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Topic 12 - Paperback Rights & Pricing

WHAT THIS TOPIC COVERS

After reading this topic, you'll know how:

  • To select the territories for which you hold distribution rights
  • Royalties and printing costs are calculated
  • To set your list price

YOUR PROGRESS

You've completed Milestones 1, 2, and 3. Now you're working on Milestone 4. When you're done, you'll be ready to publish your book on KDP.



HOW TO SET PAPERBACK RIGHTS & PRICING

Select territories

During title setup, you'll be asked to select the territories for which you hold distribution rights. You have two options:

  • All territories (worldwide rights). This will allow customers from around the world to buy your paperback on: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp*. If your book is your original content and you've never published it before, you most likely have worldwide rights.
  • Individual territories. Select the territories in which you hold rights. This will limit sales of your paperback to the corresponding Amazon website.

*Paperback publishing is not yet available for titles written in Japanese. KDP publishers can, however, publish paperbacks written in the languages we support on Amazon.co.jp

TIP: For a KDP paperback to be available on one of our marketplaces in Europe (Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es or Amazon.it), you must have rights in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. If you don't have rights in any one of those territories, do not select "United Kingdom," "Germany," "France," "Italy," or "Spain" as a territory.

How paperback royalties are calculated

Paperback royalty rates are 60% of the list price displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase, minus printing costs, applicable taxes, and withholding:

Estimated royalty = 60% of list price - printing costs - applicable taxes or withholding

No need to worry about calculating this yourself. When you enter your list price, our pricing grid will automatically calculate your estimated royalty.

How printing cost is calculated

KDP prints your paperback on demand. That means we'll deduct the printing cost from your paperback royalty only when customers buy your book from Amazon or its partners. Printing cost depends on which Amazon website your paperback was ordered from, as well as page count and ink type.

Printing cost = Fixed Cost + (Page Count * Per Page Cost)

Again, no need to worry about calculating this yourself. When you enter your list price, our pricing grid will automatically calculate the printing cost.

Set your list price

You have two options for setting your list price:

  • Option 1. Choose your primary marketplace and set your list price in the currency of that marketplace. We'll automatically convert the price to currencies available in the other marketplaces.
  • Option 2. Enter a specific amount by marketplace and available currency.

TIP: KDP will not allow you to enter a list price lower than the minimum threshold. This ensures that the royalties earned are always enough to cover the cost to print your book.

ACTIVITY
Look at paperbacks with content similar to yours on Amazon to find out typical list prices. As you research keep the following questions in mind:

  • Is this your first book? If it is, you may not want to set your list price as a famous author would. Look at list prices for books like yours by lesser-known authors to get a sense of what readers would pay.
  • Does your book have a higher printing cost? Books with color visuals and high page counts cost more to make. These costs will impact your royalty.
  • Where do you want to sell your book? If you set your list price based on your primary marketplace, the prices in the others will update automatically. Check out similar books in those other marketplaces to make sure your list price is competitive. You can then enter a new amount by marketplace.

When you enter your pricing information, you’ll be able to see your estimated royalty. Our pricing grid automatically calculates your estimated royalty based on the:

  • Marketplace
  • List price you enter
  • Royalty rate (60%)
  • Printing cost

Now go to your Bookshelf and see how the list price, royalty rate, and printing cost impact your estimated royalty:

  1. Under the PAPERBACK ACTIONS menu, select "Edit Paperback Rights & Pricing."
  2. Select the territories for which you hold distribution rights.
  3. Enter a list price and see how the pricing grid automatically updates the printing cost and estimated royalty. You’ll also be able to see the minimum and maximum list prices you can set. Applicable taxes will display for marketplaces in which they are charged.

The price you enter won't be saved until you click Publish Your Paperback Book, so feel free to experiment with entering different list prices before you submit your book.

After publishing your paperback, you'll want to start thinking about how to promote it. How about a bookstore reading? A book tour? For other ideas on promoting your book, read this article.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

  1. Download or print the KDP Jumpstart companion guide. The companion guide also includes instructions on updating your list price and removing your paperback from sale.
  2. Go to your Bookshelf and follow the instructions in the companion guide.
  3. When you’re finished, you'll save and publish your eBook. Congratulations on becoming a published author!

Want to know when your book will become available on Amazon? For information on timelines, including details on new publications and updates to published books, see our Help page.

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