The 70% KDP royalty sounds like a deal. Here’s what that deal actually includes—and what it doesn’t.
The 70% royalty applies when your book is priced between $2.99 and $9.99. That’s the window. Price it below $2.99 (common for series starters and promos), and the rate drops to 35%. Price it above $9.99, same drop.
The 70% also doesn’t apply in every country Amazon sells in. Depending on your book’s availability settings, you’re looking at reduced rates in certain territories.
The headline is accurate. The conditions attached to it are worth knowing.
Kindle Unlimited does not pay you per book sold.
It pays per page read, at a rate Amazon sets monthly based on a global pool they divide among all KU authors. Historically that rate hovers around $0.004–$0.005 per page.
Do the math: a 300-page book × $0.0045 per page = $1.35 per full read.
Not 70% of your list price. $1.35.
You also agreed to 90 days of exclusivity to be in KU, meaning you cannot sell your ebook anywhere else during that window. That exclusivity auto-renews unless you manually opt out.
None of this means KDP is a scam. It means you should do the math before you commit to 90-day exclusivity windows that auto-renew.
Know what a full read of your book is worth in KU. Know what a direct sale is worth. Know where the gap is.
Then decide. You wrote the book. You should know what it makes.
Sources
– Amazon KDP Help: Royalty Schedule and Payment Methods (2024). https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/A3IXV316TSC63H
– Amazon KU Global Fund Explanation (2024). https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200645950
– Author Earnings Report (2023): Kindle Unlimited Payment Analysis. Data tracking KU page rate trends. – The Business of Being a Writer (2017): Jane Friedman’s breakdown of indie publishing economics and royalty structures.