--- source_url: "https://danieljtortora.com/blog/self-publishing-royalties" title: "Self-Publishing Royalties: Rates, Calculators, and Examples for 2026" mirrored_at: 2026-09-01T03:04:10.713Z host: danieljtortora.com cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/danieljtortora.com/blog/self-publishing-royalties" --- > **Original source:** https://danieljtortora.com/blog/self-publishing-royalties ## **Self-Publishing Royalties with Examples and Calculators** _\*\*Last updated March 2026_ This guide will show you exactly **how much money you can make by self-publishing and selling your book** through major platforms like **Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, Draft2Digital, and IngramSpark**. Whether you're publishing an ebook or a print edition, I've got you covered. **You'll get a clear breakdown of author royalties**—also known as compensation—for each platform, so you can understand how your earnings are calculated. I’ve also included direct links to royalty calculators—for Amazon KDP ([Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/)), Barnes & Noble ([Barnes & Noble Press](https://press.barnesandnoble.com/)), [Draft2Digital](https://www.draft2digital.com/), and [IngramSpark](https://www.ingramspark.com/)—so you can plug in your book’s details and see your potential earnings. At the end, you’ll find real-world royalty examples and a side-by-side comparison of how each retailer stacks up and some tips for pricing and distribution. ## **Amazon KDP Royalties** - **E-books: $0.99–$2.98=35% | $2.99–$9.99=70% (minus delivery costs)** ([KDP ebook royalty rate details](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634500)) - **The Amazon.com (US) delivery cost is $0.15/MB of your converted EPUB file.** It is the (compressed by Amazon) version of your book that is used to calculate “delivery costs.” This is often under $0.25 but depends on the length of the book and the complexity of the layout. - For authors who enroll in [KDP Select](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/select) (Kindle Unlimited): books under $2.99 are eligible for 70% royalties (minus delivery costs) during special promotions. - **Kindle Unlimited (KU) ebooks get monthly payouts based on pages read by KU subscribers** ([more info here from KDP](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201541130)); the payout to US authors from the [KDP Select Global Fund](https://danieljtortora.com/blog/amazon-kdp-select-global-fund-payout) varies each month and has ranged **from about $0.40 to $0.50 per 100 pages read**. You can calculate the payout from statistics available in the KDP author dashboard. - **Print books: 60% of list price minus the** [**printing cost**](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340) (standard distribution) for books sold on Amazon; 40% of list price minus the printing cost (certain price cutoffs apply) (expanded distribution) [more info here](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G8BKPU9AGVZSF9QF) and [more info here](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330). - **On Amazon.com (US), 50% royalties are earned for print books priced at $9.98 USD or below.** Many Amazon marketplaces also have price cutoffs. - [Royalty calculator here](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GSQF43YAMUPFTMSP) (You can also click on the image below to access the calculator) - [ACX Audiobook Royalties: How Much Do You Get Paid?](https://danieljtortora.com/blog/acx-audiobook-royalties-get-paid) by Daniel Tortora ## **Barnes and Noble Royalties** - **Ebooks: 70% of your list price.** - **Print books:** Earn **55% of your list price** (B&N keeps 45% of every sale) minus the [printing cost](https://press.barnesandnoble.com/make-more-money). - [Royalty calculator here](https://press.barnesandnoble.com/make-more-money) (click on the image below to access the calculator) ## **Draft2Digital Self-Publishing Royalties** - **Ebooks: D2D takes 10% of the retail price (15% of net royalties)** - Apple Books: 70% of most books’ list price - Google Play Books: 70% - Kobo: $0.01–$2.99=45%  |  $2.99+=70% (You can make more and potentially have access to more promotional opportunities if distributing exclusively through Kobo Writing Life.) - With library sales, royalty rates will be different. They are determined by the library price of the book and whether it has been purchased for one or many patrons. - **Print books (paperback only): 45% of your list price minus the printing cost** (retailer keeps 45% of every sale and D2D keeps 10%) minus the [printing cost](https://www.draft2digital.com/podcalc/). - [Royalty calculator here](https://www.draft2digital.com/podcalc/) (click