDP's help page does not define the byte convention for those thresholds, so check an edition close to either boundary in KDP.
For a US sale on the 35% option, the model applies 35% to the list price without a delivery deduction. For the 70% option, it subtracts an estimated delivery cost before applying 70%. KDP lists the Amazon.com rate as $0.15 per MB, rounds file size up to the next kilobyte, and sets a $0.01 minimum delivery cost. See Digital Book Pricing. The calculator cannot confirm that an eBook qualifies for 70%; KDP also checks rights, content, and whether its list price is at least 20% below the Amazon list price of any physical edition.
Check the price in KDP
Check your exact edition in KDP's pricing screen before setting its price. For a print cross-check, use KDP's Printing Costs and Royalty Calculator. If you already have a list price and want to see its modeled royalty, use the KDP royalty calculator.