Royalties, explained
How you earn from your book
Where the money from each sale goes.
Authors often ask what they will actually earn per copy. The honest answer depends on the format, the price you set, and where the book is sold. Here is how it works.
Who sets the price
You decide the price of your book, with our advice on what similar books sell for. A higher price earns more per copy but can mean fewer sales.
Paperbacks sold on Amazon
For print-on-demand paperbacks through Amazon KDP, the author’s royalty is a share of the list price minus the cost of printing that copy. On Amazon UK that share is usually 60% for most list prices.
| Example: a £10.00 paperback | Per copy |
|---|---|
| List price | £10.00 |
| 60% royalty share | £6.00 |
| Less printing cost (depends on page count, for example) | −£2.50 |
| Royalty per copy | £3.50 |
Ebooks
Kindle ebooks have no printing cost. Amazon offers a 70% royalty for ebooks priced within its standard range (with a small delivery charge), or 35% outside it.
Bookshops and libraries
Through IngramSpark, bookshops and libraries can order your book. Shops expect a discount off the list price, so you earn less per copy than on Amazon, but your book reaches places Amazon doesn’t.
Your arrangement with SoulScriptz
How royalties are paid for your book, and to whom, is set out clearly in your written agreement before any work begins, so you know exactly where every sale goes. If you have questions about it, ask before you commit. See the SoulScriptz Author Promise.
Figures are examples to show how royalties work. Platform rates and printing costs change, so we check the current figures with you for your own book.