Just a quick heads-up for those of you using Amazon KDP (or thinking about it) – there are some significant changes coming to royalties and printing costs starting 10th June 2025. I wanted to share the key points with you and how they might affect your print-on-demand books.
Royalty Rate Drop for Lower-Priced Books
For the first time in nearly 20 years, Amazon is reducing the royalty rate for certain print books. If your paperback or hardcover is priced below these thresholds, your royalty will drop from 60% to 50%:
- $9.99 USD
- €9.99 EUR
- £7.99 GBP
- $13.99 CAD
- $13.99 AUD
- 99 SEK
- 40 PLN
- ¥1000 JPY
If your books are priced at or above these figures, the royalty rate stays at 60%.
So, if (like me) you’ve priced your books with affordability in mind, it’s worth double-checking how this might impact your income going forward. Amazon has made tools available so you can see which of your titles are affected – just head over to your KDP Bookshelf to download a list and use the royalty calculator to estimate the changes.
It’s also worth noting: if you update your book’s content or details after 10th June 2025, you’ll need to ensure your pricing meets their new minimum list price requirements.
Reduced Colour Printing Costs
On a more positive note, there’s some good news if you use colour in your books. Amazon is reducing the cost of colour printing for paperbacks in some marketplaces, which could make it more affordable to create and sell colour-interior books. Here’s where the changes apply:
- Standard colour paperbacks (regular and large trim) printed and sold on Amazon.com
- Premium colour paperbacks printed and sold on Amazon UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, and NL
This is helpful for anyone creating things like planners, children’s books, journals, or anything that benefits from colour printing.
What I’m Doing About It
I’ve already started working on the list of affected titles and will be reviewing my pricing across different marketplaces. I’ll probably be tweaking some of my lower-priced books to see if they can be nudged over the threshold, especially in the UK and US stores.
If you’re publishing low-content books or any sort of journals like I am, it’s a good idea to do the same. Even a small price change can help you maintain that higher royalty rate.
Final Thoughts
These changes won’t affect everyone, but they’re important if you rely on consistent margins, especially for lower-priced books. If you’re new to KDP, this is something to be aware of as you set your pricing strategy.
If you want to check how your own books are impacted, head to your KDP dashboard and take advantage of the tools they’ve provided.
Here’s the link to the Printing Cost and Royalty Calculator.
