New authors usually hear "KDP pays 70%" and assume that's the end of the story. It isn't. Royalties on every self-publishing platform are shaped by price breakpoints, delivery/printing cost deductions, and exclusivity terms that change the real number significantly. Here's how the math actually works on the three platforms indie authors use most.
KDP ebook royalties run on two tiers:
This is why so many indie ebooks cluster at prices like $2.99, $4.99, or $6.99 — they're intentionally priced inside the 70% band. A $9.99 ebook with a 3MB file earns roughly $9.99 × 0.70 − $0.45 ≈ $6.54 per sale; drop that same book to $11.99 and the 35% tier yields only about $4.20, despite the higher list price.
Print royalties work differently: KDP Paperback pays 60% of list price minus the printing cost (based on page count, trim size, and ink type). A 300-page paperback might have a printing cost of roughly $3–4, so the printing cost has to be subtracted before applying the percentage — low-priced paperbacks can net very little per copy.
IngramSpark's royalty structure is similar in principle (list price minus printing cost minus Ingram's distribution/retailer discount), but its real value is network reach: titles become orderable by independent bookstores and libraries through Ingram's existing wholesale relationships, something KDP's print-on-demand network doesn't directly provide at the same scale.
The tradeoff is usually a lower per-copy royalty than an equivalent KDP paperback sale, especially once you factor in the wholesale discount required for bookstore orders (commonly 40-55%). Many authors run both: KDP for direct Amazon sales and Kindle royalties, IngramSpark for print distribution to bookstores/libraries.
Draft2Digital (and similar aggregators) distribute your ebook to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and library platforms like OverDrive from a single upload, typically at a 60% royalty split to the author after the retailer's own cut. The convenience cost is a small aggregator fee built into the split, in exchange for not managing five separate retailer accounts and file formats individually.
"Wide" distribution (D2D, Kobo Direct, Apple Books direct, etc.) sacrifices KDP Select perks — most notably Kindle Unlimited page-read royalties, which can be a meaningful revenue source for some genres (romance, fantasy serials) — in exchange for not being exclusive to Amazon. Whether that trade is worth it depends heavily on genre and reader behavior.
| Platform | Typical royalty | Main strength | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| KDP (ebook) | 70% ($2.99–$9.99) or 35% outside that band | Largest ebook marketplace, simple setup | Narrow price band for best rate; KDP Select requires exclusivity |
| KDP (paperback) | 60% minus printing cost | Free, fast print-on-demand on Amazon | Printing cost erodes margin on low prices |
| IngramSpark | List price minus print cost minus retail discount | Bookstore & library distribution | Lower effective royalty than direct Amazon sales |
| Draft2Digital | ~60% of retailer payout, aggregated | One upload, five+ retailers, library reach | No KU page-read income; small aggregator cut |
Royalty rate and list price interact — a slightly lower royalty percentage on a well-priced book frequently outperforms a higher percentage on a mispriced one. Before finalizing royalties across platforms, validate the list price itself against genre norms, format, and your author status (new vs. established) rather than guessing.
Royalty structures and fee schedules change over time — always confirm current terms directly with each platform before finalizing a publishing decision. Explore more free tools at the IndieOwner hub.