Royalty & Print Cost Calculator

KDP printing cost and royalty, plus side-by-side profit on other platforms.

Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser · Rules checked 2026-10-15

Result

How the numbers are worked out

KDP paperback. Printing cost is a fixed amount plus a per-page amount from KDP's printing cost table, or one fixed price for very short books. Royalty is the royalty rate (50% or 60% depending on price and marketplace) times your list price, minus that printing cost.

KDP hardcover. Royalty is 60% of list price minus printing cost.

KDP ebook. The 70% option needs a list price inside the marketplace's band and subtracts the delivery cost for the file size first. The 35% option has no delivery fee.

Other platforms. Barnes & Noble Press pays a percentage of list price minus printing cost. IngramSpark pays list price minus the wholesale discount minus printing cost. Lulu and Draft2Digital depend on the channel. None of them publish a print cost formula we can verify, so you enter their quote and we apply the rule you choose. See platform rules for each source.

KDP's own pricing screen decides the final minimum price and royalty, so check it before you publish.

Frequently asked questions

How is KDP printing cost calculated?

KDP charges a fixed amount plus a per-page amount, and the numbers depend on ink type, trim size and marketplace. The calculator applies the table KDP publishes and shows the working.

Why do Barnes & Noble, IngramSpark and Lulu ask me to type a print cost?

Those platforms calculate print cost inside their own quote tools and do not publish a formula we can verify. Enter the figure from their tool and we apply the royalty rule on top, so the result is never a guess.

Are the results exact?

They follow the platform's published rules, but taxes, currency conversion and rule changes can still make a payment differ slightly. Check the final figure in the platform's own pricing screen before you publish.