Your paperback royalty is a share of the list price minus the print cost. Two numbers decide the share: the marketplace and the price itself.
The royalty rate
On Amazon.com, list prices up to $9.98 earn 50%.
From $9.99 the rate is 60%.
Expanded distribution (bookstores and libraries) pays 40%, on some trim sizes only.
Worked example
A 200-page 6 × 9 in novel, black ink on white paper, priced at $12.99 on Amazon.com:
Amount
Print cost
$3.40
Royalty rate
60%
Your royalty per copy
$4.39
Through expanded distribution
$1.80
Lowest list price KDP accepts
$6.80
The minimum price
KDP will not let the royalty go below zero, so the minimum list price is the print cost divided by the royalty rate. The highest list price on Amazon.com is $250.00.
Lower the print cost
Color paper costs much more per page than black ink; use it only when the book needs it.
Fewer pages cost less, but do not cut content readers paid for.
Large trim sizes cost more than regular ones.
Sources
KDP help pages, checked November 7, 2026. KDP changes its rules without notice; the linked page has the final word.
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