When two or more people share the income from a book, a vague promise of a fair share leads to arguments later, and the sums are easy to get wrong. An author and an illustrator on a picture book, two co-authors, a writer and a ghostwriter, an author who hired an editor in return for a share: each case needs the same three decisions. How much of the income is shared, who is paid back for the costs first and what percentage each person receives. The calculator turns those decisions into numbers that everyone can see.
Free tool · Royalty Split Calculator
Royalty Split Calculator that splits book income fairly after any costs have been recovered
The royalty split calculator divides book income between an author, an illustrator, an editor or a co-author by percentage, after any upfront costs or advances have been recovered, lets you choose who recovers the costs and shows what each person receives, with a warning if the shares do not add up to 100 percent. It runs in your browser and is free for co-authors, small publishers and creative teams.
Use the free tool
The royalty split calculator is free to use, with no account and nothing uploaded.
- Up to four people
- Costs recovered first
- Shares checked to 100 percent
Key facts
- FreeNo cost, no account and no usage limit on the royalty split calculator
- In your browserNothing that you type or paste into the royalty split calculator is uploaded
- SecondsTypical time from opening the royalty split calculator to a result
Free tool
Royalty split calculator
Split book income between an author, an illustrator, an editor or a co-author, after repaying any advance or upfront costs.
The royalty split calculator needs JavaScript, and it works in your browser without sending anything that you enter to a server.
Overview
What the royalty split calculator does and why it helps
Enter the royalties received, the costs to be recovered first, which might be the cover, the editing or an advance, and who recovers them. The author may recover the cost of the cover, or the team may recover costs in proportion to the shares. Then enter up to four people with a name and a share for each. The tool takes the costs off the income as you chose, divides what remains by the shares and shows what each person receives, with a warning if the shares total more or less than 100 percent.
This is a calculator and not legal advice. A real agreement should say how income is measured, whether on gross or net receipts, how often it is paid, what happens to rights, what happens if the book is sold or goes out of print and how disputes are resolved. Write the terms down before the book earns anything, sign the agreement and ask a professional for advice if the amounts are large. The calculator helps you test a split before you agree it, so that nobody is surprised by the result.
The royalty split calculator divides royalties between co-authors, illustrators or editors by agreed percentages. You will not pay for this free royalty split calculator; it exists to save you a spreadsheet and some guesswork. It runs as a royalty split calculator online, so a laptop, tablet or phone is all you need. It is a royalty split calculator for authors, so the defaults assume you are preparing a book rather than a business report. Indie writers can rely on it as a royalty split calculator for self-published books. It doubles as a royalty split calculator for KDP, because the figures it uses match Amazon's rules. As a royalty split calculator no sign up page, it asks for no email and sets no account. We cannot say what the best royalty split calculator is for everyone, but we have made this one show its working so you can trust the answer.
How to use it
How to use the royalty split calculator, step by step
Enter the total income
Type the income from the book that is to be shared, such as the royalties for a month or a period. The tool divides this figure among the people you list.
Enter upfront costs or advances
Add costs such as an illustrator's fee or an advance that must be recovered before profits are shared. The tool deducts them first.
Choose who recovers the costs
Select the person who paid the costs and is repaid first. This matters when costs are large. If a value looks wrong, change it and read the result again; the royalty split calculator never stores or uploads what you enter.
Enter each person's percentage
Type the share for the author, illustrator, editor or co-author. The shares should add up to 100 percent, and the tool warns you if they do not.
Read what each person receives
The tool shows each person's amount after costs are recovered. Check that the figures match what you agreed. Take your time with this step, because every later result in the royalty split calculator depends on it.
Save or share the result
Copy the figures to share with your collaborators, and keep a record. A written split avoids disputes later. If a value looks wrong, change it and read the result again; the royalty split calculator never stores or uploads what you enter.
How the royalty split calculator works
Income, costs and each person's share
You enter the royalties received, the costs to recover first and who recovers them, and then up to four people with the percentage share of each. The tool takes the costs off the income as you choose, divides what remains by the shares, and shows what each person receives in dollars.
The choice of who recovers the costs matters, since the author who paid for the cover may recover it first, or the team may share it by percentage. The tool shows the shares in a table, flags a total that is not 100 percent and gives a result that you can paste into an agreement or an email.
