How do you price an ebook?
Plan, draft, edit and pitch the same book in one project.
Start free in the Market studio- $2.99-$4.99 for full-length novels (KDP 70% royalty range).
- $0.99-$1.99 for shorts, prequels, loss leaders.
- $5.99-$7.99 for literary or nonfiction with established author.
- Series book 1: often discounted to drive read-through.
- Genre conventions: romance ~$3.99, thriller ~$4.99, literary higher.
You price an ebook in the $2.99-$4.99 sweet spot for full-length novels — KDP pays 70% royalty in this range versus 35% outside it. Shorter works (under 40,000 words) often price at $0.99-$1.99 as loss leaders. Series authors typically discount book one to drive read-through. Genre matters: romance often runs $3.99, thriller $4.99, literary $5.99-$7.99.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Ebook pricing affects both per-sale royalties and total sales volume. Authors who price below $2.99 lose to KDP’s lower royalty tier; authors who price above $12.99 lose to the same tier (Amazon raised that ceiling from $9.99 on 7 July 2026, and the change is opt-in for existing titles). Most indie genres have established pricing norms — pricing far outside the norm signals "amateur" to algorithm and reader alike.
Chapter ii·What to include
- $2.99-$4.99 for full-length novels (KDP 70% royalty range).
- $0.99-$1.99 for shorts, prequels, loss leaders.
- $5.99-$7.99 for literary or nonfiction with established author.
- Series book 1: often discounted to drive read-through.
- Genre conventions: romance ~$3.99, thriller ~$4.99, literary higher.
- Periodic price experiments: BookBub Featured Deals at $0.99-$2.99.
Chapter iii·Example
A working romance author prices her standalone novel at $3.99. Book one of her series she prices at $0.99 (permafree for KU readers paying via Kindle Unlimited reads) to drive sell-through to books two and three at $4.99. Average per-customer revenue across her series: $9.40, despite the discounted book one.
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Chapter iv·Related questions