# Royalty

> Source: https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/glossary/royalty

Last updated: 2026-09-06
Category: Publishing & selling
Also called: Author royalty · Royalty rate

A royalty is the author’s share of each sale, a percentage of list price or net receipts; trade deals pay about 10–15% on print, 25% of net on ebooks.

## Definition

A **royalty** is what the author earns per copy sold. In a traditional contract it is a percentage, and the base matters as much as the rate: **list-price** royalties (common for print in the US and UK — around 10% on hardcover rising to 12.5% and 15% at sales thresholds, 7.5% on paperback) are paid on the cover price, while **net-receipts** royalties (standard for ebooks at 25%, and for print in many markets) are paid on what the publisher actually received after the retailer's discount. An **advance** is a royalty prepayment; nothing more arrives until sales have *earned out* the advance.

Self-publishing platforms invert the split. Amazon KDP pays 70% of list on ebooks priced $2.99–$9.99 (35% outside that band), and on print pays list price minus printing cost minus a 40% retail share. Direct sales from an author's own storefront keep the most, minus payment processing.

Royalties are reported on statements, quarterly or monthly by platform.

## In Bindery

Every published Bindery book gets a free storefront paying about 95% on ebooks and 80% on audiobooks, with an author-set print royalty on top of printing — paid out via Stripe.

## Related

- [Storefront (author storefront)](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/glossary/storefront)
- [Wholesale discount](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/glossary/wholesale-discount)
- [Returns (returnable books)](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/glossary/returns)
- [ISBN](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/glossary/isbn)
- [Print on demand](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/glossary/print-on-demand)
- [Turn a PDF Into an Ebook](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/tools/pdf-to-ebook)
- [Turn Your Book Into an Audiobook](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/tools/book-to-audiobook)
- [Book Publishing Glossary — 59 Terms Defined](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/glossary)
- [Bindery — the Claude-powered book studio](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/bindery)

---

More from Infinite Library, as one map for AI agents: https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/llms.txt