Hey authors and indie-publishers! If you print paperbacks or hardcovers through Amazon KDP, mark June 10, 2025 on your calendar. Amazon is rolling out two major updates that could affect your royalties and printing expenses. Read on to find out what’s changing, why it matters, and how to safeguard your income and embrace more affordable color printing.👇
📉 1. Royalty Rate Changes: From 60% to 50% for Low-Priced Titles
Starting June 10, 2025, at 12:00 AM UTC, Amazon will adjust the royalty rate on print books (paperbacks and hardcovers) priced below marketplace-specific thresholds from 60% down to 50% Kindle Direct Publishing.
Marketplace | 50% Royalty ≤ | 60% Royalty ≥ |
---|---|---|
Amazon.com | $ 9.98 USD | $ 9.99 USD |
Amazon.co.uk | £ 7.98 GBP | £ 7.99 GBP |
Amazon.de/FR/IT/ES/NL | € 9.98 | € 9.99 |
Amazon.ca | C$ 13.98 | C$ 13.99 |
Amazon.com.au | A$ 13.98 | A$ 13.99 |
Amazon.co.jp | ¥ 999 | ¥ 1000 |
Amazon.pl | 39 PLN | 40 PLN |
Amazon.se | 98 SEK | 99 SEK |
Note: eBooks are not affected; this applies only to print formats Kindle Direct Publishing.
⚠️ 2. Why You Could Earn Zero Royalties (and How to Avoid It)
Because your minimum list price must cover printing costs, a lower royalty rate could push your book’s list price below that break-even point—meaning zero royalties per sale. For example:
- Before June 10
- Printing cost: $ 4.60
- Royalty rate: 60%
- Minimum list price: $ 7.67
- List price: $ 8.00 → Estimated royalty: $ 0.33
- After June 10
- Printing cost: $ 4.60
- Royalty rate: 50%
- Minimum list price: $ 9.20
- List price: $ 8.00 → Estimated royalty: $ 0.00
Crazy, right? 😱 Kindle Direct Publishing
Solution:
- Identify affected titles via the message on your KDP Bookshelf and download the list of impacted books.
- Use the Printing Costs & Royalty Calculator in your KDP dashboard to preview “before and after” royalties.
- Update your list prices above the new minimum—ideally by June 9—to keep earning.
It can take 3–5 business days for price updates to appear on Amazon stores, so plan ahead Kindle Direct Publishing.
🎨 3. Color Printing Cost Reductions to Inspire More Vivid Books
To encourage more color publications, Amazon is reducing color printing costs for paperbacks in select marketplaces, effective June 10, 2025 Kindle Direct Publishing:
- Amazon.com
- Standard color per page: $0.0270 → $0.0255
- Amazon.co.uk
- Premium color (24–40 pages), regular trim: £ 2.65 → £ 2.59
- Amazon.de/FR/IT/ES/NL
- Premium color (24–40 pages), regular trim: € 3.03 → € 2.85
These cuts only apply to paperbacks and do not extend to hardcovers at this time Kindle Direct Publishing. Lower per-page costs mean you can price color editions more competitively while preserving or boosting your profit.
🚀 4. Action Plan: Steps to Stay Profitable and Creative
- Audit Your Catalog
- Head to your KDP Bookshelf on May 2025 to see affected titles.
- Run the Royalty Calculator
- Compare “before & after” royalties per marketplace.
- Adjust List Prices
- Edit Rights & Pricing for each title; publish updated pricing by early June.
- Plan New Color Editions
- With lower costs, now’s the time to add images, full-color covers, or interior art!
- Monitor Reports
- From June sales onward, check the “Royalty Type” column in your Prior Months’ Royalty Report for true 50% figures Kindle Direct Publishing.
💡 Pro Tips for SEO & Sales
- Optimize Book Titles & Descriptions with keywords like “color edition,” “full-color paperback,” and your genre plus “2025 edition.”
- Leverage Amazon Ads: Highlight “new 2025 pricing” in ad copy.
- Email Your List: Announce updated pricing and vibrant color editions to re-engage past buyers.
- Bundle Offers: Pair print and eBook at a slight discount to boost overall revenue.
💬 Let’s Chat!
Did these changes catch you off guard, or do you have a strategy in place? Drop a comment below to share your thoughts and experiences—let’s help each other thrive! And don’t forget to share this post with fellow indie authors so no one misses these crucial updates. 🔄✨
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