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How much does Amazon KDP really pay authors?

Amazon pays 35% or 70% on ebooks and 50% or 60% on paperbacks less printing, about 60 days after the end of the month of the sale.

✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026 against Amazon’s own pages · Next check 5 Feb 2027
A man typing at a desk beside an open book

On a $9.99 ebook at the 70% option you would earn about $6.95, after an average delivery cost of $0.06. The 70% option has conditions, though: list price, country and copyright all matter. Paperbacks pay a percentage of list price, then Amazon takes off the printing cost.

What do you need for Amazon KDP?

  1. A finished bookYour own manuscript and cover.
  2. The right price for 70%On Amazon.com the list price must be $2.99 to $12.99. The top of that band rose from $9.99 on 7 July 2026.
  3. Rights to the bookThe 70% option covers in-copyright works.
  4. A bank account Amazon can payElectronic payment has no minimum.

What you earn on each sale

Ebook, 70% option
70%
Ebook, 35% option
35%
Paperback, $9.99 or more
60%
Paperback, $9.98 or less
50%
CostAmountWhat it means
Delivery cost$0.06 on averageOnly on the 70% option, and it varies by file size
Printing costDepends on the bookTaken off paperback royalties
Expanded Distribution40% of list price, less printingFor paperbacks sold outside Amazon

The formula for ebooks is royalty rate x (list price, less VAT, less delivery cost). For paperbacks it is (royalty rate x list price), less printing.

What it adds up to

Copies soldAt $9.99 ($6.95 a copy)At $2.99 ($2.05 a copy)
10 copies$69.50$20.50
100 copies$695$205
1,000 copies$6,950$2,050

Ebooks on the 70% option, less the $0.06 average delivery cost (it varies by file size), with no VAT. Our sums on Amazon’s numbers above: an example, not a promise.

When does Amazon KDP pay you?

QuestionAnswer
Paid out at$0 by electronic transfer, $100 by cheque or wire
First moneyAbout 60 days after the end of the month of sale

What is the catch with Amazon KDP?

  • Sales outside the listed 70% countries pay 35%, even when you pick the 70% option.
  • If Amazon matches a lower price elsewhere, your 70% is worked out on that lower price.
  • Thresholds apply separately in each Amazon marketplace.
  • None of this says how many copies you will sell. Publishing is not the same as selling.

How to start with Amazon KDP

  1. Pick your priceStay inside $2.99 to $12.99 if you want the 70% option on Amazon.com.
  2. Estimate the royaltyUse Amazon’s calculator for paperbacks, because printing cost changes the answer.
  3. Set up electronic paymentIt has no minimum, unlike cheque and wire.
  4. Plan your marketingKDP gives you the shelf, not the readers.

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