How to Price Your Book in India: MRP, Royalties, and What Every Self-Published Author Needs to Know

"I just want to know — how much should I charge for my book?"

It sounds simple. But for most first-time Indian authors, setting a book price triggers a spiral of second-guessing: price it too high and no one buys it, price it too low and you earn almost nothing — or worse, readers assume the book isn't serious.

Here is what makes this harder: most publishing companies show you a royalty calculator without explaining the logic behind it. So authors either guess, copy what someone else priced their book at, or default to the lowest possible number — all of which cost them real money.

This guide changes that. By the end, you will understand how to set the right price for your book — and calculate what you will actually earn before you publish a single copy.

Your Book's Price Is Not Just a Number — It's a Signal

Before we get into formulas, understand this: in India, price is a signal. Readers use it to decide whether your book is worth their time before they have read a single page.

A ₹99 full-length book reads as disposable. A ₹799 debut novel from an unknown author reads as overpriced. A ₹349 fiction or ₹499 self-help book — priced in line with what readers already buy in that genre — reads as credible, considered, and worth opening.

Pricing is also directly tied to your royalty. The higher your MRP is above the Minimum Selling Price, the more you earn per copy. Which means a strategic price is not just about perception — it is about building a model that is actually sustainable for you as an author.

Understanding MSP: The Floor You Cannot Price Below

MSP stands for Minimum Selling Price. It is the lowest price at which your book can be listed — because below this number, the combined cost of printing and distributing one copy exceeds what the book earns. At or below MSP, there is no royalty. There is a loss.

MSP is determined by three factors:

Once you know your MSP, you set your MRP above it. The gap between your MRP and the total production and distribution charges is your royalty per copy sold.

How Author Royalties Are Calculated in India

Your royalty per copy depends on where the book is sold. Each channel has different distribution and handling charges, which affect what reaches you as the author.

Print — via Amazon, Flipkart and major marketplaces:

Print — via OrangeBooks Store:

eBooks — Kindle and Google Play:

For context: traditional publishers in India pay authors 7–15% of MRP as royalty — and retain your rights. With self-publishing, you earn the net profit after production and distribution costs with full rights retained. See the full comparison here.

Worked Examples: What Will You Actually Earn?

Here are two realistic earning illustrations based on standard POD production costs for Indian paperbacks — a shorter 150-page book and a full-length 250-page book, shown at three different MRP points each.

Example A — 150-page paperback (5×8", B&W, standard paper)

Example B — 250-page paperback (5×8", B&W, standard paper)

These are illustrative estimates. For exact figures based on your book's actual page count and chosen price, use the OrangeBooks Royalty Calculator — it shows your real earnings across all channels before you publish.

Genre-Based Pricing Benchmarks for the Indian Market

Indian readers have genre-specific price expectations shaped by years of browsing Amazon and Flipkart. These benchmarks also reflect realistic MSP thresholds — pricing below the range shown here often results in little to no royalty earnings after production and distribution charges.

Pricing within your genre's accepted range removes friction at the point of purchase. The reader stops evaluating the price and starts evaluating the book — which is exactly where you want their attention.

The Psychology of Pricing: Why ₹349 Outsells ₹320

Indian consumers respond strongly to recognised price anchors — the same principle that made ₹99 and ₹199 the default for apps, streaming subscriptions, and FMCG products. Books are no different.

₹349 reads as deliberate and well-considered. ₹320 reads as arbitrary. ₹365 reads like someone who has not thought about pricing at all. When in doubt, anchor to the nearest recognised tier: ₹199, ₹249, ₹299, ₹349, ₹399, ₹449, ₹499, ₹549.

There is also a floor effect worth knowing: pricing a full-length paperback below ₹199 signals low quality to a significant portion of Indian readers — regardless of what is actually inside the book. The price is part of the product experience. It shapes perception before the first page is turned.

eBook vs. Print: Should You Price Them the Same?

No — and getting this wrong means leaving significant royalty income on the table.

For Kindle India, the 70% royalty tier applies only to books priced between ₹99 and ₹499. Below ₹99 or above ₹499, the royalty drops to 35%. This means a Kindle eBook priced at ₹499 earns you approximately ₹349 per sale. The same book at ₹550 earns approximately ₹192 — higher price, lower royalty. The opposite of what most authors expect.

A practical starting framework for eBook pricing on Kindle India:

eBooks should typically be priced 30–50% below the print edition. Readers expect this, and the higher royalty percentage on eBooks means you can match or exceed your per-copy print earnings — at a lower price point.

5 Pricing Mistakes Indian Authors Consistently Make

These patterns show up repeatedly across first-time authors — and each one costs them either sales, royalties, or both.

Calculate Your Earnings Before You Decide

The examples in this guide are illustrative — your actual royalty depends on your book's exact page count, trim size, paper quality, and the MRP you choose. The most accurate way to understand your real earnings is to model them directly, before you commit to a price.

The OrangeBooks Royalty Calculator lets you enter your book's actual details and test multiple price points before publishing. You can see your royalty per copy across the OrangeBooks Store, Amazon, Flipkart, and Kindle — all in one place, with full transparency on how each number is reached.

No guesswork. No surprises after the book is live. Just a clear picture of what your book can earn — so you make a decision based on real numbers. That is what transparent publishing looks like in practice.

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