Kindle Unlimited KENP Rates: 2026 Breakdown
Key Takeaways
- KENP Payout Rate (Jan 2026) is estimated at $0.00475 per page
- The KDP Select Global Fund is now exceeding $50M per month
- Fiction authors earn 40-60% of their total royalties through KU reads
- Non-Fiction/Technical books often earn more through direct sales ($4.99+ ebook)
How much does Kindle Unlimited pay per page? Here's the latest data plus historical trends and earnings estimates.
Last Updated: January 15, 2026
$0.00478
December 2025 Rate
$561M
Global Fund (Dec 2025)
What is KENP?
KENP stands for Kindle Edition Normalized Pages. It's Amazon's standardized page count for Kindle Unlimited books. When a KU subscriber reads your book, you earn money based on pages read, not downloads.
Amazon normalizes all books to a standard font, size, and spacing. Your 300-page Word document might become 280 or 350 KENP depending on your formatting.
Current KENP Rates
| Month | Rate per Page | 300 Pages Full Read |
|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | $0.00478 | $1.43 |
| November 2025 | $0.00462 | $1.39 |
| October 2025 | $0.00455 | $1.37 |
| September 2025 | $0.00448 | $1.34 |
| August 2025 | $0.00442 | $1.33 |
Historical Trends
KENP rates have remained relatively stable over the years, despite the KDP Select Global Fund growing significantly:
- 2025 average: ~$0.0046/page
- 2024 average: ~$0.0045/page
- 2023 average: ~$0.0042/page
- 2022 average: ~$0.0045/page
Why doesn't the rate grow more? Because as the fund increases, so does total pages read. More authors, more books, more readers—the rate stays balanced.
Seasonal Patterns
- Highest rates: November-January (holiday reading)
- Lowest rates: May-July (summer slowdown)
- December spike: Often reaches $0.0048-$0.0050
💡 Estimate Your Earnings
Enter your KENP count and see projected monthly earnings.
Open KENP Estimator →How KENP is Calculated
Your actual KENP count differs from your manuscript page count. Amazon uses a proprietary algorithm that considers:
- Text content (normalized to standard font/size)
- Images (counted differently than text)
- Formatting (headers, tables, etc.)
- Front and back matter
Typical conversions:
- Fiction: Word pages × 0.9-1.1 = approximate KENP
- Non-fiction with images: Often lower KENP than expected
- Large print: Significantly lower KENP per Word page
You can see your exact KENP count in your KDP Bookshelf after publishing. Look under "Kindle Edition" details for "Estimated Kindle Edition Normalized Page Count."
Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?
KDP Select requires 90-day exclusivity—no selling on Apple Books, Kobo, or other platforms. Here's when KU makes sense:
KU is worth it if:
- Your genre is KU-heavy (romance, thriller, sci-fi, litRPG)
- You publish frequently (series compound page reads)
- You can drive traffic to Amazon specifically
KU is NOT worth it if:
- Your readers prefer to buy (business, cookbooks)
- You sell well on Apple, Kobo, or other platforms
- Your book is $0.99 (purchase royalty ≈ full KU read)
Maximizing KU Earnings
- Write series: Readers who finish book 1 often continue
- Hook early: Most readers abandon in first 10%—make it count
- Optimize length: Longer books = more pages read (assuming completion)
- Target KU genres: Romance, thriller, and fantasy readers love KU
- Publish consistently: New releases boost visibility across your catalog
KENP Estimator
Calculate your KU earnings potential
Royalty Calculator
Compare KU vs. purchase royalties
Founder, KDP Sentinel Pro
Tracks KENP rates monthly and updates this page with the latest data.
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