This is a calculator and not legal advice. A real agreement should say how income is measured, how often it is paid, what happens to rights and what happens if the book is sold or goes out of print, so write the terms down and ask a professional for advice if the amounts are large.
- Up to four people
- Costs recovered first
- A check that shares total 100 percent
Method
How the royalty split calculator works out its answer
Income and costs
The royalties received are the total to be shared. The costs to recover first are taken off before the split, in the way that you choose.
Who recovers the costs
If one person recovers the costs, that person receives the cost amount first, and the rest is split by shares. If the costs are shared, they come off the income and every person receives a share of what remains.
Shares
Each person's percentage is applied to the amount to split. The tool shows the total of the shares and warns you if it is not 100 percent.
The result
The table shows each person's name, share and payment, which you can copy into an email or an agreement.
Tips
Getting the most from the royalty split calculator
Put the agreement in a contract
The tool shows the arithmetic, and a contract makes it binding. The royalty split calculator is free and instant, so it is worth running again whenever your book changes.
Decide how costs are recovered
Settle it before the book earns anything. Make the royalty split calculator a routine step on every project, so that results stay consistent from book to book.
Review the split if the project changes
Scope can grow. A few minutes with the royalty split calculator now saves time across the whole manuscript.
Need it done for you?
When the royalty split calculator is not enough
The calculator shows how income divides. These services build and publish the book that earns it, with credits for everyone who worked on it.
Children's Book Formatting
A picture book made by an author and an illustrator needs a layout that serves both, and a formatter lays out the spreads and prepares the files for print.
See the service →Book Publishing Support Services
A publishing support package takes care of the platform setup, which includes the payout details that decide who receives the income.
See the service →Book Back Matter Formatting
Credits and acknowledgements for an illustrator, an editor and a co-author belong in the book, and a formatter places them cleanly.
See the service →Before and after
Before and after using the royalty split calculator
The same collaboration, first agreed in a friendly conversation and then tested on the numbers before it was written down.
123Before
- 1Shares that total 90 percent
- 2Costs that were never repaid
- 3A split agreed from memory
123After
- 1Shares that total 100 percent
- 2Costs recovered in a stated order
- 3A split written down with figures
- 3problems found in the first review
- 3fixes checked in the final review
- 1named specialist owning every fix
- Fixedprice confirmed in the calculator before you order
A full split
Every dollar is allocated, with no gap and no overpayment.
A fair order
Costs are repaid in an order that everyone has agreed, before the split begins.
A clear record
The terms are written, with a worked example that shows what each person receives.
Client reviews
What authors say about our income split plan service
Verified reviews from authors who asked a specialist to handle the income split plan after using the royalty split calculator.
The publishing readiness review identified four issues in my manuscript that would have caused rejection. Each was clearly explained and quickly resolved. My book launched without any technical complications.
Getting historical fiction placed in the right categories on Amazon and IngramSpark required strategic metadata. The team understood the genre classification and the book reached the right readers from the first week.
As a first-time author, the technical side of self-publishing was genuinely daunting. The consultation covered every decision — platform choice, pricing strategy, metadata, and distribution. I launched with genuine confidence.
My cookbook needed to be set up across multiple platforms simultaneously. The publishing support team handled every submission — KDP, IngramSpark, and Apple Books — with different requirements for each. Flawlessly executed.
Navigating IngramSpark's requirements for the first time felt overwhelming. The upload assistance handled everything — metadata, pricing setup, distribution channels. My children's book reached bookstores within two weeks.
The formatting error fix service saved my launch. My original formatter had made margin errors causing repeated rejection. Book Formatting Experts identified and fixed every issue within 48 hours. My launch was back on schedule.
Good support throughout the KDP upload process. The metadata setup and category selection were explained clearly. One pricing setting needed adjustment after initial setup but it was corrected quickly.
My YA novel needed to reach both English-language and Japanese readers. The multi-region distribution setup was handled correctly across all required platforms. International sales have exceeded my expectations.
My KDP file was rejected with a technical error message I could not understand. Book Formatting Experts diagnosed the problem immediately — a bleed issue on three pages — and corrected it the same day. Approved first time.
Good publishing support overall. The KDP metadata setup was thorough. One category selection needed updating after initial launch but it was corrected promptly. The book is performing well in its target categories.
The tone of the design perfectly matched the warmth and humour of my books. Readers feel welcomed from the first page. My engagement metrics improved significantly within the first two weeks of the new site going live.
