{"id":11530,"date":"2026-03-24T08:57:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T08:57:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/?p=11530"},"modified":"2026-04-06T15:29:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:29:29","slug":"amazon-kdp-royalties-35-vs-70","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/amazon-kdp-royalties-35-vs-70\/","title":{"rendered":"How Amazon KDP Royalties Work: 35% vs 70% Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"vap-art\">\n<div style=\"background: #0c0c0f; border-radius: 16px; padding: 52px; margin-bottom: 48px; position: relative; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 24px;\"><span style=\"display: inline-flex; align-items: center; padding: 5px 14px; background: rgba(50,186,211,.12); border: 1px solid rgba(50,186,211,.35); border-radius: 20px; font-size: 10px; font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; letter-spacing: 2px; color: #32bad3; font-weight: 500; text-transform: uppercase; margin-right: 8px;\">KDP Fundamentals \u00b7 Vappingo<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: inline-flex; align-items: center; padding: 5px 14px; background: rgba(255,255,255,.04); border: 1px solid rgba(50,186,211,.2); border-radius: 20px; font-size: 10px; font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; letter-spacing: 1.5px; color: #32bad3; text-transform: uppercase;\">C1 \u00b7 Article 1.5<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: clamp(24px,3.8vw,40px); font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.1; color: #f2f0f5; margin: 0 0 18px; font-family: 'DM Sans',sans-serif;\">How Amazon KDP Royalties Work: <em style=\"font-style: normal; color: #32bad3;\">35% vs 70% Explained<\/em><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #c8c4d8; line-height: 1.8; max-width: 560px; margin: 0 0 28px; padding: 0;\">Every scenario that affects how much money you actually receive per sale \u2014 eBook tiers, delivery fees, paperback calculations, and territory differences.<\/p>\n<div style=\"border-top: 1px solid #32323f; padding-top: 20px;\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: auto; background: transparent;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 0 28px 0 0; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: middle; border: none; background: transparent;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 11px; color: #9490a8; letter-spacing: .5px; vertical-align: middle;\">12-minute read<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 0 28px 0 0; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: middle; border: none; background: transparent;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 11px; color: #9490a8; letter-spacing: .5px; vertical-align: middle;\">Beginner \u00b7 Intermediate<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 0; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: middle; border: none; background: transparent;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 11px; color: #9490a8; letter-spacing: .5px; vertical-align: middle;\">Updated 2025<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<nav class=\"vap-toc\" aria-label=\"Article contents\">\n<div class=\"vap-toc-label\">In this article<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#ebook-tiers\">The two eBook royalty tiers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#delivery-fee\">The delivery fee at 70%<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#price-strategy\">Pricing strategy by tier<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#paperback-royalties\">Paperback royalties<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#hardcover-royalties\">Hardcover royalties<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ku-royalties\">Kindle Unlimited page reads<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#territories\">Territory differences<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#payment\">When and how you get paid<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>Understanding how KDP royalties are calculated is not complicated, but there are enough variables \u2014 price tiers, delivery fees, printing costs, territory differences, Kindle Unlimited page reads \u2014 that getting a clear picture of what you actually earn per sale requires working through each one. This article does exactly that.<\/p>\n<p>For context on how royalties fit into the broader publishing decision, see our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/self-publishing-amazon-kdp-beginners-guide\/\">complete beginner&#8217;s guide to self-publishing on Amazon KDP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ebook-tiers\">The Two eBook Royalty Tiers<\/h2>\n<p>KDP offers two royalty rates for Kindle eBooks: <strong>35%<\/strong> and <strong>70%<\/strong>. Which rate applies to your book depends entirely on your list price.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>70% tier<\/strong> applies when your eBook is priced between <strong>$2.99 and $9.99<\/strong> (or the local currency equivalent) in the Amazon marketplaces where Amazon offers 70% \u2014 which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and several other major markets. This tier also requires that your book is not available cheaper anywhere else on the internet.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>35% tier<\/strong> applies when your eBook is priced below $2.99 or above $9.99, or when you are selling in certain territories where only 35% is available. There is no delivery fee at the 35% tier.<\/p>\n<p>The practical implication is clear: pricing below $2.99 cuts your royalty rate in half while also reducing your absolute revenue. Pricing above $9.99 similarly triggers the lower rate. For most authors, the $2.99\u2013$9.99 window is the economically rational range.