Published: September 5, 2019
One of the most important—and difficult—decisions you need to make as an indie author is how much to charge for your book. After all, how does one put a price tag on something toward which you’ve devoted so much time, energy, heart, and soul? Nonetheless, it can’t be an emotional decision. You need to look at market trends and consider your price from the buyer’s standpoint.
So, how much should your book cost? Price it too high, and you could lose some sales. Too low, and you won’t see an adequate return on your investment. Unfortunately, there’s no perfect answer to this question, but there are some pointers that can make the decision just a little bit easier.
Check out the competition
First, look at what other authors are charging for books in a similar genre. This will give you a pretty good idea what readers are willing to pay. Price doesn’t equal quality, however. Of course, you may feel like your book is better than the rest—as you should! But the reader doesn’t know that. If a reader is looking for a new beach read, they’ll most likely go with the book at the most attractive price point. You might be able to charge a bit more for a non-fiction book, though, particularly if it’s in a niche market.
Don’t undercut the competition too much
Price your book too low, however, and you could send some red flags to the reader
What’s wrong with your book? Why is it so cheap? And an unintended consequence of undercutting your competition could be dragging down the market value of your entire genre.
End it in an odd number
It really is true, consumers perceive $9.99 as a better deal than $10, even though the difference is only a penny. Same goes for .89, .79 and so on. When settling on a price for your book, always end it in an odd number. For print books, we recommend .95 at the end. For e-books, .99 is the standard.
Pricing your e-book
E-books play by slightly different rules than print, and they deserve their own pricing strategy. The good news? You have more flexibility—and more room to experiment.
For most self-published fiction, the sweet spot falls between $2.99 and $4.99. Non-fiction, especially in specialized or professional categories, can command higher prices—typically $5.99 to $9.99. These ranges aren’t arbitrary. On Amazon, e-books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 qualify for the 70% royalty rate, while books priced outside that range earn only 35%. That’s a significant difference in your take-home pay, so it’s worth keeping your price inside that window whenever possible.
As with print, take a close look at comparable titles in your genre. What are the top-selling e-books priced at? If most romance novels in your sub-genre are listed at $3.99, pricing yours at $7.99 is going to be a tough sell—no matter how good the story is. On the other hand, if you’re publishing a niche non-fiction guide with specialized knowledge, readers will expect—and accept—a higher price point.
One strategy is to launch your e-book at a lower introductory price—say, $0.99 or $2.99—to encourage early sales and reviews, then raise the price once you’ve built some momentum. This works especially well for a first book in a series, where the goal is to hook readers and get them invested in the next instalment. Finally, keep in mind the relationship between your e-book and print prices. Your e-book should always be priced lower than the paperback. Readers expect a discount for a digital file they can’t hold in their hands, and Amazon requires the e-book to be at least 20% below the print edition to qualify for the higher royalty rate. A well-positioned e-book price makes the print edition look like a premium product, and vice versa—the two formats support each other.
Remember, you won’t pocket it all
Your royalty payment is the amount you’ll realize from each book sold. What that amount will be varies depending on the publishing service and the format of the book, but it will be calculated on the retail price you set.
For e-books on Amazon, royalties are either 35% or 70%, depending on your list price. Books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 qualify for the 70% rate; books priced outside that range earn 35%. Print royalties are lower. The retailer’s share is typically 40–55% of the retail price, and the cost of printing your book is deducted from the remainder. So, for a book retailing for $20 with a 55% retailer share and print cost of $4, your royalty would be $5. If a retail site, such as Amazon, decides to discount your book, the discount will come from their end, not your royalties.
Note: Amazon KDP introduced tiered print royalty rates in June 2025 (50% for books under $9.99, 60% for $9.99+).
Don’t forget: if you purchase and sell the book yourself, you can sell it for whatever price you like. Your royalty will be the difference between the print cost and the sale price if you act as the seller.
Do you need help with pricing your book? Schedule a consultation with our team or consider our publishing packages for professional publication.