The pricing sweet spot that keeps your royalty high and your book competitive.
Short answer: How to price a book on Amazon KDP: the $2.99–$9.99 ebook sweet spot, paperback pricing with print costs, and a free calculator to find your price.
Reference · Updated for 2026
Try the Free Generator →For ebooks, price between $2.99 and $9.99 to earn the 60% royalty — the default choice for most indie authors. For paperbacks, price so that 60% minus print cost still leaves a real margin; most sell in the $5.99–$12.99 range. Below $2.99 or above $9.99 for ebooks drops you to 35%.
Print royalty = 60% × price − print cost. A 200-page black-and-white paperback costs roughly $3.50–$5 to print, so a $9.99 book earns about $1–$2.50. Color interiors and hardcovers cost more to print — price those higher to keep a margin.
Don’t guess — plug your price, trim size and page count into the free KDP royalty calculator to see the exact per-copy royalty before you set a price.
What is the best price for a KDP ebook? $2.99–$9.99 — that band earns the 60% royalty.
How is paperback royalty calculated? 60% of the list price minus the printing cost.
Should I launch at $0.99? It can work to move copies and gather reviews, then raise to the 60% band.
Where can I see exact numbers? Use the free KDP royalty calculator, or check the pricing step in KDP.
Use the free royalty calculator — and our title & keyword generators for the launch.
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