Try plugging in your favorite indie author’s numbers and see how much they make to get a few more ideas of what to expect. That’s just one example of how much a self-published book sells. If she were selling her book at the price we used in the formula in the previous section, that number would be closer to $30.40 per month. If we assume LaTorre is selling her paperbacks at the 60% royalty rate, and that sales number calculated with her BSR is accurate, that means she’s making roughly $1.50 per month on paperback sales for The Cyborg Tinkerer. For example, let’s look at The Cyborg Tinkerer by Meg LaTorre and calculate what she potentially makes per month in Amazon sales. There’s no real way to know how many books you’ll sell until you try, but there is a way to roughly determine how many books other authors are selling on Amazon.Īll you need is the book’s Best Sellers Rank (BSR) and a calculator. Now all we need to know is how many books are being sold to calculate our income as a self-published author on Amazon. Which gives you $7.60 per book sold! Not too shabby, right? How many books are sold So if your book is listed for $16, the printing costs are $5, and you’re selling through Amazon distribution channels, this is how you would calculate the royalty you receive on each book: (royalty rate x list price) – printing costs = royalty payment According to the KDP website, paperback royalties are calculated with this formula: If users enable expanded distribution, the rate drops to 40%. Through Amazon distribution channels, KDP offers a 60% royalty rate. Paperback royalty rates are a little different. But if your goal is to make as much money as possible, you’re likely going to want to cater the way you publish to hit those requirements for the 70% royalty rate. For example, if you want to offer an eBook for 99 cents as a sales funnel for your business. The 70% rate is also only available in certain regions.ĭepending on your goals with your book, you might opt for the 35% rate.That means you can’t have the 70% royalty rate if you limit your book’s availability. The eBook must be available everywhere in the world the author or publisher has rights.This means you can’t be eligible for the 70% royalty rate if you sell your eBook and physical books at the same price. The list price must be at least 20% lower than the price of the physical book listed on Amazon.Any price below that will be rated at 35% Currently, the USD minimum requirement for a 70% royalty rate is $2.99. The list price must satisfy the price requirements.According to KDP’s website, these are the qualifications to get the 70% royalty rate: What would make an author choose half the royalty rate? Not every title is going to be eligible for the bigger royalty rate. eBooks and paperbacks, for example, each have their own rates.ĮBooks have two possible royalty rate options on Amazon. The royalty rate on Amazon changes based on your format and a few other factors. The format of your book, how many you sell, and decisions you make when you’re setting up your book for publication can all affect the money you make. The income self-published authors make on Amazon varies greatly from writer to writer. How much do self-published authors make on Amazon? It’s a complicated question, and obviously varies greatly from author-to-author, genre-to-genre, and every strategy in between. Great question! And good for you on doing the research before you jump in with two feet. If you’re considering self-publishing on Amazon, you probably have one question: How much money can I actually make as a self-published author on Amazon?
But with a little research and a strong strategy, a self-published author can make $10,000+ per month publishing their own books on Amazon. As a tool, Amazon can be tricky to learn and master. While the creative freedom, quick turnaround, and higher royalty rates sound amazing, how much money can you actually make self-publishing your books?Ī major platform for indie writers is Amazon. Authors have found a step-around for the toiling, exploitative traditional publishing industry, and they’re taking hold of their own career and art. Self-publishing is a quickly growing industry.