Let’s learn how to access the price calculator to help you decide how much you want to charge for your book. What you're going to do is head over to kdp.amazon.com, sign in and then at the top in the first section (+CREATE), click on Tools and Resources.
Next, you’ll go to the contents sections and select Printing Costs and Royalty Calculator.
It will ask you “Do you want to use the calculator?” You will click the calculators, and then here you are. This is a great tool because it helps you to see how much your book will cost you to print, but also how much you should charge for your book.
Depending on the kind of book that you have, whether it's a paperback or hard cover, their hardcovers are currently, in testing (beta) where they're working to offer that option for everyone but for now select paperback and click on paperback.
You need to know the type of book you want, the interior paper, the page count, marketplace, if you're in the United States, it's just ” Amazon.com “and your list price. If you're doing a paperback novel, you can choose a black-and-white interior with white paper, or you can choose a black-and-white interior with cream paper (most novels have cream paper).
If you're doing the children's book, they have a premium color interior with white paper and a standard color interior with white paper. The price difference is significant. I always recommend that children's books are done in premium color because it just allows your illustrations to pop off the page more.
What I love about this calculator is the chart it provides at the bottom. Given the type of paper, color, page number, and format your book is in, you’re able to determine how much you should charge for your book to get the royalty you desire. You also are able to see how much it will cost you to print each book, which is helpful when understanding your overhead costs when selling books on your website, at events, out of your car, etc. The minimum price is important because it shares with you the minimum amount of money you can charge for your book and still make some form of royalty.
Play around with the numbers as it pertains to your book. Determine how much you will charge for your book. Decide how much of a royalty you want to earn, and most importantly, understand the minimum price you will have to charge in order to make money off of the beautiful book you’ve created!
Here are some rules of thumb to recall:
Children’s books should be printed on PREMIUM COLOR PAPER
Children’s books royalties should be at least $2.30
Novels and Journals royalties can be $5 or more!
Royalties with Amazon are 60%/40%
Amazon gets 40% off for printing, distribution, customer service, free advertisement, and so much more!
There you have it, brilliant author! This is how you determine the printing costs and royalties of your best-selling books!