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Book royalty calculator 2026 · every figure checked November 4, 2026

What will you earn per copy? And at what price?

Pick your format, trim, page count and price. You’ll see what KDP, KDP Expanded Distribution, IngramSpark and B&N Press pay you per copy, each worked from the platform’s own formula and linked to the page it comes from.

US list price on Amazon.com, before any tax.

KDP on Amazon

KDP Expanded Distribution 40%

IngramSpark

B&N Press 55%

B&N Press publishes no formula. Get your figure from its Quick Quote tool.

What the rules say about your book

    Money is rounded to the nearest cent at each step we show (KDP says it rounds royalties and delivery costs to two decimal places); inches are rounded to three decimal places. Per copy only: we don’t forecast sales or earnings. Need your cover size and spine width? Use the cover calculator →

    The price ladder

    Climb the prices. Watch where KDP’s royalty steps up.

    Each rung is a list price; its bar is what KDP pays you per copy on Amazon.com. The ground is KDP’s minimum price for this book, and the dashed gates are the thresholds the platforms publish. Tap a rung to try that price.

      Free spec sheet

      Get your book’s numbers on one sheet

      • Every figure for your format, trim, pages and price, with the formula worked out
      • The source page and the date we checked it, beside each number
      • A printable PDF to keep next to your KDP, IngramSpark and B&N Press setup
      What do you need next?
      When are you publishing?

      We use your number only to talk about your book. No spam, ever.

      KDP vs IngramSpark vs B&N Press

      How each platform pays, in its own words.

      KDP on Amazon

      Print
      50% of list at $9.98 or less, 60% at $9.99 or more, minus printing. Verified Nov 4, 2026
      Printing
      Fixed cost + pages × per-page cost: $1.00 + $0.012 a page for a black-ink regular-trim paperback of 111–828 pages. Verified Nov 4, 2026
      Price limits
      Minimum = printing cost ÷ 50% or 60%. Maximum $250. Verified Nov 4, 2026
      Ebook
      70% from $2.99 to $12.99, less $0.15 per MB delivery; 35% outside it. Verified Nov 4, 2026

      “(Royalty rate x list price) – printing costs = royalty”

      KDP Help: Paperback Royalty, read Nov 4, 2026

      KDP Expanded Distribution

      Print
      40% of list minus printing, for paperbacks sold outside Amazon. Verified Nov 4, 2026
      Hardcover
      Not available. Verified Nov 4, 2026
      With IngramSpark
      IngramSpark says not to select it if you publish with IngramSpark too. Verified Nov 4, 2026

      “If you enable Expanded Distribution, the royalty is 40% of the book's list price effective in the distribution channel at the time of purchase minus printing costs.”

      KDP Help: Paperback Royalty, read Nov 4, 2026

      IngramSpark

      Print
      Wholesale price (list minus your discount) minus printing, minus a 1.875% market access fee on the list price. Verified Nov 4, 2026
      Discount
      53%–55% (returnable) “generally allows for the widest availability”; the current minimum is shown in your account. Verified Nov 4, 2026
      Printing
      2026 rate card: cost per page × pages + cost per unit (list rates). Verified Nov 4, 2026
      Ebook
      85% of the net revenue IngramSpark receives, whatever the retailer. Verified Nov 4, 2026

      “IngramSpark pays the publisher the wholesale price less the cost of printing for each book sold through the global distribution network.”

      IngramSpark Help: Compensation Payments, read Nov 4, 2026

      What changed in 2026

      Three rule changes most pages still miss.

      1. February 1, 2026

        IngramSpark changed its print-on-demand prices and removed revision fees.

        “Effective February 1, 2026, IngramSpark will adjust print-on-demand pricing.”

        IngramSpark Help: Changes in Print Cost, Market Access Fee, and More, read Nov 4, 2026

      2. April 22, 2026

        B&N Press stopped accepting new print listings under $14.99, and from May 14 began removing cheaper ones.

        “Starting April 22nd, 2026, BN Press print books listed for sale must have a retail price of at least $14.99.”

