Ebook royalty rates in 2026: every major store compared
By Daniel Rahl Jackson · Updated 20 October 2026
Most ebook stores now pay authors about 70% of the list price, but the conditions differ, and Amazon's are the most complicated. Here is what each store pays on a US sale as of October 2026. Try your own prices in the ebook royalty calculator.
| Store | Royalty | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP, 70% option | 70% of price minus delivery | List price $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com; delivery costs $0.15 per MB; public-domain books excluded |
| Amazon KDP, 35% option | 35% of price | Any price from $0.99 (small files) to $200 |
| Apple Books | 70% | Any price, including free |
| Kobo Writing Life | 70% / 45% | 70% from $2.99, 45% below; no upper limit; 20% for public-domain books |
| Google Play Books | 70% | In the US and 60+ countries; 52% in some Asian markets; paid on your list price even when Google discounts |
| Barnes & Noble Press | 70% | Of the price you set |
| Draft2Digital | About 60% at most stores | D2D keeps about 10% of the list price; a $20 activation fee and $12 a year for accounts earning under $100 a year |
| IngramSpark | 85% of what the store pays IngramSpark | Varies by retailer |
What changed in 2026
- Amazon raised the top of its 70% band. From 7 July 2026, ebooks priced up to $12.99 on Amazon.com qualify for 70%; the limit had been $9.99 for years. Pricing a longer book at $10.99 or $11.99 no longer halves your royalty.
- Draft2Digital introduced fees for new accounts: a one-time $20 activation fee and $12 a year when an account earns less than $100 in a year.
Amazon's delivery fee
On the 70% option Amazon subtracts $0.15 for every megabyte of your ebook file before calculating your share. For a typical novel of 1 to 2 MB this costs a few cents. For an illustrated book of 20 MB it costs $3 a copy, which can make the 35% option pay more. Compress images before you upload.
Tax
US list prices exclude sales tax. In Europe and the UK, ebook prices include VAT, and Amazon, Kobo and Google take the VAT out before working out your share, so the same headline price pays less.