eBook Publishers: Royalties & Percentages
| March 8, 2011 | Posted by admin under Distributors |
From formatting to editing, cover-art and consultation services, wEformat is here to help you get your ebook published!
There are a number of different platforms on which to publish your ebook. A catch-all publisher may keep a higher percentage of earnings, but the convenience of publishing to a single platform that distributes to multiple stores may tilt your decision in that direction. Here are the royalty rates for the major publishers:
Smashwords:
Smashwords distributes eBooks to a number of different eReader platforms, including Apple’s iPad and iPhone, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and the Sony Reader. (A Smashwords press release says they distribute to Amazon’s Kindle as well, but I have yet to receive confirmation from the site.) If you format your eBook correctly, following all of Smashword’s rules, your eBook will be included in the distributor’s catalogs. Smashwords royalty percentage depends on the source of the sale:
- Sales through Smashwords: 85%
- Sales through an affiliate marketer: 70.5%
- Sales through a distribution partner, such as Sony, Apple or Barnes & Noble: 60%
Amazon:
If you direct publish to the Kindle, through Amazon.com, you can expect royalties of 70% of your listed price, minus the delivery charge (15 cents per megabyte) unless you’re pricing your book under $2.99 or over $9.99 – then you can expect 35% royalties.
Barnes & Noble:
If you publish your ebook directly through B&N’s PubIt system, you can expect the following royalties:
- Books priced between $2.99 and $9.99: 65%
- Books priced under $2.99 or over $10.00: 40%
Questions? Please leave a comment below!

Recent Comments