A Kindle list price and an author's royalty are different numbers. Before testing prices, check the royalty preview in KDP using the actual marketplace, tax treatment, file size and eligibility of your book. The examples below are arithmetic illustrations, not sales forecasts.
Check eligibility before comparing percentages
Amazon.com's 70% price band is $2.99–$12.99 as of October 4, 2026; the upper limit changed on July 7, 2026. The minimum price for the 35% option depends on file size. Other currencies have their own bands. Japan, Brazil, Mexico and India also require KDP Select enrollment for eligible sales to earn 70%. See the official price requirements.
Price is only one condition. For the 70% option, the ebook's list price must be at least 20% below the Amazon list price of any physical edition. Public-domain content and sales outside eligible territories have separate restrictions. Review the complete pricing terms rather than treating 70% as automatic.
KDP Select requires digital exclusivity. If the same material remains available on a blog, newsletter or another platform, check its distribution before enrolling. Publishing without Select is also an option. See the official exclusivity rules and ask KDP if your case is unclear.
Subtract delivery costs before multiplying by 70%
35%:0.35 × (price − applicable taxes)
70%:0.70 × (price − applicable taxes − delivery costs)
The second formula is not “price × 0.70 − delivery costs.” Price matching can also change the calculation base. These are the formulas in KDP's royalty documentation.
A worked US example
Assume a $5.99 price, no applicable tax, no price matching, a KDP delivery file size of 20 MB, and eligibility for either option. At $0.15/MB, delivery costs are $3.00:
| Option | Calculation | Rounded royalty |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | 0.35 × $5.99 | $2.10 |
| 70% | 0.70 × ($5.99 − $3.00) | $2.09 |
In this particular example, 35% is slightly higher. For a 2 MB delivery file with the same assumptions, 70% would yield 0.70 × ($5.99 − $0.30) = $3.983, or about $3.98. Use the size and estimate shown by KDP rather than the size of an earlier manuscript file. Delivery terms differ by currency; for example, JPY sales have an exception for books of 10 MB or more. See the official delivery terms.
Run a price test you can interpret
There is no verified universal launch price for every genre. Compare books for the same audience and purpose, choose a starting price you can explain, and record the test period, units sold, royalties and marketing costs. Change one factor at a time where practical; changing the cover and advertising at the same time makes a price comparison harder.
- Match the audience, content, length and currency of your comparison books.
- Check KDP's price and royalty preview before publishing a change.
- Record proceeds after costs, not just unit sales.
- If traffic or sales are sparse, do not claim that a price caused the result.
A low-priced first volume may be an experiment for a completed series, but it does not guarantee reviews or later purchases. Measure purchases of the later volumes as well. Avoid treating a free promotion as an option that every title and marketplace can use.
Kindle Unlimited is a separate revenue stream
KU payments depend on eligible pages read for the first time and the monthly fund, not a fixed percentage of the ebook price. A print or PDF page count is not the same as KENP. Do not use a fixed per-page payout or an assumed share of author income as a forecast. Check the official KU royalty explanation and your own reports.
Kindle Countdown Deals are available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. They are not an Amazon.co.jp promotion. Enrollment timing, stable-price periods and other requirements apply; check the official promotion rules before planning a discount.
Include the cost of preparing the book
Break-even copies equal fixed costs divided by proceeds per copy, rounded up. For example, a hypothetical $200 fixed cost and $2.00 proceeds per copy require 100 copies before additional costs. This does not predict that you will sell those copies.
DraftZero's basic EPUB/PDF conversion is free. AI drafting and publishing preparation use points, and review time, printing and shipping are separate costs. Start with free manuscript conversion and check the current prices and conditions before buying optional work.
Verified October 4, 2026. Recheck the official rules and KDP's estimate when publishing.