This past Tuesday, Kindle Direct Publishing announced an expansion of its 70 percent ebook royalty option to books priced $2.99 to $12.99, “with equivalent changes in other KDP marketplaces,” according to the KDP website. With the change, authors have an expanded range of prices at which they can earn greater royalties for their ebooks.
The change is great news for those who set higher prices for their ebooks, such as for omnibus editions or nonfiction works. Previously, the 70 percent option only applied to books priced $2.99 to $9.99, so authors’ earnings per book were limited at higher price points.
Deciding prices for books of any format can be tricky, and though there are general guidelines for how to price books based on market expectations or the cost of production for physical formats, the final decision is up to the author. In May 2025, IAM author Gayle Leeson explored the doubt many authors face when pricing their books higher. Using advice from Jen Sincero’s You’re a Badass at Making Money, she offered tips and strategies for recognizing the true value of your work and adjusting your book’s prices accordingly. You can read her article below.
Gayle Leeson
To read more about the change to KDP’s list price requirements, visit https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634560.
This Week's Indie Author Magazine Articles
In recent years, crowdfunding campaigns have become a key part of many authors’ business models, shaping how they connect with superfans, reach new audiences, and launch and market new titles. In this week’s feature, Kickstarter’s Head of Publishing Oriana Leckert discusses the latest trends, strategies, and success stories from the platform, plus what authors should know before embarking on their first crowdfunding campaign.
Nicole Schroeder
Teachings from Indie Author Training
Webinar: “Build Your Author Platform and Start Selling Directly in Minutes — A Live Demo with Tertulia"
Have you been piecing together your author business across a website builder, an email tool, a separate storefront, and a handful of messy integrations? Did you know there's a site where you can do all of that with one tool?
Check out this walk-through of Tertulia for Authors, which is an all-in-one platform that builds your professional author website automatically from a single ISBN. In minutes, you get your books, covers, descriptions, reviews, and retailer links imported—plus a storefront to sell direct, email newsletter tools, a blog, and an events calendar, all in one place.
In this session you can see a demo of:
- The site builder: how fast it actually is to go from nothing to a professional and customized author site;
- The storefront: selling ebooks, audiobooks, and print books directly to readers; and
- Email campaigns: building your list and sending newsletters and promotions without a separate tool.
Then you can decide whether this option would be a good fit for your business.
Watch the webinar at https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/build-your-author-platform-and-start-selling-directly-in-minutes-a-live-demo-with-tertulia/, then ask your questions and keep the discussion going in the field beneath the video.
More Indie Publishing News
Here’s a look beyond our pages at the latest headlines and happenings in the publishing world.
- The Book Industry Study Group (BISG), in partnership with BookNet Canada, is conducting a survey of publishing professionals to understand how AI plays a role in the industry. The survey is a follow-up to a similar survey that was conducted in 2025. The survey is open through next Friday, July 17, to those in North America who work in publishing, bookselling, distribution, manufacturing, printing, libraries, technology providers, and related service organizations, including independent professionals and freelancers. Read more about the survey in this article from Publishers Weekly, and access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWGQV9W.
- Two weeks ago, Written Word Media published their 2026 Mid-Year Author Survey, providing a snapshot look at indie authors’ income, business strategies, and general thoughts on the industry so far this year. According to the survey, authors are feeling “cautiously optimistic” about their businesses; although 30 percent of authors saw a decline in business, "largely due to the Amazon A10 algorithm change and shifting ad platforms,” 51 percent of authors expect their income to grow over the next year, according to Written Word Media’s article about the results. You can read more here: https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/2026-mid-year-indie-author-survey/.
Anything we’ve missed that you think we should cover? Any topics or questions you’d like our team to explore? Let us know at feedback@indieauthormagazine.com. Your suggestion may just make it into an upcoming article.