The cover redesign transformed how potential readers perceive my book. The previous version looked amateur. This one looks like it was published by a major house. My sales doubled in the month after the new cover launched.
My EPUB was rejected twice by Apple Books before I found Book Formatting Experts. They identified the metadata errors, rebuilt the file properly, and the new version passed immediately. Wish I had contacted them first.
Every recipe page has the right visual hierarchy — ingredients clearly separated from method, clear serving sizes, and consistent styling throughout. My readers can use the book comfortably in the kitchen.
The Kindle file looks professional on every device I have tested it on. Consistent fonts, clean line spacing, and the table of contents navigates properly. My readers have noticed the improvement over my previous book.
Solid formatting work. The chapter headers and page numbers were all clean and the file passed IngramSpark first time. Communication was good throughout. Minor revision was turned around same day.
My author website now functions as a complete lead generation platform. The speaking page, media kit, and book sales funnel all work together seamlessly. I have received four speaking enquiries in the first month.
My nonfiction cover needed to convey authority and accessibility at the same time. The design achieves both. The colour palette and typography feel credible and professional without being intimidating.
More free tools
More free tools to use with the royalty split calculator
Each of these tools is free, runs in your browser and works well alongside the royalty split calculator.
Book Break Even Calculator
For your income split plan, free book break even calculator that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you break-even plan service.
Open the tool →Self Publishing Budget Calculator
On this income split plan job, free self publishing budget calculator that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you publishing budget plan service.
Open the tool →KDP Royalty Calculator
With your income split plan, free kdp royalty calculator that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you KDP royalty review service.
Open the tool →Book Pricing Calculator
Free book pricing calculator that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you pricing strategy review service for the income split plan.
Open the tool →Ebook File Size Calculator
Free ebook file size calculator that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you ebook file optimisation service on this income split plan project.
Open the tool →KENP Calculator
Free kenp calculator that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you KENP payout check service in this income split plan order.
Open the tool →FAQ
Royalty Split Calculator: questions answered
These are the questions authors ask most about the royalty split calculator, including accuracy, privacy and what to do next. If your question about the income split plan is missing, request a quote and a specialist will reply.
What is a royalty split calculator?
It is a tool that divides book income among several people by percentage, after any upfront costs have been recovered.
What is a fair royalty split?
There is no single fair split. It depends on the work and the costs that each person carried, and the people involved must agree.
Should costs come out before the split?
It is common to recover upfront costs such as a cover or an advance first, but you should agree and write down the order. The calculator lets you choose.
How do I split royalties between an author and an illustrator?
Many picture books split income equally or in a ratio that reflects the work. Agree the ratio and write it down.
Can I pay an editor with a royalty share?
Yes. Some editors accept a share instead of a fee, and the calculator shows what the share is worth.
What happens if the shares do not add up to 100 percent?
The tool warns you. Adjust the shares until they total 100 percent.
Should the split be on gross or net income?
Either can work, and you must agree which one and state it in the agreement.
How often should royalties be paid?
The agreement should say, for example monthly or quarterly, and the dates that the platforms pay you affect it.
Does KDP split payments between people?
KDP pays one account holder, so a team must share income through its own agreement.
Is the calculator a legal agreement?
No. It is a tool for testing numbers, and a real agreement needs proper terms.
Does the royalty split calculator keep anything that I enter?
No. The royalty split calculator works in your browser, so what you enter stays on your device and is never saved.
Is the royalty split calculator free?
Yes, the royalty split calculator costs nothing, needs no account and puts no limit on the splits you test.
How does a royalty split calculator work?
It multiplies total royalties by each person's percentage.
How to use a royalty split calculator?
Enter the royalty total and each percentage to see each share.
Is there a royalty split calculator with examples?
Yes. The page includes a worked example so you can compare it with your own numbers or text. Try a 60/40 split.
What is the royalty split calculator formula?
Each share equals total royalties multiplied by that person's percentage.
Can I use a royalty split calculator spreadsheet instead?
You can, and a royalty split calculator spreadsheet works if you are happy to maintain the formulas yourself. This page does the maths for you and shows the working, so there is nothing to copy or update.
Work with a specialist
Turn what you learn from the royalty split calculator into a finished book
The royalty split calculator costs nothing, and so does asking what a specialist would do with your book. When the royalty split calculator has done its part and you want finished files, a fixed price and one named person who owns the job, we are ready to start.