Self-publishing guides

Longer explanations of the numbers behind KDP publishing, each worked through with real figures and linked to the calculator that does the math for your own book.

• Kindle's 70% Royalty Now Goes Up to $12.99: What to RepriceKDP raised the top of the 70% ebook royalty band from $9.99 to $12.99 in July 2026. What changed in each store, who gains, and how to check your prices.
• What KDP Charges to Print a Paperback, With Every TableKDP's paperback printing cost tables for Amazon.com, .co.uk and the euro stores, explained with real books at different page counts, trims and inks.
• Why $9.99 Is the Most Important Paperback Price on KDPBelow $9.99 KDP pays 50% on paperbacks, at $9.99 and up it pays 60%. How much one cent is worth, and when pricing under the line still makes sense.
• KDP Groundwood Paper: Cost, Eligibility and the Cover CatchKDP's groundwood paper option for black-and-white paperbacks: what it costs, which books qualify, and when switching means a new cover.
• KDP Select or Wide? Three Authors Run the NumbersThree worked cases, a romance series, a thriller and a how-to guide, comparing Kindle Unlimited page reads with selling on other ebook stores.
• How to Price a Kindle Box Set Without Losing MoneyA step-by-step way to price an ebook box set: the 70% ceiling, delivery costs, the 3,000-page Kindle Unlimited cap, and what the set is really for.
• KDP Hardcover vs Paperback: Is the Hardcover Worth Adding?Printing cost, royalty and price of KDP hardcovers against paperbacks for the same book, and the books where a hardcover edition pays off.
• From Page Count to Print-Ready Cover: One Book's Dimensions, Step by StepOne 6" x 9" novel taken from final page count to spine width, full wrap size, pixel canvas and a matching Kindle cover, with every number shown.
• Amazon Ads for Books: Know Your Break-Even ACoS Before You BidWhy a book's break-even ACoS is just its royalty share of the price, how it sets your maximum bid, and how ad spend changes your break-even.
• How Many Pages Will My Book Be? Word Count, Trim and Font SizeHow word count, trim size, font size and chapter breaks turn into a printed page count, and what that page count does to printing cost.
• Co-Writing a Book on KDP: Who Gets Paid and How to Split ItHow co-authors and illustrators split KDP royalties, repay shared costs first, and what to agree in writing before the book is published.
• KDP's Own Royalty Calculator vs Book Math Tools: What Each CoversAn honest comparison of KDP's Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator and Cover Calculator with the calculators on this site: what each does and when to use which.