KDP royalty calculator
What do you actually keep from a sold book? Enter list price, tax rate, royalty rate and printing cost — the calculator shows the royalty per sale and how it moves with the price.
How the maths works
KDP pays the royalty on the price excluding tax. On printed books the manufacturing cost comes off as well; on ebooks there is none.
Net price = list price ÷ (1 + tax)
Royalty = net price × royalty rate − printing costA paperback at $12.99 with a 60 % royalty and $2.50 printing cost returns $5.29 per sale — about 41 % of the list price. That share decides how much advertising pays for itself.
Common questions
- Why does KDP calculate on the net price?
- Because the tax is not yours, it belongs to the tax office. Amazon deducts it from the list price and pays the royalty on the rest.
- Where do I find my printing cost?
- KDP shows it in the pricing calculator right next to your list price. It depends on page count, trim size and colour, and differs by marketplace.
- Does this cover Kindle Unlimited?
- No. Kindle Unlimited pays by pages read, not by copies sold. This calculator looks at sales.