There are so many articles on this self-publishing topic that I just had to put in my two cents … because … well … I’ve published over 20 books in a variety of genres—fantasy, romance, horror, and non-fiction just to name a few—which means I know about what goes into the creation of these little literary gems.
If you’re new to self-publishing, hold on to your hat, and put that coffee down before you spill it all over yourself.
Let’s break down the costs that going into publishing a book one step at a time. Shall we?
Publishing Costs Park 1 – EDITING
1 – Developmental Editing
At least $500 or more, depending on the length of your book and the strength of the editor
After you write your first draft and then self-edit your own work (yes, you should edit your own work, but that’s a whole other discussion), you may want to consider an editor who specializes in plotting, character development, storytelling, etc. These are the critical things that, if you don’t get right from the jump, will sink your book from the very start.
2 – Line Editing
At least $500 or more, depending on the length and how much work your manuscript needs
Once you get all the plot points and character stuff under control, you want to make sure to stay consistent throughout your story. If the main character has blue eyes in the beginning, they can’t change to brown in the middle, unless of course it’s part of the storyline.
A line editor checks for consistency throughout your story and will help you craft a better one, but this is only at the individual line level. If there are gaping holes in your story, they may be kind enough to point them out, but—chances are—they won’t help you fix them.
3 – Proofreading
I’ve seen as low as $200, but again it depends on the proofreader and costs will vary.
If you’ve made it to this point, you’ll want to re-read your work again first. Maybe you can skip this step if you have an eye for grammar and punctuation, but on your first few books, I wouldn’t chance it.
Publishing Costs Park 2 – PRODUCTION
4 – Formatting
You can outsource for as low as $20 per version (ebook, paperback, etc.), but I’ve also seen prices as high as in the hundreds if you want something spiffy.
My formatting adventures are limited to Kindle and basic paperbacks. After some researching, I’ve been able to complete this task on my own. With a little HTML knowledge and conquering the Microsoft Word beast, my books aren’t too shabby.
5 – Cover Design
Sky’s the limit here. From $5 on Fiverr to thousands of dollars if you go to a graphic designer or artist who knows their stuff. Personally, I’ve spent upwards of $200+ per cover in some cases.
Don’t think you can get away with one cover. Once you find a cover you like and that fits your genre, you’ll have to convert that ebook cover into a paperback one and possibly hardback and audiobook.
6 – Book Description, often called a Book Blurb
Free if you know copywriting or upwards of $100+ or more for someone to do it for you.
After you write your book, you’ll need to put your copywriting hat on. This is the sales copy that lives alongside your book cover on your book page. These tantalizing words get a potential reader to click that coveted buy button.
7 – Bookstore Cuts Taken
30% minimum taken per ebook sold as the cost of doing business with Amazon and varies based on book format and book price
Wherever you decide to publish your book, they’re going to take their profit off the top. Amazon takes 30% of your royalties on ebooks priced between $2.99 – $9.99.
And they take more for a paperback…
Publishing Costs Park 3 – PROMOTIONS
8 – Launch and Ongoing Advertising and Promotions
At least a couple hundred dollars for a launch
As you’re working on your book, you’ll want to try to cultivate some fans so that when launch day happens, you’ll have people ready and willing to read your book and write reviews. In order to keep track of these people, you might need an email service provider.
You also may want to promote your book on various book promotion websites, like BargainBooksy and FussyLibrarian to boost your visibility.
And don’t forget about pay-per-click Amazon Ads for all of those potential buyers surfing Amazon.
Again, it bears (bear vs bare is a homophone so check my last post!) repeating that I only know what I spend on publishing. And I’ll share with you that I budget between $1,800 – $2,000 minimum per book.
Does that shock you? I’ll be honest, I’m shocked right now, but the math doesn’t lie.
You might be thinking—just as I did—it’s hella expensive to self-publish even one book, and you’d be right.
Anyway, this post was not to dissuade you from jumping into the self-publishing game, but to educate and arm you with the facts.
Now you know the costs you’ll run into as you go through the process of publishing a book and that makes you a smarter author.