300-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–$9.99, delivery fee ($0.15/MB) deducted. 35% royalty: eligible $0.99–$200, no delivery fee. 2 MB file assumed.
How eBook royalties work on KDP
eBook royalties on KDP come in two tiers: 70% for books priced $2.99–$9.99, and 35% for all other price points ($0.99–$200). The 70% tier has one catch: a delivery fee of $0.15 per megabyte of file size. For most text-heavy books (typically 1–3 MB), this fee is small — usually $0.15–$0.45 — and the 70% rate still wins by a large margin over the 35% alternative.
The $2.99–$9.99 window is where most successful eBooks live. Pricing at $2.99 qualifies for 70% royalty and costs readers very little, making impulse buys easy. Pricing at $9.99 is the ceiling for the 70% tier; above that you drop to 35%, which actually means less money per sale at $10 than at $9.99.
The 35% tier makes sense in limited scenarios: price anchoring (listing at $14.99 to make the paperback at $9.99 look cheaper), academic or textbook-style books where convention prices them higher, or Kindle Unlimited exclusivity situations. For most authors, $2.99–$9.99 is the rational choice.
Kindle Unlimited (KU) changes the equation significantly. When you enroll in KDP Select, your book becomes available to KU subscribers, who read it without a separate purchase. You earn per-page-read royalties from the KU fund, which fluctuates monthly. In 2025, the rate is roughly $0.0045 per page read. A 300-page book fully read earns about $1.35 from KU. For high-read-through fiction, KU can outperform unit sales.
For non-fiction, unit sales at $4.99–$7.99 often outperform KU because non-fiction readers are selectively reading chapters rather than consuming the full book. You earn 70% of the list price minus delivery — usually $3.00–$5.25 per sale — compared to fractional KU page payments.
Promotions like Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotions require KDP Select enrollment. These tools can spike your Amazon bestseller rank and drive long-term organic discovery. Many authors cycle: launch in KDP Select for 90 days, run a promotion, then optionally go wide (Kobo, Apple Books, etc.) after the exclusive period.
Your cover is equally important for eBooks. On mobile devices and in recommendation carousels, the thumbnail is 60×90 pixels or smaller. A cluttered, text-heavy cover becomes illegible at scale. Clean typography, high contrast, and a single strong visual element are the hallmarks of high-converting eBook covers.
Tips for your 300-page eBook
Price $2.99–$9.99 for 70%
The 70% tier earns 2–3× 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's $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.
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