Amazon print on demand costs question
Can anyone help on behalf of my brother in South Africa, who has written a (very good) book set in Swaziland, but to send them to me in UK to sell on Amazon puts the price of the book too high, so he is looking at selling through Amazon print on demand. His question is: ’ I wonder if you can help me understand something. Amazon take 40% of the selling price, which I take it is commission and covers postage and packing of the item? I understand that if they handle the sale and despatch. But is that AS WELL as the cost per page and cost for the cover of creating the book? So that gets charged separately, or does the 40% cover that as well? Or is that a one-off charge? I cannot find any living beings to speak to in their vast warehouses, and only get robots answering me by asking if I want to buy shampoo. I am just wandering how it all works. I imagine they will want some money from me before they even make a copy, because there would be costs in preparing for that, but I dont know if they deduct it from you, or you pay them for it up front. I wondered if you knew.’
I feel sure someone on here can help. Thank you
0 replies
Seller_BS5lg2keRs2QO
KDP offers a fixed 60% royalty rate on paperbacks sold on Amazon marketplaces where KDP supports paperback distribution. Your royalty is 60% of your list price. We then subtract printing costs, which depend on page count, ink type, and the Amazon marketplace your paperback was ordered from.
(Royalty rate x list price) – printing costs = royalty
For example, your list price is $15. Your book is a 333-page paperback with black ink sold on the US marketplace:
(0.60 x $15) - $4.85 = $4.15
Seller_BS5lg2keRs2QO
To add further, Amazon’s publishing website (Kindle Direct Publishing) has extremely detailed info on all aspects of getting a book into print. It also has its own forum which is probably better suited for any further questions than this one.
