Royalty Changes at Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

On June 10, 2025, Amazon/KDP will be updating its royalty rates and printing costs for certain print books. Here’s a quick overview of what’s changing and what you may need to do.

What’s Changing?

Amazon is introducing a new royalty structure for certain books. 

• New Royalty Structure: The royalty rate for print books priced below $9.99 USD will decrease from 60% to 50%.  This means that some books' royalties may be reduced to zero.
• New Minimum List Prices: Moving forward, print books must be priced at or above the new minimum list price (based on trim size, page count, and ink type) in order to receive royalties.
• Lower Color Printing Costs: The good news is that color printing for print books will cost less in select marketplaces, which may increase your royalty on those titles.

What Should You Do?

Check to see if your print book(s) will be impacted by these changes at Amazon's KDP or on Bublish, if your book(s) are in distribution with us.

1. Review Your Book Prices: If you’re not sure of your book’s list price, check your book details to see if your title will be impacted. If you are in distribution with Bublish, our support team can help. Simply email support [at] bublish [dot] com.
2. Visit KDP FAQs and Use Royalty Calculator: For full details regarding these upcoming changes you can visit Amazon/KDP's FAQs. To estimate your Amazon/KDP royalties under the new structure with this Royalty Calculator.
3. Update Pricing (if needed): If your book is not in distribution with Bublish, you'll need to log into your Amazon/KDP dashboard to update your pricing. If you book is in distribution with Bublish, simply submit a Price Change Request form before June 10, 2025 to ensure your royalties are not negatively impacted.