250-page eBook
Real KDP royalty calculations for eBooks: when to use 70% vs 35%, how delivery fees affect your take-home, and the price points that maximize earnings.
eBook royalty: the key numbers
At $4.99 in the 70% royalty tier, you earn roughly $3.28 per eBook sale after the $0.30 delivery fee. Drop below $2.99 and you fall to the 35% tier, earning just $1.75 per sale. Go above $9.99 and you drop to 35%, earning $3.50. Less than the 70% tier at $9.99 ($6.78).
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eBook royalty comparison: 70% vs 35%
| List price | 70% royalty | 35% royalty | Best tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.99 | $1.88 | $1.05 | 70% tier |
| $4.99sweet spot | $3.28 | $1.75 | 70% tier |
| $6.99 | $4.68 | $2.45 | 70% tier |
| $7.99 | $5.38 | $2.80 | 70% tier |
| $8.99 | $6.08 | $3.15 | 70% tier |
| $9.99 | $6.78 | $3.50 | 70% tier |
| $11.99 | — | $4.20 | 35% tier |
| $14.99 | — | $5.25 | 35% tier |
| $17.99 | — | $6.30 | 35% tier |
| $24.99 | — | $8.75 | 35% tier |
70% royalty: eligible $2.99 to $9.99, delivery fee ($0.15/MB) deducted. 35% royalty: eligible $0.99 to $200, no delivery fee. 2 MB file assumed.
How eBook royalties work on KDP
Who actually publishes at this length
250-page eBooks anchor the full-length Kindle bestseller list: complete non-fiction, novels, and category fiction. Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality > Self-Help, Kindle Store > Romance, and Kindle Store > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense all peak at 220 to 280-page titles.
Pricing dynamics at 250 pages
$9.99 is the optimal price - the absolute cap of the 70% tier. Genre fiction can sometimes drop to $4.99 to $6.99 to drive Also-Boughts; non-fiction generally holds at $7.99 to $9.99. Files at this length run 1.5 to 2.5 MB, so delivery fees are $0.23 to $0.38.
For Kindle eBooks the math runs differently: at $4.99 in the 70% tier with a 2 MB file you earn roughly $3.28 per sale. At $9.99 (the 70% tier cap) you earn $6.78 per sale. The same book at $10.00 falls to the 35% tier and earns just $3.50. The penny matters.
Real examples in this category
Most full-length non-fiction Kindle bestsellers price at $13.99 to $14.99 - but those are publisher prices in the 35% tier. Indie authors at 250 pages should sit at $9.99 (70% tier) and earn more per sale than the publisher-priced books they compete against on the bestseller list.
The common mistake at this page count
Falling for the 'higher price means more income' fallacy at 250 pages. At $9.99 Kindle you earn $6.78. At $12.99 you earn $4.55. The 35% tier above $9.99 leaves real money on the table for every length under 400 pages.
Margin math, in concrete terms
A 250-page Kindle book at $9.99 with a 2.5 MB file earns $6.76 per sale (70% of $9.61). A successful non-fiction launch sustaining 100 sales/day for 30 days earns $20,280 in pure Kindle royalty before any print sales. This is the math that makes 250-page non-fiction launches the highest-leverage move in indie publishing.
Tips for your 250-page eBook
Price $2.99 to $9.99 for 70%
The 70% tier earns 2 to 3x the 35% tier at the same price. Never list at $10.00 when $9.99 earns more.
$4.99 is the sweet spot
Priced low enough for impulse buys, high enough to earn $3.28+ per sale in the 70% tier.
Delivery fee is small
At 2 MB, delivery fee is $0.30. Even at 5 MB it is $0.75. The 70% tier still wins for most books.
KDP Select for new books
Enroll for 90 days to access Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Promotions, which boost ranking and reviews.
Above $9.99 loses you money
At $10.00 you earn $3.50 (35%). At $9.99 you earn $6.78 (70%). Always stay below $10 in the 70% tier.
Go wide after 90 days
After KDP Select exclusivity, consider distributing to Kobo, Apple Books, and library services for extra income.
Common questions about this scenario
Compare formats at 250 pages
Other page counts for eBook
Related KDP pricing guides
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