What do you really keep from a book sale?

Compare Amazon KDP and Tolino for eBook, paperback, hardcover and KENP, transparent right down to the break-even ACOS.

Calculate royalties All modules

Available free of charge in all plans.

ROYALTY COMPARISON E-BOOK Amazon KDP · 70% 3,02 € per sale Tolino Media · 70% 3,41 € per sale Net price excl. 7% VAT4,66 € Delivery fee0,12 € SALE PRICE GROSS 4,99 € incl. 7% VAT · Germany Net calculated to the cent BREAK-EVEN ACOS 64,8 % Max. ad cost per sale 1,96 €
The everyday reality

The list price says nothing about what you actually receive.

Between the price on the product page and the amount in your account there are several deductions, and they differ by platform.

Price is not royalty

VAT, royalty rate, delivery fee and printing costs all stand between sale and payout.

Platforms calculate differently

What works on KDP gives a different result on Tolino, and vice versa.

Advertising limit unclear

Without your real margin, you don't know at what ACOS an ad starts burning money.

What you get

Three numbers that underpin your decisions.

Revenue per sale

What actually remains after all deductions, per format and platform.

eBook · KDP 70%€3.02

Platform comparison

KDP and Tolino side by side, with the difference shown.

Difference+€0.39

Advertising headroom

The break-even ACOS shows up to which advertising cost share a sale still pays for itself.

Break-even ACOS64.8%
How it works

Four steps to a reliable figure.

Choose a format

eBook, paperback, hardcover or KENP page reads.

Enter book data

List price, page count and the relevant cost components.

Compare platforms

KDP and Tolino side by side, including the difference.

Check the limits

Read off the minimum list price and break-even ACOS.

Formats

Four formats, one calculator.

eBook, paperback, hardcover and KENP follow different rules: for eBooks, the royalty rate and delivery fee matter; for print, the printing costs; for KENP, the pages read.

The calculator handles each format on its own terms, instead of lumping everything together.

  • eBook with 35% and 70% royalty rate
  • Print and hardcover including printing costs
  • KENP page reads separately
Transparency

Every deduction is listed separately.

Net price excluding VAT, royalty rate, delivery fee, printing and retailer costs: every component is visible, not hidden in a final total.

That way you can see why a price change of fifty cents shifts the result more than expected.

  • All cost components shown separately
  • VAT correctly deducted
  • Difference between the platforms visible
Advertising

This is how far an ad pays for itself.

The break-even ACOS is the threshold beyond which advertising costs more than the sale brings in. It follows directly from your real margin.

Together with the minimum list price, you have two hard figures for every pricing and campaign decision.

  • Break-even ACOS from your actual royalty
  • Minimum list price per format
Working together

Numbers that keep working.

Your margin is the foundation for advertising and monitoring.

Media Planer

Plan price promotions in the marketing calendar.

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eBook Ranking

Track how price changes are reflected in your ranking.

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Manuscript

First finish the book you're doing the maths for.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

A royalty calculator for self-published authors that shows what you actually receive from a book sale: for Amazon KDP and Tolino Media, for eBook, paperback, hardcover and KENP page reads, right down to the break-even ACOS for advertising.

For anyone who sets a book price, compares platforms or plans advertising, from a first title to an extensive backlist catalogue.

Yes. It is included without restrictions from the Free plan.

Amazon KDP and Tolino Media, each for eBooks with a 35% and 70% royalty rate, paperback and hardcover including printing costs, and KENP page reads from Kindle Unlimited.

It deducts VAT from the list price, takes into account the delivery fee or printing costs and applies the royalty rate. Each component is shown separately, so you can follow every figure.

The advertising cost share (ACOS, Advertising Cost of Sales) at which the revenue from a sale exactly covers the advertising costs. If the ACOS is higher, you are selling at a loss. The calculator derives it from your actual royalty, not from a flat benchmark.

No. The calculator runs entirely in the browser on your device. Your prices and figures never leave the page.

Yes. Both platforms are shown side by side, with the difference per sale visible. So you can see where the same list price earns more royalty.

Yes. For each format it shows the minimum list price below which no positive royalty remains, which is helpful for print editions with high printing costs.

Do the maths

Know your margin before you advertise.

Royalties, minimum price and break-even ACOS for KDP and Tolino, free of charge and without your figures being recorded.

Included from Free
Calculate royalties Compare plans