on the image below to access the calculator) ## **IngramSpark Royalties** - **Ebooks: 60% of your list price** - **Print books: You keep 45% of your list price (recommended), minus the printing cost and market access fee** - You can keep a larger share, but that will discourage IngramSpark partners from buying your book. IngramSpark recommends a 55% discount; some authors choose a smaller discount if they’re not seeking in-stock bookstore placement. - IngramSpark market access fee and revision fees: - On February 1, 2026, IngramSpark upped its market access fee to 1.875% of your book’s list price. That means they automatically withhold 1.875% in addition to whatever discount you set. - IngramSpark no longer charges a fee every time you upload revised files of your book. - [Royalty calculator here](https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/PubCompCalculator) (click on the image below to access the calculator). - You can see here that now the $16.99 list price is too low, as I’d only be making $3.08 per sale! ## **Self-Publishing Royalties Examples—March 2026** **For an _ebook_ priced at $6.99**, the author royalty would be: - **$4.80 on Amazon KDP** (US) (assuming the condensed EPUB file size is 0.5 MB \[$0.09 distribution fee\]) - **$4.89 on Barnes & Noble Press** - **$4.40 on Draft2Digital** (this royalty does _not_ apply to library or subscription-based sales) - **$4.19 on IngramSpark** (but you get the widest possible distribution) **For a 6″ × 9″ book, black ink, white pages, _paperback_, matte cover, 200 pages, with a list price of $16.99,** the printing cost would be roughly $3.40 to $4.28, and, as of March 2026, the author royalty would be: - **$6.79 if sold directly on Amazon.com; $3.40 if sold via Amazon expanded distribution (US) (printing cost: $3.40)—**[get the explanation here](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330) - **$5.74 on Barnes & Noble Press (printing cost: $3.60)** - **$3.37 on Draft2Digital (printing cost: $4.28)** - **$3.08 on Ingram Spark (with the 55% discount and the 1.875% market access fee)** (**printing cost: $4.25)** **For a 6″ × 9″ book, black ink, white pages, _hardcover_—case laminate (no dust jacket), matte cover, 200 pages, with a list price of $24.99,** the printing cost would be roughly $7.60 to $8.05, and, as of March 2026, the author royalty would be: - **$6.94 if sold directly on Amazon.com; $1.95 if sold via Amazon expanded distribution (US) (printing cost: $8.05)—**[get the explanation here](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G77F3WPD3KQLJTFS) - **$6.14 on Barnes & Noble Press (printing cost: $7.60)** - **$2.93 on Ingram Spark (with the 55% discount and 1.875% market access fee)** (**printing cost: $7.95)** ## **Tips and Takeaways for Authors About Self-Publishing Royalties:** - Try the royalty calculators for the most accurate information. Each retailer calculates its author compensation differently and changes its rates over time. - $16.99 for a 200-page paperback is too low of a price to be charging in 2026. Books should (and will need to) cost more than they did five years ago or even last year. - Consider where your book fits best before choosing distribution. - To cut Amazon print costs, [Kindlepreneur’s “How to Reduce Print Costs” guide](https://kindlepreneur.com/reduce-print-costs/) suggests you shorten your manuscript, pick a 6″ × 9″ (or smaller) black‑ink paperback, and keep normal line spacing and font size. - Barnes & Noble Press and IngramSpark offer more hardcover options than KDP. - Amazon pays well for print sales on its site, but bulk order shipping is complex—IngramSpark’s Print & Ship Calculator is the only transparent tool; shipping depends on method, quantity, and zip code. - Barnes & Noble Press won’t ship to non‑US authors; non‑US creators (and those interested in features like sprayed edges) can use BookVault instead. - For audiobook royalties, see “[ACX Audiobook Royalties: How Much Do You Get Paid?](https://danieljtortora.com/blog/acx-audiobook-royalties-get-paid)” and “[Top Audiobook Platforms for Self-Publishing](https://danieljtortora.com/blog/best-audiobook-platform-for-authors).” —[Daniel](https://danieljtortora.com/about) **P.S.: Let’s work together!** - Tell me about your book and [schedule a coaching session](https://danieljtortora.com/contact) (US authors only) and let’s discuss publishing strategy or get you prepared to publish! - Click on the link to read: “[What Does a Book Publishing Coach Do?](https://danieljtortora.com/blog/book-coaching-services-publishing-self-traditional)” - See my [nonfiction book coaching services](https://danieljtortora.com/coaching/#book-coaching-packages).