Free Author Royalty Calculator
Calculate your exact author earnings per book sale across Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, and traditional publishing
No signup required. Compare platforms instantly to see which gives you the best return as an author.
Book Details
KDP charges $0.15/MB delivery fee at 70% royalty rate
Your Earnings
You Earn Per Sale
$6.69
67.0% of retail price
Cost Breakdown
Sales Projection
How Book Royalties Work
Understanding how much you'll earn from each book sale is crucial for making informed publishing decisions. This calculator shows you the exact breakdown of where your book's sale price goes—to you, the platform, printing costs, and distributor fees.
Amazon KDP Ebooks
70% royalty: Books priced $2.99-$9.99 earn 70% minus delivery fees ($0.15/MB)
35% royalty: Books under $2.99 or over $9.99 earn 35% (no delivery fees)
Amazon KDP Paperbacks
You earn 60% of the list price minus printing costs. Printing costs vary by page count (roughly $0.012/page + $0.85 base cost).
IngramSpark
List price minus wholesale discount (typically 55%) minus printing costs. Lower wholesale discounts = more earnings, but bookstores are less likely to stock your book.
Draft2Digital
You earn 60% of the retail price. D2D takes 10% for distribution to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and others (retailers take the remaining 30%).
Traditional Publishing
Royalties typically range from 10-15% of the retail price for hardcovers, 5-8% for paperbacks. Rates often escalate with sales milestones (e.g., 10% for first 5,000 copies, 12.5% for next 5,000).
Why Compare?
Different platforms excel at different things. KDP offers high ebook royalties and fast payouts. IngramSpark provides bookstore distribution. Traditional publishing handles marketing and upfront advances.
Quick Platform Comparison
*70% for books priced $2.99-$9.99, 35% otherwise
How Much Do Authors Really Make?
Author earnings vary dramatically based on publishing path, genre, marketing effectiveness, and platform choice. Here's a realistic breakdown of what authors earn at different stages of their career.
Debut Author (Self-Published)
$500-$5,000
First year earnings
- • Typical sales: 50-500 copies
- • Ebook at $2.99-$4.99 on KDP
- • Earnings: $2-$3 per book
- • Limited marketing budget
- • Building initial readership
Mid-List Author
$15,000-$50,000
Annual earnings
- • 3-5 books in series/backlist
- • 2,000-10,000 sales per year
- • Mix of ebook & paperback
- • Active newsletter (5k+ subscribers)
- • Regular new releases
Established Author
$100,000+
Annual earnings
- • 10+ books published
- • 20,000+ sales annually
- • Multiple income streams
- • Strong brand & following
- • Potential traditional deal or wide distribution
Traditional vs Self-Publishing Author Earnings
Traditional Publishing:
- • Advance: $5,000-$50,000 (debut)
- • Royalties: 10-15% hardcover, 5-8% paperback
- • Only ~20% of authors earn out their advance
- • Publisher handles production costs
- • Author earns $1-$3 per sale typically
Self-Publishing:
- • No advance, but 35-70% royalties
- • Ebooks: $2-$5 per sale on KDP
- • Paperbacks: $3-$8 per sale
- • Author pays production costs upfront
- • Higher per-book earnings, but marketing burden on author
Real-World Examples
Example: $4.99 Ebook on KDP
Scenario: 2.5 MB ebook priced at $4.99 (qualifies for 70% royalty)
Your earnings: $3.49 - ($0.15 × 2.5MB) = $3.12 per sale
At 1,000 sales = $3,120 in royalties
Example: $14.99 Paperback on KDP
Scenario: 250-page paperback priced at $14.99
Printing cost: (250 × $0.012) + $0.85 = $3.85
Your earnings: ($14.99 × 0.60) - $3.85 = $5.14 per sale
At 500 sales = $2,570 in royalties
Example: Traditional Publishing Hardcover
Scenario: $27.99 hardcover with 10% royalty (first 5,000 copies)
Your earnings: $27.99 × 0.10 = $2.80 per sale
But: You likely received a $5,000-$15,000 advance upfront, which you must earn out before receiving additional royalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now Imagine Tracking This Across 15 Books, 3 Platforms, Every Month...
Calculating one book's royalties is easy. Managing royalties for multiple books across KDP, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital—month after month—becomes a spreadsheet nightmare.
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Multi-Contributor Splits
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Learn More About Book Royalties
Complete Guide to Book Royalty Calculations
Deep dive into how royalties work across traditional publishing, self-publishing, and every major platform.
How to Track Royalties from Multiple Distributors
Learn how to manage royalties when you're selling across KDP, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, and more.
How to Download Amazon KDP Royalty Reports
Step-by-step guide to accessing your KDP sales data and royalty statements.
Familiar Royalty Management
See how Familiar automates royalty tracking, multi-contributor splits, and payment generation.