300-page Paperback (B&W)
Exact KDP printing cost, royalty table, and live calculator for a 300-page Paperback (B&W). Know your numbers before you set your price.
The headline number for 300-page Paperback (B&W)
A 300-page Paperback (B&W) costs $4.60 to print. At a list price of $9.99, you earn $1.39 royalty per copy on Amazon's 60% channel. You need to price above $7.67 to earn anything at all.
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Royalty breakdown at key price points
| List price | Printing cost | Royalty (60%) | Royalty (40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.99 | $4.60 | — | — |
| $4.99 | $4.60 | — | — |
| $6.99 | $4.60 | — | — |
| $7.99 | $4.60 | $0.19 | — |
| $8.99 | $4.60 | $0.79 | — |
| $9.99sweet spot | $4.60 | $1.39 | — |
| $11.99 | $4.60 | $2.59 | $0.20 |
| $14.99 | $4.60 | $4.39 | $1.40 |
| $17.99 | $4.60 | $6.19 | $2.60 |
| $24.99 | $4.60 | $10.39 | $5.40 |
60% = direct Amazon channel. 40% = expanded distribution (other retailers). All figures are US marketplace, estimated.
Compare: 300 pages across book types
| Book type | Printing cost | Sweet spot royalty | Sweet spot price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback (B&W)current | $4.60 | $1.39 | $9.99 |
| Hardcover (B&W) | $10.40 | $0.39 | $17.99 |
| eBook | n/a | $3.28 | $4.99 |
| Color Paperback | $22.00 | $0.00 | $14.99 |
How pricing works for a 300-page Paperback (B&W)
Who actually publishes at this length
300 pages is the canonical 'novel' length on Amazon - the page count most readers picture when they think 'book'. Books > Literary Fiction, Books > Romance > Contemporary, and Books > Biographies & Memoirs all peak at 280 to 340-page paperbacks.
Pricing dynamics at 300 pages
$13.99 to $16.99 is the conversion-optimal range. Below $13.99 buyers wonder why you priced so low for a serious-looking novel. Above $16.99 you bump into major-publisher trade paperback prices and lose the comparison. $14.99 is the most-published price at this length.
For your exact scenario: printing costs $4.60 per copy ($1.00 fixed plus $0.01 per page). Break-even list price is $7.67. At the sweet-spot price of $9.99 you earn $1.39 royalty per Amazon sale on the 60% channel.
Real examples in this category
Sally Rooney's 'Normal People' (273 pages) lists at $16 paperback. James Clear's 'Atomic Habits' (320 pages) at $17.99 paperback. Indie authors at 300 pages typically hit $14.99 to $17.99 trade paperback. Most self-published debut novels live exactly at $14.99 for 280 to 320 pages.
The common mistake at this page count
Pricing a 300-page memoir at $9.99 to compete on price. Self-published memoirs that find audiences usually price at $14.99 or $15.99 because the content value (true story, niche audience) supports the price more than competitor prices do. Price for the buyer who already wants your story.
Margin math, in concrete terms
Print cost is $4.60. At $14.99 your royalty is $4.39. At $17.99 it jumps to $6.19 - a 41% increase in per-sale earnings for a 20% price increase. If your reviews are strong and cover is professional, the higher price often does not lower conversion much - run a 30-day A/B test.
All figures shown are calculated against the KDP 2026 US-marketplace pricing formula: paperbacks at $1.00 fixed + $0.012/page, hardcovers at $6.80 fixed + $0.012/page, color paperbacks at $1.00 fixed + $0.07/page. Royalty channel: 60% for Amazon-direct sales, 40% for expanded distribution. Live numbers on this page reflect a 300-page paperback (b&w).
Tips for your 300-page Paperback (B&W)
Price above break-even
Your break-even is $7.67. Price at least $1.50 above this for meaningful income.
Sweet spot: $7.99 to $9.99
This range converts well and keeps your margin healthy for most paperback page counts.
Test expanded distribution
Enable expanded distribution for zero extra cost. Even at 40% royalty, extra sales add up.
Use white paper for fiction
KDP offers white and cream paper. Cream paper is traditional for fiction; white for non-fiction workbooks.
Avoid the $2.99 trap
A $2.99 paperback signals low quality and earns almost nothing. Price for value, not impulse.
Series pricing strategy
Price book 1 low ($5.99 to $6.99) to drive readers into the series, then price books 2+ at $9.99.
Common questions about this scenario
Compare formats at 300 pages
Other page counts for Paperback (B&W)
Related KDP pricing guides
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