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"delivery-fee\">The Delivery Fee at the 70% Tier<\/h2>\n<p>At the 70% tier, Amazon deducts a delivery fee before calculating your royalty. The fee is approximately $0.15 per megabyte of your file size. For a standard text-only novel \u2014 typically 1\u20133 MB \u2014 this is negligible: a 2 MB file costs $0.30 in delivery fees per sale.<\/p>\n<p>For illustrated books, children&#8217;s books with large image files, or any file that runs 10 MB or above, the delivery fee becomes meaningful. A 15 MB file costs $2.25 per sale in delivery fees at the 70% tier. At a $6.99 list price, that leaves $4.93 multiplied by 70% = $3.45 before the delivery fee, and only $1.20 after. In that scenario, the 35% tier (no delivery fee) produces $6.99 \u00d7 35% = $2.45 \u2014 significantly more.<\/p>\n<p>Always check your file size and run the numbers through KDP&#8217;s royalty calculator before setting your price.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"price-strategy\">Pricing Strategy by Tier<\/h2>\n<p>For fiction, the most common and most economically rational price points are $2.99, $3.99, $4.99, and $6.99 \u2014 all within the 70% tier. Series book one is often priced at $0.99 or free as a permanent or temporary lead magnet to drive series read-through; this is typically a deliberate marketing decision rather than a permanent pricing strategy.<\/p>\n<p>For non-fiction, prices of $4.99, $6.99, and $9.99 are common. Non-fiction tends to tolerate higher prices than fiction because readers are paying for specific knowledge or transformation rather than entertainment. For a full strategy guide, read our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/how-to-price-book-maximum-royalties\/\">how to price your book for maximum royalties<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"paperback-royalties\">Paperback Royalties: How the Calculation Works<\/h2>\n<p>Paperback royalties work differently from eBook royalties. You receive <strong>60% of your list price<\/strong>, minus Amazon&#8217;s <strong>printing cost<\/strong>. The printing cost varies based on page count, trim size, and whether the interior is black-and-white or colour.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some indicative UK printing costs for black-and-white interiors as a reference point:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>100 pages: approximately \u00a31.50<\/li>\n<li>200 pages: approximately \u00a32.50<\/li>\n<li>300 pages: approximately \u00a33.40<\/li>\n<li>400 pages: approximately \u00a34.30<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So for a 300-page paperback priced at \u00a312.99: your royalty is (\u00a312.99 \u00d7 60%) \u2212 \u00a33.40 = \u00a37.79 \u2212 \u00a33.40 = <strong>\u00a34.39 per sale<\/strong>. Priced at \u00a39.99: (\u00a39.99 \u00d7 60%) \u2212 \u00a33.40 = \u00a35.99 \u2212 \u00a33.40 = <strong>\u00a32.59 per sale<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>KDP&#8217;s royalty calculator in the pricing section of your book setup shows exact figures for your specific page count and trim size. Use it before you finalise your price. Note that KDP sets a minimum price below which you cannot publish \u2014 that floor is the price at which your royalty would fall to zero.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"hardcover-royalties\">Hardcover Royalties<\/h2>\n<p>Hardcover royalties follow the same structure as paperback: 60% of list price minus printing cost. Hardcover printing costs are higher than paperback, which means you generally need to price higher to achieve the same per-sale royalty. Hardcovers are best suited to books where readers will pay a premium \u2014 gift books, illustrated titles, or prestige non-fiction.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ku-royalties\">Kindle Unlimited Page Reads<\/h2>\n<p>If your book is enrolled in KDP Select, Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read it as part of their subscription. You don&#8217;t receive a per-sale royalty for KU reads \u2014 instead, you receive a per-page-read payment drawn from the monthly KDP Select Global Fund.<\/p>\n<p>The per-page rate fluctuates monthly based on total pages read across all enrolled books and the total fund amount. Historically it has sat around $0.004\u2013$0.005 per page, meaning a 300-page novel read in full generates approximately $1.20\u2013$1.50. Whether this is better or worse than a direct sale depends on your price point and your genre&#8217;s KU readership. For a full analysis, read our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/kindle-unlimited-vs-direct-sales\/\">Kindle Unlimited vs direct sales<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"territories\">Territory Differences<\/h2>\n<p>The 70% royalty tier is available in most major English-language markets: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and several others. In some smaller or emerging Amazon markets \u2014 Brazil, Mexico, India \u2014 only the 35% rate applies regardless of price.<\/p>\n<p>You can set separate prices for each territory in your KDP dashboard. Many authors allow KDP to automatically set local prices based on their primary market price, but reviewing territory pricing manually is worthwhile for markets where your book has significant readership.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"payment\">When and How You Get Paid<\/h2>\n<p>KDP pays royalties monthly, approximately <strong>60 days after the end of the month<\/strong> in which the sales occurred. Sales from January appear in your March payment. This lag can be jarring for new authors expecting rapid payment \u2014 it is simply how the system works.