Is Selling Log Books On Kdp Profitable
Last updated: April 2026 ·affiliate disclosure
Most log book sellers on Amazon KDP see net margins between 20% and 45% after all Amazon fees, depending on your print price and production costs. You can absolutely make money selling log books on KDP, but it's a low-margin, volume-dependent business. A typical log book priced at $9.99 with a $3.50 production cost leaves you roughly $2-3 per sale after KDP's fees, assuming you're not running paid ads. Your profitability hinges entirely on how many copies you sell each month and whether you can keep production costs low.
Amazon KDP Fees for log books Sellers
Amazon KDP charges a base royalty of 60% on paperback sales, meaning you keep 40% of the sale price. However, they subtract printing costs from your royalty first. If your log book costs $3.50 to print and you price it at $9.99, your calculation is: ($9.99 × 0.40) - $3.50 = $0.40 per book. For Kindle/digital log books, you keep 35% or 70% royalty depending on your pricing tier ($2.99-$9.99 gets 70%, anything outside that range gets 35%). Most log book sellers focus on paperback since digital log books don't convert well—people want physical books for logging.
Profit Margin Benchmarks
Good margins for log books look like this: $12.99 price point with $3.00 production cost = $2.19 net profit per sale (roughly 17% margin). Average margins sit around 10-15% net profit per book. Poor margins happen when you price too low ($7.99) or your production costs run high ($4.50+), leaving you with 50-75 cents per sale or less. Volume matters enormously: selling 100 books monthly at $2 profit each = $200/month (not worth your time). Selling 1,000+ monthly at similar margins starts looking like a real business. Most successful KDP log book sellers target 500-2,000 monthly units to make this worthwhile.
Calculate your actual numbers
The margins above are averages. Your real profit depends on your specific price, costs, and volume.
Run Your Amazon KDP Profit Calculation →Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Selling log books on KDP is profitable if you treat it as a volume play, not a get-rich-quick scheme. You need consistent monthly sales of at least 500 units to earn meaningful income. The real advantage is low startup risk and passive income potential once you have designs that sell. However, competition is increasing, ad costs are rising, and organic discoverability is declining. If you have a niche audience (fitness enthusiasts, teachers, specific professions) and can create designs that convert, it's worth doing. Otherwise, expect slow growth and thin margins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What royalty percentage do I get on KDP log books?
You receive 40% of the sale price on paperback log books after Amazon calculates their cut. KDP then subtracts printing costs from that royalty. So on a $9.99 book with a $3.50 print cost, you get ($9.99 × 0.40) - $3.50 = $0.40 per sale.
What are realistic profit margins for log books on Amazon KDP?
Realistic net profit margins range from 10-20% on paperback log books after all fees. A $11.99 log book with $3.25 production costs yields roughly $1.44 profit per unit (about 12% margin). Higher-priced log books ($15+) can reach 20% margins if production costs stay under $4.
How much does it cost to publish a log book on Kindle Direct Publishing?
There's no upfront publishing fee to publish on KDP. You only pay production costs when copies are printed and sold. Amazon's printing costs for log books typically range from $2.50-$4.50 depending on page count, paper quality, and binding type.
What fees does Amazon KDP charge log book sellers?
KDP's main fee structure: 60% royalty rate on paperback sales (you keep 40%), minus printing costs subtracted from your royalty. If you use KDP Select (exclusive distribution), you get access to royalty share programs but remain locked into Amazon-only sales. Expanded Distribution adds a 20% discount that reduces your royalty further.
Tools that improve these margins
The right research tool helps you find products with better margins before you invest in inventory.
Try Helium 10 Free →Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Related calculators
We monitor platform fees quarterly and email you when something affects your margins.