# KDP hardcover royalties: 60% or 50% minus printing cost

> What royalty does Amazon KDP pay on hardcover books?

KDP pays 60% of a hardcover's list price minus printing cost when the Amazon.com list price is $9.99 or more, and 50% minus printing cost at $9.98 or less. Hardcovers cannot use Expanded Distribution and are not offered on Amazon.co.jp. A 300-page black ink regular trim hardcover costs $9.25 to print on Amazon.com, which is subtracted from every royalty.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Royalty rate, Amazon.com list price $9.99+ | 60% minus printing cost |
| Royalty rate, Amazon.com list price $9.98 or less | 50% minus printing cost |
| Printing cost (US, 110-550 pages, black ink) | $5.65 + $0.012 per page (regular trim) |
| Expanded Distribution | Not available for hardcovers |
| Maximum list price (Amazon.com) | $250 |
| Amazon.co.jp | Hardcover not supported |

## How the royalty works

The formula is the same as for paperbacks: (royalty rate × list price) − printing cost = royalty. The rate is 60% or 50% depending on the list price in each marketplace: 9.99 USD or EUR, 7.99 GBP and 13.99 CAD or AUD are the points where 60% starts. You earn a royalty when a new copy is manufactured for an Amazon order.

## Printing cost is the big difference

Hardcovers carry a much higher fixed cost than paperbacks. On Amazon.com, black ink hardcovers with 75 to 108 pages cost a flat $6.80 (regular trim) or $7.49 (large trim). From 110 to 550 pages the cost is $5.65 plus $0.012 per page (regular) or $0.017 per page (large). Premium color is $5.65 plus $0.065 per page (regular) or $0.080 (large).

## Worked example (Amazon.com)

A 300-page black ink regular trim hardcover: $5.65 + (300 × $0.012) = $9.25 printing cost.

- At a $19.99 list price: (0.60 × $19.99) − $9.25 = $2.74 per sale.
- The minimum list price at the 60% rate is printing cost ÷ 0.60, about $15.42 for this book.

## Where hardcovers sell

KDP hardcovers can be published to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, the euro marketplaces (.de, .es, .fr, .it, .nl, .ie, .com.be), Amazon.pl and Amazon.se. They are case laminate only: no dust jackets or cloth binding.

## Common mistakes

- Pricing a hardcover like a paperback. At 110 pages and up, the Amazon.com fixed cost is $5.65 for a hardcover versus $1.00 for a paperback, which pushes the minimum price up.
- Expecting bookstore and library reach: Expanded Distribution is paperback-only.

Amazon changes these rules; the linked KDP help pages are the authority.

## FAQ

**Can I sell my KDP hardcover on Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.au?**

They are not primary hardcover marketplaces. KDP says the book must be made available on Amazon.com to reach those stores.

**Does my paperback's ISBN work for the hardcover?**

No. A hardcover edition needs its own unique ISBN, either a new KDP ISBN or a new one you own.

**Are the hardcover thresholds identical to paperback?**

Mostly. The USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD and PLN thresholds match, but on Amazon.se 60% starts at 99 SEK for hardcovers versus 110 SEK for paperbacks.

## Sources

- https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G77F3WPD3KQLJTFS
- https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GHT976ZKSKUXBB6H
- https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GAVW3FZZAKA2KY3B

Last checked: 2026-11-09. Page: https://kdp123.com/facts/hardcover-royalties/. Data: CC BY 4.0, kdp123.com.