<\/p>\n<p>Payment methods include direct bank transfer (minimum threshold \u00a310 in the UK, $10 in the US) and cheque ($100 minimum). Electronic transfer is strongly recommended \u2014 it is faster, has a lower threshold, and avoids the currency conversion costs that can affect cheques for non-US authors. For non-US authors, read our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/kdp-for-non-us-authors\/\">KDP for non-US authors<\/a> for full guidance on currency, withholding tax treaties, and payment setup.<\/p>\n<p>Getting your pricing and metadata right from launch is significantly easier with a dedicated <a href=\"https:\/\/app.vappingo.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KDP optimisation tool<\/a>. KDP Rank Fuel by Vappingo generates targeted keyword suggestions, category recommendations, and an optimised book description alongside your pricing analysis \u2014 everything in one place.<\/p>\n<p>And before any of this matters, your manuscript needs to be error-free. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/Proofreading-Services\/Manuscript-Proofreading-Services\">novel proofreading service<\/a> from Vappingo catches the errors that erode reader trust and drive negative reviews \u2014 the ones that cost you royalties long after publication.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #1c1c22; border-radius: 12px; padding: 32px; margin-top: 52px;\">\n<p style=\"font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #32bad3; margin: 0 0 20px 0; padding: 0;\">Continue Reading \u00b7 KDP Fundamentals<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 0 5px 10px 0; vertical-align: top; height: 1px;\"><a style=\"display: block; background: #252530; border: 1px solid #32323f; border-radius: 8px; padding: 15px 17px; text-decoration: none; height: 100%; box-sizing: border-box;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/self-publishing-amazon-kdp-beginners-guide\/\"><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 1.5px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #32bad3; margin-bottom: 7px;\">Cornerstone<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: 600; color: #c8c4d8; line-height: 1.4; font-family: 'DM Sans',sans-serif;\">The Complete Beginner&#8217;s Guide to Self-Publishing on Amazon KDP<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 0 0 10px 5px; vertical-align: top; height: 1px;\"><a style=\"display: block; background: #252530; border: 1px solid #32323f; border-radius: 8px; padding: 15px 17px; text-decoration: none; height: 100%; box-sizing: border-box;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/how-to-price-book-maximum-royalties\/\"><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 1.5px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #32bad3; margin-bottom: 7px;\">Pricing<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: 600; color: #c8c4d8; line-height: 1.4; font-family: 'DM Sans',sans-serif;\">How to Price Your Book for Maximum Royalties<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 0 5px 0 0; vertical-align: top; height: 1px;\"><a style=\"display: block; background: #252530; border: 1px solid #32323f; border-radius: 8px; padding: 15px 17px; text-decoration: none; height: 100%; box-sizing: border-box;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/kdp-select-vs-wide-publishing\/\"><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 1.5px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #32bad3; margin-bottom: 7px;\">Strategy<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: 600; color: #c8c4d8; line-height: 1.4; font-family: 'DM Sans',sans-serif;\">KDP Select vs Wide Publishing: Pros and Cons<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 0 0 0 5px; vertical-align: top; height: 1px;\"><a style=\"display: block; background: #252530; border: 1px solid #32323f; border-radius: 8px; padding: 15px 17px; text-decoration: none; height: 100%; box-sizing: border-box;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/kindle-unlimited-vs-direct-sales\/\"><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-family: 'DM Mono','Courier New',monospace; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 1.5px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #32bad3; margin-bottom: 7px;\">Strategy<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"display: block; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: 600; color: #c8c4d8; line-height: 1.4; font-family: 'DM Sans',sans-serif;\">Kindle Unlimited vs Direct Sales: Which Is More Profitable?<\/span><br \/>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><!-- ============================================================ ARTICLE 1.6 URL: https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/kdp-select-vs-wide-publishing\/ KDP Rank Fuel anchor: KDP research tool Proofreading anchor: manuscript editing and proofreading service ============================================================ --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KDP Fundamentals \u00b7 Vappingo C1 \u00b7 Article 1.5 How Amazon KDP Royalties Work: 35% vs 70% Explained Every scenario that affects how much money you actually receive per sale \u2014 eBook tiers, delivery fees, paperback calculations, and territory differences. 12-minute read Beginner \u00b7 Intermediate Updated 2025 In this article The two eBook royalty tiers The &#8230; <a title=\"How Amazon KDP Royalties Work: 35% vs 70% Explained\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/amazon-kdp-royalties-35-vs-70\/\" aria-label=\"More on How Amazon KDP Royalties Work: 35% vs 70% Explained\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kdp-publishing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11530"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11532,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11530\/revisions\/11532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}