Here’s a handy checklist of the different royalty rates for the various ebook retailers.
Check out the full royalty rates explanation below.
| Retailer | Royalty Rate |
|---|---|
| Amazon (eBooks) | 70% and 35% |
| Amazon (Createspace print) | Varies on sale channel |
| Barnes & Noble | 60% or 40% |
| Apple (iBooks) | 70% |
| Smashwords | 85% |
| Kobo | 70% or 45% |
| Lulu (print) | 80% |
| Lulu (ebooks) | 90% |
Amazon (Kindle):
Two options:
70% and 35%
Note: These options vary by the price of your book and which countries you are selling, please take the time to read through the articles below to fully understand Amazon’s royalty system.
Helpful articles:
KDP Pricing Page
KDP List Price Requirements
KDP FAQ Sales and Royalties
Barnes & Noble (Nook):
Two options:
60% or 40%
Helpful articles:
PubIt! Support and Resources
Apple (iBooks):
70%
Note: If somebody buys your book through Smashwords’ agreement with Apple you get 60%. If you go to Apple directly you’d get 70%. ISBNS no longer needed.
Via: TechRadar
Smashwords:
85%
Note: If you use Smashwords to distribute your book to other platforms (Apple, B&N, Kobo, ect.) your rate is likely to be 60% but that can change depending on circumstances – Check out Smashword’s Support Center FAQ for more details.
Kobo:
Two options:
70% or 45%
Note: These options vary by the price of your book and which countries you are selling, please take the time to read through the articles below to fully understand Kobo’s royalty system.
Helpful articles:
Kobo Writing Life Guide
Kobo: The Heavyweight Challenger? by Matthew Iden
Kobo Writing Life Authors Earn Up To 80% in Royalties This Fall
Lulu:
Two Options:
Print – 80%, eBooks – 90%
Note: This is after a fee has been removed and if you use one of Lulu’s publishing programs these rates change. For more information visit Lulu – Calculate Creator Revenue & Lulu Commission
Createspace (For Print)
Varies: “A royalty is calculated based on the list price you set for the location where your book is printed. We take our share (which is comprised of a percentage of the list price for each sales channel, the fixed charged and per page charged based on the print location) from the list price and the rest is your royalty earned.” via CreateSpace: Understanding Royalties
Note: Createspace is an Amazon company
__________________________________
Kate Tilton is the marketing associate for BiblioCrunch, an author assistant, and a book blogger.
Kate is also a proud host of #indiechat, Tuesdays at 9pm EST.
You can connect with her on her website, Twitter, or BiblioCrunch.
Follow Us!