This calculator helps estimate the royalties you earn from books published on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Amazon KDP offers two primary royalty options for eBooks, each with different terms and conditions that affect your earnings. Understanding these options is crucial for maximizing your profitability as an author.
Royalty Options Explained:
35% Royalty Option:
This option is available for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. When you choose this option, Amazon deducts a "delivery fee" from your royalty. This fee varies depending on the file size of your eBook and the territory where it's sold, but it's typically between $0.00 and $0.20 per sale.
Formula: Royalty per Book = (List Price * 0.35) - Delivery Fee
70% Royalty Option:
This option is available for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 in specific territories (like the US, UK, Canada, etc.). This option does not have a separate delivery fee deducted from the royalty. However, Amazon might adjust the royalty rate for sales in certain territories or for books priced outside the standard range.
Formula: Royalty per Book = List Price * 0.70
Factors Affecting Royalties:
List Price: The price you set for your book. This is the primary factor determining your gross earnings per sale.
Royalty Option: As detailed above, choosing between 35% and 70% significantly impacts your per-unit earnings. The 70% option generally yields higher royalties for books within the eligible price range.
Pages (for Print Books): While this calculator focuses on eBook royalties, it's worth noting that for physical books (Print on Demand), printing costs are deducted before royalty is calculated. Printing costs are largely determined by the number of pages, paper type, and cover finish. This calculator uses "Number of Pages" as a placeholder for potential future expansion or for authors who might be tracking print book costs separately, though Amazon KDP royalty calculations for eBooks do not directly use the page count in their royalty rate.
Units Sold: The total number of times your book is purchased or downloaded (if part of a promotion).
Territory: Amazon's royalty rates and fees can differ based on the country where the book is sold due to currency exchange rates and local tax regulations.
Promotions and Discounts: Kindle Countdown Deals or other promotional pricing can affect the final sale price and thus your royalty.
How to Use the Calculator:
List Price per Book: Enter the price you set for your eBook.
Number of Pages: Enter the total page count of your book. (Note: This primarily affects print book costs, but is included here for completeness).
Units Sold: Enter the number of copies you anticipate selling.
Royalty Option: Select either the 35% or 70% option based on your KDP setup and pricing strategy.
Click "Calculate Royalty". The calculator will estimate your total earnings based on the inputs.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on common Amazon KDP royalty structures. Actual royalties may vary due to factors such as fluctuating exchange rates, Amazon's specific territory adjustments, file size delivery fees (for the 35% option), and any changes to Amazon's KDP terms of service. Always refer to your KDP reports for precise earnings.
function calculateRoyalty() {
var bookPrice = parseFloat(document.getElementById("bookPrice").value);
var pages = parseInt(document.getElementById("pages").value);
var unitsSold = parseInt(document.getElementById("unitsSold").value);
var royaltyOption = parseInt(document.getElementById("royaltyOption").value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
if (isNaN(bookPrice) || isNaN(unitsSold) || bookPrice < 0 || unitsSold < 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for price and units sold.";
return;
}
var royaltyPerBook;
var deliveryFee = 0; // Default for 70% option
var estimatedTotalRoyalty = 0;
if (royaltyOption === 35) {
// For 35% option, a typical delivery fee is estimated.
// In reality, this varies by file size and territory.
// We'll use an arbitrary but common value for demonstration.
deliveryFee = 0.15; // Estimated delivery fee per book (can vary)
if (bookPrice 9.99) {
royaltyPerBook = bookPrice * 0.35; // Use 35% if outside typical range, but Amazon might prevent sale or assign different terms.
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Note: Price is outside the typical 35%/70% range. Royalties may differ.";
} else {
royaltyPerBook = (bookPrice * 0.35) – deliveryFee;
}
} else if (royaltyOption === 70) {
if (bookPrice 9.99) {
royaltyPerBook = bookPrice * 0.70; // Amazon might still offer 70% or adjust
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Note: Price is outside the typical 70% range. Royalties may differ.";
} else {
royaltyPerBook = bookPrice * 0.70;
}
} else {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Invalid royalty option selected.";
return;
}
// Ensure royalty per book is not negative
if (royaltyPerBook < 0) {
royaltyPerBook = 0;
}
estimatedTotalRoyalty = royaltyPerBook * unitsSold;
// Format the result with currency symbol
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Total Royalty: $" + estimatedTotalRoyalty.toFixed(2) + "";
}