From manuscript to the world.

Publishing Models

The right model is chosen through investment, rights, control and net income—not one percentage.

TraditionalAuthor-owned

Who funds production?Usually the publisherAuthor / rights holder

AcceptanceSelective acquisitionManuscript and scope fit

RightsVaries by contractDefined to remain with the author

Platform account and reportsUsually publisher-managedAuthor where practical

Income structureContracted royaltyNet platform income + disclosed service fee

Creative controlShared / may be more limitedHigher, with defined approval gates

Price and metadataPublisher-managedMore agile in the author account

Print and inventoryMay include offset inventoryPrimarily print on demand

Commercial riskUsually publisherUsually author

Sales guaranteeNoneNone

We do not guarantee sales. Contracts vary by publisher, genre, format and author. This table is a decision framework, not legal or financial advice.

TRANSPARENT CALCULATOR

See estimated net income—not just the rate.

Shows formulas and assumptions openly. This is not an income guarantee.

ESTIMATED PER UNIT$6.57

For selected units$657.00

Illustrative 8% traditional contract$80.00

Traditional royalties and platform income are not economically identical: a traditional publisher usually funds production. Author-funded production and marketing costs are not included.

How is this calculated?

70% × (tax-exclusive list price − delivery cost). Eligible territories and conditions only; otherwise 35% may apply.

Rates verified from official KDP pages on 2026-09-22; effective 2026-07-07. eBook · Price bands · Print