Nobody likes to feel that they’re being treated like a mug.
The author of a KDP paperback gets 60% Royalties, right? That means that KDP get 40%, right? Well, “60%” does appear as the rate in the Pricing & Royalty box on KDP’s website, but it’s the strangest 60% I’ve ever come across.
In my example, the list price is £9.99 (say £10 for simplicity). The printing cost is £4.62. This is what a genuine 40-60 split would look like.
| Price | Profit after printing cost | KDP (40%) | Author (60%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £5.38 | £2.15 | £3.23 |
Unfortunately, that’s not how KDP work out an author’s Royalties. They split the list price 40-60, then deduct all the printing costs from the author’s share!
| Price | KDP (40% of price) | Author (60%) | Author’s share less printing costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £4 | £6 | £1.38 |
In truth, the profit is £5.38, and KDP’s £4 is 74% of that; the author’s £1.38 is 26%.
It’s the hoodwinking that annoys me more than the money…or is it the money more than the hoodwinking? Let me think about it and get back to you.