        B&N Press Help: Print Book Pricing and Printing Costs, read Nov 4, 2026

      3. July 7, 2026

        KDP's 70% ebook band widened from $2.99–$9.99 to $2.99–$12.99 on Amazon.com, the first change since 2007.

        “Effective July 7, 2026, the 70% royalty option price band is $2.99-$12.99 on Amazon.com, expanding from the previous range of $2.99-$9.99, with equivalent changes in other KDP marketplaces.”

        KDP Help: eBook List Price Requirements, read Nov 4, 2026

      Where KDP’s 60% starts in other stores

      The calculator works in US dollars on Amazon.com. For paperbacks and hardcovers in other Amazon stores, the 50% and 60% bands split here: Verified Nov 4, 2026

      KDP print royalty thresholds by Amazon store
      Store50% at or below60% at or above
      Amazon.com9.98 USD9.99 USD
      Amazon.co.uk7.98 GBP7.99 GBP
      Amazon.ca13.98 CAD13.99 CAD
      Amazon.com.au13.98 AUD13.99 AUD
      Amazon.de, .fr, .it, .es, .nl, .ie, .com.be9.98 EUR9.99 EUR

      Straight answers

      Book royalties in 2026: what the rules say.

      How much does Amazon KDP pay per paperback?

      KDP pays 60% of the list price minus the printing cost when the list price is $9.99 or more on Amazon.com, and 50% at $9.98 or less. A 200-page black-ink 6 x 9 in paperback costs $3.40 to print, so you earn $5.59 a copy at $14.99, $2.59 at $9.99 and $1.59 at $9.98.

      What changed for Kindle ebook royalties in 2026?

      From July 7, 2026, KDP's 70% royalty option covers list prices from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com, up from $2.99 to $9.99, which had been the limit since 2007. Outside that band KDP pays 35%. The 70% option also takes off a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB, and your ebook must be at least 20% below the list price of any print edition on Amazon.

      KDP vs IngramSpark: how is each one paid?

      KDP pays 50% or 60% of the list price minus printing on Amazon, and 40% minus printing through Expanded Distribution. IngramSpark pays the wholesale price (your list price minus the discount you set) minus printing, minus a 1.875% market access fee on the list price. At a 55% discount you keep 45% of the list price before printing and the fee. The calculator works out both for your book.

      Can I use KDP and IngramSpark for the same paperback?

      IngramSpark says yes, if you own the ISBN: just don't select KDP's Expanded Distribution. KDP's Expanded Distribution and IngramSpark's distribution both reach Ingram's network, and an ISBN can only be listed on one account.

      Is Barnes & Noble Press worth it?

      It depends on your price. B&N Press pays 55% of the list price minus printing on print books and 70% on ebooks priced $0.99 or more. Since April 22, 2026 it won't list a new print book under $14.99, and from May 14, 2026 it began removing print listings below that. Publishing through B&N Press does not place your book in Barnes & Noble stores. B&N Press publishes no printing-cost formula, so get your figure from its Quick Quote tool and type it in above.

      What is KDP's minimum list price for a paperback?

      Your printing cost divided by the royalty rate: 50% or 60%, depending on the price. A 200-page black-ink regular-trim paperback costs $3.40 to print, so its minimum is $6.80. The maximum is $250 on Amazon.com.

      Does trim size change KDP's printing cost?

      Only by class. KDP counts a trim more than 6.12 in wide or more than 9 in tall as large: a black-ink paperback of 111–828 pages then costs $1.00 plus $0.017 a page to print, against $0.012 a page for a regular trim.

      Where every number comes from

      Every rate, cost and threshold on this page comes from the platforms’ own help pages, quoted word for word in our files and checked on the date beside it. Money is rounded to the nearest cent at each step we show (KDP says it rounds royalties and delivery costs to two decimal places); inches are rounded to three decimal places.

      Changelog

      • Page built. Every figure checked on KDP, IngramSpark and B&N Press pages the same day.

      Not affiliated with Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Ingram. Zeal Publishers publishes this calculator as a free tool; it is not financial, tax or legal advice.

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