One of the biggest fears authors have about self-publishing is losing control. Control over their rights, their pricing, their money. That fear exists because traditional publishing, and some self-publishing companies, are structured to benefit the publisher more than the author.
At Digi Book Studio, the structure is different. You own your book. You set your price. You keep the majority of every sale.
This page explains exactly how royalties work, where your money comes from, and what you can expect to earn at different price points across different platforms.
When you publish through Digi Book Studio, you retain 100% of your intellectual property rights. We do not claim co-ownership of your manuscript, your cover, or your title. We do not take a percentage of your future earnings. We do not require exclusivity agreements that prevent you from publishing elsewhere.
Your book is yours before you work with us. It remains yours after.
This is not standard across the industry. Some publishing service companies bury rights clauses in their contracts that give them partial ownership of your work or require you to use their services for future editions. Read any publishing contract carefully before you sign. Ours gives you everything and takes nothing.
When a reader buys your book, the retailer takes a percentage of the sale price. What’s left is paid to you as a royalty. The percentage varies by platform, format, and price point.
Here is a breakdown of standard royalty rates across the platforms we distribute to:
When you sell directly through our bookshop, you keep a significantly higher portion of each sale. There is no retailer taking 40% to 55% off the top. You set your price. You keep what’s left after printing and shipping costs.
Direct sales are the highest-margin option available to self-published authors. We encourage every author we work with to build a direct sales channel alongside retail distribution.
The numbers below are estimates based on standard platform fees and printing costs. Actual royalties vary based on your specific page count, trim size, and price point.
| Format | Platform | Price | Est. Royalty Per Sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBook | Amazon KDP (70%) | $4.99 | ~$3.19 |
| eBook | Amazon KDP (70%) | $9.99 | ~$6.49 |
| eBook | IngramSpark | $9.99 | ~$3.99 |
| Paperback | Amazon KDP | $14.99 | ~$5.09 |
| Paperback | IngramSpark | $14.99 | ~$3.50 |
| Hardcover | Amazon KDP | $24.99 | ~$7.20 |
| Direct Sale | Digi Bookshop | $14.99 | ~$9.00 |
These figures are for illustration. Your Publishing Specialist will walk you through a royalty projection specific to your book before you commit to any pricing decisions.
Pricing is one of the decisions authors spend the most time on and get the least guidance about. Here is what the data shows across the genres we work with most frequently.
Fiction (Novel Length) Most fiction eBooks that sell consistently are priced between $2.99 and $6.99. Books priced above $9.99 from debut authors see significantly lower conversion rates. Paperback pricing in the $12.99 to $16.99 range performs well for standard novel lengths.
Nonfiction (Business, Self-Help, Memoir) Nonfiction commands higher prices. eBooks between $7.99 and $14.99 are standard. Paperbacks between $16.99 and $24.99 are accepted by readers in these categories. Higher perceived value in nonfiction allows for higher price points without hurting sales volume.
Children’s Books Print is the primary format for children’s books. Pricing between $9.99 and $14.99 for picture books and $8.99 to $12.99 for early readers is standard.
Poetry & Short-Form Collections These require lower pricing to move volume. eBooks between $0.99 and $3.99 and print between $8.99 and $12.99 are typical.
Each platform has its own payment schedule.
Amazon KDP pays monthly, approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which sales occurred. Payments are made by direct deposit, wire transfer, or check depending on your location and account settings.
IngramSpark pays quarterly. Sales from January through March are paid in late April or May. Ingram consolidates royalties from all 35+ distribution partners and pays them in a single quarterly statement.
Digi Book Studio Bookshop direct sales are processed through our payment system. You receive payment within 30 days of each sale after printing and shipping costs are deducted.
You can update your price at any time on Amazon KDP directly through your author dashboard. Price changes on IngramSpark take 4 to 6 weeks to propagate across all distribution partners. We can assist with price change submissions if needed.
Promotional pricing, including Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotions, are available to authors enrolled in KDP Select. We can walk you through the tradeoffs of KDP Select enrollment versus wide distribution during your consultation.
Every book we publish through Digi Book Studio is registered under your name with a purchased ISBN. We do not use free Amazon-assigned ISBNs or shared publisher ISBNs that list our company as the publisher of record.
Your ISBN lists you, or your publishing imprint, if you have one, as the publisher. This matters for library submissions, retail relationships, and long-term control of your title’s metadata.
Before you set a price or choose a distribution path, it helps to run the numbers. Your Publishing Specialist can walk you through a royalty projection based on your genre, target price point, and distribution mix.
Request a Free Consultation — We’ll map out your royalty potential across every platform before you publish.
Call us: 443-247-5514 Email: kevin@digibookstudio.com
