Self-Publishing Royalties: Rates, Calculators, and Examples for 2026
Self-Publishing Royalties with Examples and Calculators
**Last updated January 2026 for changes effective February 1, 2026
This guide will show you exactly how much money you can make by self-publishing and selling your book through major platforms like Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, Draft2Digital, and IngramSpark. Whether you're publishing an ebook or a print edition, I've got you covered.
You'll get a clear breakdown of author royalties—also known as compensation—for each platform, so you can understand how your earnings are calculated.
I’ve also included direct links to royalty calculators—for Amazon KDP (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing), Barnes & Noble (Barnes & Noble Press), Draft2Digital, and IngramSpark—so you can plug in your book’s details and see your potential earnings.
At the end, you’ll find real-world royalty examples and a side-by-side comparison of how each retailer stacks up and some tips for pricing and distribution.
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Amazon KDP Royalties
E-books: $0.99–$2.98=35% | $2.99–$9.99=70% (minus delivery costs) (KDP ebook royalty rate details)
The Amazon.com (US) delivery cost is $0.15/MB of your converted EPUB file. It is the (compressed by Amazon) version of your book that is used to calculate “delivery costs.” This is often under $0.25 but depends on the length of the book and the complexity of the layout.
For authors who enroll in KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited): books under $2.99 are eligible for 70% royalties (minus delivery costs) during special promotions.
Kindle Unlimited (KU) ebooks get monthly payouts based on pages read by KU subscribers (more info here from KDP); the payout to US authors from the KDP Select Global Fund varies each month and has ranged from about $0.40 to $0.50 per 100 pages read. You can calculate the payout from statistics available in the KDP author dashboard.
Print books: 60% of list price minus the printing cost (standard distribution) for books sold on Amazon; 40% of list price minus the printing cost (certain price cutoffs apply) (expanded distribution) more info here and more info here.
On Amazon.com (US), 50% royalties are earned for print books priced at $9.98 USD or below. Many Amazon marketplaces also have price cutoffs.
Royalty calculator here (You can also click on the image below to access the calculator)
ACX Audiobook Royalties: How Much Do You Get Paid? by Daniel Tortora
Barnes and Noble Royalties
Ebooks: 70% of your list price.
Print books: Earn 55% of your list price (B&N keeps 45% of every sale) minus the printing cost.
Royalty calculator here (click on the image below to access the calculator)
Draft2Digital Self-Publishing Royalties
Ebooks: D2D takes 10% of the retail price (15% of net royalties)
Apple Books: 70% of most books’ list price
Google Play Books: 70%
Kobo: $0.01–$2.99=45% | $2.99+=70% (You can make more and potentially have access to more promotional opportunities if distributing exclusively through Kobo Writing Life.)
With library sales, royalty rates will be different. They are determined by the library price of the book and whether it has been purchased for one or many patrons.
Print books (paperback only): 45% of your list price minus the printing cost (retailer keeps 45% of every sale and D2D keeps 10%) minus the printing cost.
Royalty calculator here (click on the image below to access the calculator)
IngramSpark Royalties
Ebooks: 60% of your list price
Print books: You keep 45% of your list price (recommended), minus the printing cost and market access fee
You can keep a larger share, but that will discourage IngramSpark partners from buying your book. IngramSpark recommends a 55% discount; some authors choose a smaller discount if they’re not seeking in-stock bookstore placement.
IngramSpark market access fee and revision fees:
On February 1, 2026, IngramSpark upped its market access fee to 1.875% of your book’s list price. That means they automatically withhold 1.875% in addition to whatever discount you set.
IngramSpark no longer charges a fee every time you upload revised files of your book.
Royalty calculator here (click on the image below to access the calculator).
You can see here that now the $16.99 list price is too low, as I’d only be making $3.08 per sale!
Self-Publishing Royalties Examples—February 2026
For an ebook priced at $6.99, the author royalty would be:
$4.80 on Amazon KDP (US) (assuming the condensed EPUB file size is 0.5 MB [$0.09 distribution fee])
$4.89 on Barnes & Noble Press
$4.40 on Draft2Digital (this royalty does not apply to library or subscription-based sales)
$4.19 on IngramSpark (but you get the widest possible distribution)
For a 6″ × 9″ book, black ink, white pages, paperback, matte cover, 200 pages, with a list price of $16.99, the printing cost would be roughly $3.40 to $4.28, and, as of February, 2026, the author royalty would be:
$6.79 if sold directly on Amazon.com; $3.40 if sold via Amazon expanded distribution (US) (printing cost: $3.40)—get the explanation here
$5.74 on Barnes & Noble Press (printing cost: $3.60)
$3.37 on Draft2Digital (printing cost: $4.28)
$3.08 on Ingram Spark (with the 55% discount and the 1.875% market access fee) (printing cost: $4.25)
For a 6″ × 9″ book, black ink, white pages, hardcover—case laminate (no dust jacket), matte cover, 200 pages, with a list price of $24.99, the printing cost would be roughly $7.60 to $8.05, and, as of February 2026, the author royalty would be:
$6.94 if sold directly on Amazon.com; $1.95 if sold via Amazon expanded distribution (US) (printing cost: $8.05)—get the explanation here
$6.14 on Barnes & Noble Press (printing cost: $7.60)
$2.93 on Ingram Spark (with the 55% discount and 1.875% market access fee) (printing cost: $7.95)
Tips and Takeaways for Authors About Self-Publishing Royalties:
Try the royalty calculators for the most accurate information. Each retailer calculates its author compensation differently and changes its rates over time.
$16.99 for a 200-page paperback is too low of a price to be charging in 2026. Books should (and will need to) cost more than they did five years ago or even last year.
Consider where your book fits best before choosing distribution.
To cut Amazon print costs, Kindlepreneur’s “How to Reduce Print Costs” guide suggests you shorten your manuscript, pick a 6″ × 9″ (or smaller) black‑ink paperback, and keep normal line spacing and font size.
Barnes & Noble Press and IngramSpark offer more hardcover options than KDP.
Amazon pays well for print sales on its site, but bulk order shipping is complex—IngramSpark’s Print & Ship Calculator is the only transparent tool; shipping depends on method, quantity, and zip code.
Barnes & Noble Press won’t ship to non‑US authors; non‑US creators (and those interested in features like sprayed edges) can use BookVault instead.
For audiobook royalties, see “ACX Audiobook Royalties: How Much Do You Get Paid?” and “Top Audiobook Platforms for Self-Publishing.”
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