Guide
How much does KDP charge to print a paperback?
Short answer
KDP charges a fixed fee plus a rate per page. On Amazon.com a black ink paperback on a regular trim costs $1.00 plus $0.012 per page, or a flat $2.30 at 110 pages or fewer. A 300-page 6 x 9 in novel costs $4.60 to print. Large trims and color cost more.
How does KDP calculate the printing cost?
Printing cost = fixed cost + (page count x per page cost)
The fixed cost and per page rate depend on three things: the ink and paper, the trim size and the Amazon marketplace. Two details change the math:
- Short books pay a flat price. On Amazon.com, black ink books of 110 pages or fewer, groundwood books up to 112 and premium color books up to 40 pay one flat price with no per page charge.
- Large trims cost more. A trim wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in pays the large trim rates.
White and cream paper cost the same. Bleed and cover finish do not change the cost.
What does KDP charge per page on Amazon.com?
| Ink and paper | Short book flat price | Fixed, regular | Per page, regular | Fixed, large | Per page, large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black ink, white or cream paper | $2.30 / $2.84 (up to 110 pages) | $1.00 | $0.012 | $1.00 | $0.017 |
| Black ink, groundwood paper | $2.23 / $2.75 (up to 112 pages) | $1.00 | $0.0114 | $1.00 | $0.0162 |
| Standard color | None | $1.00 | $0.0255 | $1.00 | $0.0402 |
| Premium color | $3.60 / $4.20 (up to 40 pages) | $1.00 | $0.065 | $1.00 | $0.08 |
Short book prices are shown as regular trim / large trim.
How much does it cost to print a book by page count?
Printing cost per copy on Amazon.com. n/a means KDP does not print that page count with that ink at that trim.
| Pages | Black, 6 x 9 in | Black, 8.5 x 11 in | Standard color, 6 x 9 in | Premium color, 8.5 x 11 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | $2.30 | $2.84 | n/a | $4.20 |
| 50 | $2.30 | $2.84 | n/a | $5.00 |
| 100 | $2.30 | $2.84 | $3.55 | $9.00 |
| 150 | $2.80 | $3.55 | $4.82 | $13.00 |
| 200 | $3.40 | $4.40 | $6.10 | $17.00 |
| 250 | $4.00 | $5.25 | $7.38 | $21.00 |
| 300 | $4.60 | $6.10 | $8.65 | $25.00 |
| 400 | $5.80 | $7.80 | $11.20 | $33.00 |
| 500 | $7.00 | $9.50 | $13.75 | $41.00 |
| 600 | $8.20 | n/a | $16.30 | n/a |
| 700 | $9.40 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 800 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
What does it cost to print a novel, a workbook and a picture book?
A 300-page novel, 6 x 9 in, cream paper
- Printing: $1.00 + 300 x $0.012 = $4.60.
- At a list price of $14.99, the royalty rate is 60%: 0.6 x $14.99 - $4.60 = $4.39 per sale.
- Lowest list price KDP accepts: $9.20.
A 100-page workbook, 8.5 x 11 in, black ink
- 8.5 x 11 in is a large trim, and 100 pages is under the 110-page short book limit.
- Printing: a flat $2.84.
A 32-page picture book, 8.5 x 8.5 in, premium color
- 8.5 in is wider than 6.12 in, so this is a large trim. 32 pages is within the 40-page premium color short book limit.
- Printing: a flat $4.20.
Try your own book in the KDP print cost calculator, then see what you earn with the royalty calculator.
What does KDP charge in other Amazon marketplaces?
Black ink on white or cream paper, regular trim, in each marketplace's currency.
| Marketplace | Short book flat price | Fixed | Per page | 300 pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com | $2.30 (up to 110) | $1.00 | $0.012 | $4.60 |
| Amazon.co.uk | £1.93 (up to 110) | £0.85 | £0.01 | £3.85 |
| Amazon.de, .fr, .es, .it, .nl, .ie, .com.be | €2.05 (up to 110) | €0.75 | €0.012 | €4.35 |
| Amazon.ca | CA$2.99 (up to 110) | CA$1.26 | CA$0.016 | CA$6.06 |
| Amazon.com.au | A$4.74 (up to 108) | A$2.42 | A$0.022 | A$9.02 |
| Amazon.co.jp | ¥422 (up to 110) | ¥206 | ¥2 | ¥806 |
| Amazon.pl | PLN 9.58 (up to 110) | PLN 3.51 | PLN 0.056 | PLN 20.31 |
| Amazon.se | SEK 22.84 (up to 110) | SEK 8.37 | SEK 0.134 | SEK 48.57 |
How much do author copies cost?
Proof and author copies cost the printing cost for the marketplace you order from, times the number of copies. Shipping and tax are extra. So 10 copies of the 300-page novel above cost $46.00 before shipping and tax on Amazon.com.
Questions authors ask
Does cream paper cost more to print than white?
No. KDP charges the same for white and cream paper. A 300-page 6 x 9 in book costs $4.60 on cream and $4.60 on white on Amazon.com. Cream is thicker, so the spine is wider.
What counts as a large trim size on KDP?
Any trim wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in. Large trims pay a higher per page rate: $0.017 instead of $0.012 for black ink on Amazon.com.
Do I pay KDP to print books that customers buy?
Not directly. KDP subtracts the printing cost from each sale: royalty = royalty rate x list price - printing cost. You pay the printing cost yourself only when you order proof or author copies, plus shipping and tax.
What is the minimum list price for a 300-page paperback?
$9.20 on Amazon.com for 6 x 9 in black ink. KDP's minimum is the printing cost divided by the royalty rate, so the royalty can never go below zero.
Do bleed or a matte cover change the printing cost?
No. On KDP the printing cost depends on page count, ink and paper, trim size and marketplace. Bleed and cover finish do not change it.
Is IngramSpark cheaper to print with?
IngramSpark does not publish a per page rate, so there is no formula to compare. Price your book in its print and ship calculator, then compare the result with the KDP figure for the same book.
Sources
Every number in this guide comes from our spec data, last verified against the official help pages below. Retailers change their terms, so check the source before you rely on a figure.
KDP
- KDP Help: Paperback Printing Cost kdp.amazon.com
- KDP Help: Paperback Royalty kdp.amazon.com
- KDP Help: How much do proof or author copies cost? kdp.amazon.com
IngramSpark
- IngramSpark Pricing ingramspark.com