KDP profit calculator

Estimate your royalties, printing costs, and potential revenue for KDP coloring books. Based on Amazon's current pricing formula for black ink paperbacks.

List price (USD)

Design pages

206 total sheets (single-sided + front matter)

Distribution

Estimated sales per day

Printing cost

$3.47

Royalty per sale

$3.91

Monthly revenue

$352

at 3 sales/day

Yearly revenue

$4282

Based on KDP's US marketplace 2026 pricing (black ink, paperback, regular trim). Actual costs may vary by marketplace and paper type. Print cost: $2.30 flat for 24-108 pages, $1.00 + $0.012/page for 110-828 pages. Royalty rate at this list price: 60% (standard distribution uses 50% under $9.99 and 60% at $9.99 or above; expanded distribution is flat 40%).

How KDP royalties work

Amazon KDP pays you a royalty on each sale based on your list price minus the printing cost. The royalty rate depends on your distribution channel: 60% for standard (Amazon only) or 40% for expanded (bookstores and other retailers). This calculator uses Amazon's current US marketplace rates for black-ink paperbacks.

Frequently asked questions

How does Amazon KDP calculate printing costs for coloring books?: KDP uses a two-tier formula for US b/w paperbacks in 2026. From 24 to 108 interior pages, the cost is a flat $2.30 regardless of page count. From 110 to 828 pages, the cost is $1.00 fixed plus $0.012 per page. Most coloring books fall in the flat tier. Single-sided coloring books count both the design page and the blank back as separate interior pages.
What is the difference between standard and expanded distribution royalties?: Standard distribution (Amazon.com only) has a $9.99 price cliff: 50% royalty for list prices at or below $9.98, 60% for prices at or above $9.99, computed on (list price minus printing cost). Expanded distribution (bookstores, libraries, online retailers) is a flat 40% regardless of price. For most coloring book publishers, standard at $9.99+ produces the best per-sale royalty.
What is a good list price for a KDP coloring book?: Most successful KDP coloring books are priced between $6.99 and $12.99. A common sweet spot is $8.99-$9.99 for a 50-page book. Price too low and your royalty shrinks to pennies. Price too high and sales volume drops. Test different price points and track your results.
How many coloring books can I realistically sell per day on Amazon?: New publishers typically sell 1-3 copies per day per book. Established publishers with good covers, keywords, and reviews can sell 5-15 copies per day. Top sellers in popular niches can exceed 20+ per day. Volume comes from having multiple books, not just one.

Haven't picked a price yet? Run the pricing wizard first. It triangulates page count, niche, and competitor BSR to recommend a tier, then this calculator projects revenue at that price. Not sure how many pages to include? Try the page count planner to find the right design count and price point. To estimate how many sales per day a given Amazon BSR translates to, use the BSR sales estimator. For the full breakdown of the 2026 KDP print-cost formula (including the $2.30 flat tier for 24-108 page b/w paperbacks), see the print costs guide. For real per-sale royalty numbers across price points, yearly earnings at common sales velocities, and ad-included margins, see the profit margins guide. For the why and how of the $9.99 royalty cliff itself (international thresholds, Kindle-versus-paperback distinction, edge cases), see the royalty cliff explainer.

Math says yes? Start a free account and generate the interior pages at 300 DPI in any bold-and-easy or detailed line-art style, ready to publish into the niche.

Last updated: March 2026. Based on Amazon KDP's current US marketplace pricing for black-ink paperbacks.

How KDP royalties work

Frequently asked questions

How does Amazon KDP calculate printing costs for coloring books?

KDP uses a two-tier formula for US b/w paperbacks in 2026. From 24 to 108 interior pages, the cost is a flat $2.30 regardless of page count. From 110 to 828 pages, the cost is $1.00 fixed plus $0.012 per page. Most coloring books fall in the flat tier. Single-sided coloring books count both the design page and the blank back as separate interior pages.

What is the difference between standard and expanded distribution royalties?

Standard distribution (Amazon.com only) has a $9.99 price cliff: 50% royalty for list prices at or below $9.98, 60% for prices at or above $9.99, computed on (list price minus printing cost). Expanded distribution (bookstores, libraries, online retailers) is a flat 40% regardless of price. For most coloring book publishers, standard at $9.99+ produces the best per-sale royalty.

What is a good list price for a KDP coloring book?

Most successful KDP coloring books are priced between $6.99 and $12.99. A common sweet spot is $8.99-$9.99 for a 50-page book. Price too low and your royalty shrinks to pennies. Price too high and sales volume drops. Test different price points and track your results.

How many coloring books can I realistically sell per day on Amazon?

New publishers typically sell 1-3 copies per day per book. Established publishers with good covers, keywords, and reviews can sell 5-15 copies per day. Top sellers in popular niches can exceed 20+ per day. Volume comes from having multiple books, not just one.