This guide shows how each platform works out what you're paid for one copy. It doesn't tell you how many copies you'll sell. Nobody can tell you that honestly, including us.
Amazon KDP paperbacks
KDP's formula is: (royalty rate × list price) − printing cost = royalty.
- The rate depends on your list price. On Amazon.co.uk it's 60% at £7.99 or more and 50% at £7.98 or less. On Amazon.com, 60% starts at $9.99 and 50% applies at $9.98 or less.
- Printing cost = fixed cost + (page count × per-page cost). It depends on ink, paper, page count, trim size and the marketplace. "Large" trim means more than 6.12 in wide or more than 9 in tall.
- Expanded Distribution pays 40% of list price minus printing cost.
- KDP won't accept a list price below printing cost ÷ royalty rate.
Example calculations (not a forecast). Amazon.co.uk, KDP's published rates, checked 16 October 2026.
| Example book | Printing cost | List price (rate) | Royalty per copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colouring book, 8.5×11 in (large trim), black ink, white paper, 100 pages | £2.15 fixed (24–110 pages carry no per-page cost) | £7.99 (60%) | 0.60 × 7.99 − 2.15 = £2.64 |
| Same book | £2.15 | £7.98 (50%) | 0.50 × 7.98 − 2.15 = £1.84 |
| Same book, Expanded Distribution | £2.15* | £7.99 (40%) | 0.40 × 7.99 − 2.15 = £1.05 |
| Workbook, 6×9 in (regular trim), black ink, white paper, 150 pages | 0.85 + 150 × 0.010 = £2.35 | £8.99 (60%) | 0.60 × 8.99 − 2.35 = £3.04 |
| Picture book, 8.5×11 in (large trim), premium colour, 40 pages | £3.24 fixed (24–40 pages) | £9.99 (60%) | 0.60 × 9.99 − 3.24 = £2.75 |
| Same picture book, Expanded Distribution | £3.24* | £9.99 (40%) | 0.40 × 9.99 − 3.24 = £0.76 |
*The Expanded Distribution rows use the Amazon.co.uk printing cost, as KDP's own Expanded Distribution example does. Your actual figure may differ, so check it in KDP's calculator.
Look at the first two rows: pricing one penny lower, at £7.98, takes 80p off each copy. Use KDP's Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator for your own book.
Amazon KDP eBooks
- 35% option: 35% × (list price − VAT). No delivery cost.
- 70% option: 70% × (list price − VAT − delivery cost). It applies to buyers in KDP's 70% territories (the UK and US are among them); other buyers earn 35%.
- Since 7 July 2026, the 70% price range on Amazon.com is $2.99–$12.99 (it was $2.99–$9.99). On Amazon.co.uk it's £1.77–£12.99.
- Delivery cost on Amazon.co.uk is £0.10 per MB, rounded to 2 decimal places. KDP says UK VAT on eBooks has been 0% since 1 May 2020.
Example calculations (not a forecast). Amazon.co.uk, KDP's published rates, checked 16 October 2026.
| Example eBook | List price | Option | Royalty per copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 MB illustrated eBook, UK buyer, VAT 0% | £3.99 | 70% | 0.70 × (3.99 − 0.00 − 0.20) = £2.65 |
| Same eBook | £3.99 | 35% | 0.35 × 3.99 = £1.40 |
Picture-heavy files are big, and every extra MB costs 10p a copy at 70%.
IngramSpark (print)
You're paid list price − the wholesale discount you set (between 40% and 55%) − print cost.
Example calculations (not a forecast). IngramSpark's own US example, from its User Guide, checked 16 October 2026.
| List price | Discount | Wholesale price | Print cost | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20.00 | 53% | $9.40 | $3.66 | $5.74 |
If your price and discount don't cover printing, compensation can be negative. IngramSpark reports it "through accounts payable with immediate terms", which means you owe it. Use the Publisher Compensation Calculator.
Lulu
Gross profit = retail price − print cost − distribution fee. The distribution fee is 50% of the retail price through retailers; there's none on the Lulu Bookstore. You get 80% of gross profit on print books and 90% on eBooks.
Example calculations (not a forecast). Lulu's own US example, from its Retail Distribution guide, checked 16 October 2026.
| Retail price | Print cost | Distribution fee | Gross profit | Lulu share (20%) | Your revenue (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $19.99 | $7.91 | $10.00 | $2.08 | $0.42 | $1.66 |
What this can't tell you: sales
A royalty per copy is not income. Every number on this page is multiplied by sales we can't predict, and for most new books that number is small. Be wary of anyone who turns a royalty into a monthly figure ("35 copies a day…"). That's a guess presented as maths. Mivva's title research shows what it found on Amazon UK and says when it doesn't know. It never promises sales.
Before a book takes one of your weekly KDP slots, see a sample of it first.
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