Free tool · Pricing
Kids Book Break-Even Price Helper
Find the lowest Amazon.com list price that earns a target royalty per paperback sale, and compare royalty at a few example prices.
Calculator
Result
Lowest list price for your target: $11.00. KDP royalty rate at that price: 60%
- Lowest list price for your target
- $11.00
- KDP royalty rate at that price
- 60%
- To earn $2.00 per sale after $4.60 printing cost, the list price must be at least $11.00 (KDP pays 60% there).
- Formula: ($2.00 + $4.60) / 0.6 = $11.00, rounded up to the next cent.
| List price | Rate | Royalty per sale |
|---|---|---|
| $7.99 | 50% | $-0.60 |
| $9.98 | 50% | $0.39 |
| $9.99 | 60% | $1.39 |
| $12.99 | 60% | $3.19 |
| $14.99 | 60% | $4.39 |
| $16.99 | 60% | $5.59 |
| $19.99 | 60% | $7.39 |
Sources and assumptions
Sources
Assumptions
- Amazon.com paperback sales only; the royalty tier changes at the KDP threshold, so a cent can change the royalty a lot.
- The table prices are examples only. This tool does not recommend a price: readers and competing books decide what sells.
- Print cost comes from the paperback royalty calculator; enter that figure or your own.
How this works
Starting from KDP's formula (royalty = rate x list price - printing cost), the helper works backwards: it adds your target royalty to the printing cost and divides by the royalty rate, trying the lower rate first and the higher rate if the price crosses KDP's threshold.
The table shows royalty at a handful of example prices. They are examples, not recommendations: what readers will pay is up to the market, not a formula.
Worked example
A printing cost of $2.84 (our 52-page black-ink 8.5 x 11 in example) and a target of $2.00 per sale.
- Lowest list price for your target
- $9.68
- KDP royalty rate at that price
- 50%
- To earn $2.00 per sale after $2.84 printing cost, the list price must be at least $9.68 (KDP pays 50% there).
- Formula: ($2.00 + $2.84) / 0.5 = $9.68, rounded up to the next cent.
| List price | Rate | Royalty per sale |
|---|---|---|
| $7.99 | 50% | $1.16 |
| $9.98 | 50% | $2.15 |
| $9.99 | 60% | $3.15 |
| $12.99 | 60% | $4.95 |
| $14.99 | 60% | $6.15 |
| $16.99 | 60% | $7.35 |
| $19.99 | 60% | $9.15 |
Related tools
- KDP Paperback Royalty CalculatorWork out printing cost and royalty per sale for a paperback on Amazon.com, with monthly and yearly projections.
- KDP Paperback Cover Size CalculatorFull-wrap cover size and spine width for a KDP paperback, and whether spine text is allowed.
- Coloring Book Page Count PlannerTurn the number of coloring pictures into a total page count, check KDP limits and count sheets of paper for home printing.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get the printing cost?
Use the KDP paperback royalty calculator, which looks it up from KDP's table, or enter your own figure from KDP.
Does this suggest a price?
No. It shows the minimum for your target. The right price depends on readers and comparable books.
Make the book itself
Plan a kids storybook, coloring book or activity book, check each page, and download it as a PDF.
Create your free book