How Much Does It Cost To Publish A Book? – The Numbers

The Cost To Publish A Book

How much does it cost to publish a book today? The cost of self-publishing a book is now very affordable for new authors.

The publishing industry has changed forever. Long gone are the days of writing a query letter and book proposal to a literary agent. And then wishing, waiting, and hoping to get published with traditional publishing houses.

After you write your book, there is no need at all to beg literary agents and publishing companies today.

You can also forget about paying thousands of dollars to a vanity publisher.

How much does it cost to self-publish a book?

Unlike being contracted to a traditional publisher, self-publishing gives authors and independent publishers the freedom to publish at any time.

But with this comes the responsibility of making sure that you write and produce a quality paperback or digital book.

How much will it cost you to publish your book on Amazon?

We all know that it is possible to self-publish an ebook for free on Amazon with KDP and KDP Select.

Because Amazon self-publishing costs nothing, many authors who have never published books before, take this route.

For a new fiction writer, publishing a Kindle book on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is free, quick, and very easy.

All you need is a Word document file and a cover image, and that’s it.

That is why there are millions of ebooks available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

But so many of these quick and rushed ebooks are of inferior quality. Very few find a steady stream of loyal book buyers, even though there are many free tools to help new authors.

Producing any quality product and bringing it to market costs money.

If you are planning to start writing and publish your book soon, quality should be your top priority.

How much will it cost you to self-publish your book? Let’s take a step by step look and try to answer your questions.

 

How much should I budget to publish my book?

What to consider before publishing a book

Your budget will depend on several factors. You need to think about how much work you can do yourself. Then about how much professional help you are going to need to pay for.

Start by making a brief list of what you are confident you can do. On the other side of your list, add items you know you will need someone else to help you.

Here are some ideas to help get you thinking.

 

How accurate is your English grammar?

Every author needs an editor or at least a competent proofreader.

If you write very well and can self-edit your manuscript, it will save you a lot of money.

Very few authors can afford a developmental editor. You might need a copy editor or some form of professional editing help. But this will cost you a lot less if you can self-edit reasonably well.

At the very least, you should use a premium grammar and spell checker. Grammarly is the most popular solution for many writers. But it is more suited to article and blog writing.

Prowritingaid is a much better choice for authors because of the in-depth analysis it offers to improve a long manuscript. It is also very reasonably priced.

It has over twenty analytical writing reports. These can help you dig down deep into your writing to find more ways to improve your manuscript.

 

Are you familiar with Photoshop?

Your book cover design must be both high-resolution and of a very high commercial standard. An author rarely has these skills. So a cover is almost always the first item in the expense column.

Many authors can write well, but very, very few can design a great book cover.

Remember that nothing will sell your book better than a fabulous cover, especially for fiction books.

 

Can you design a book interior and format an ebook?

Designing and formatting a book can be done in Microsoft Word, but it is not ideal.

If you want your book to shine, you might think about a book designer or an ebook formatter to help you.

 

Do you have an established author platform?

You will have to promote your book aggressively. Do you have a popular blog and add new blog posts regularly?

Do you have large, established social media accounts? Does your Facebook Page with a lot of Likes?

Do you have a big email mailing list?

Even if you have some of these, you should budget for some marketing and promotion. It will help boost your pre-launch and post-launch sales.

 

Are you tech-savvy?

Do you understand basic file management? Do you have the necessary skills to copy and convert files, upload, and download files?

Can you add URL links and create pdf files for sample chapters?

Do you know about metadata, keywords, and search terms?

Are you confident with setting up and using online accounts?

The more you can do on the techie side of things will save you money. But you might have friends and family that can help you.

 

Preparing your budget for a print book and ebook.

Prepare your budget before you self-publish your book

The price estimates below are a guide only. You will certainly find professional services that are cheaper or more expensive. 

Manuscript preparation.

The cost of editing depends on the word count of your manuscript. There are also different types of editing services.

Do you want development editing, which will assess your story? Or do you want copy editing? This will concentrate on accuracy and clarity in your manuscript.

Estimate range for editing: For a manuscript of 40,000 words, between $400 – $700 for copy editing. For developmental editing expect between $750 – $1,000.

Estimate range for proofreading: For a manuscript of 40,000 words, between $200 – $400.

If you want to save money here, you can do some of the editing and proofreading work yourself.

 

Cover design.

There are three choices for your book cover.

 

You can buy pre-made covers.

Pre-made covers are already designed and prepared by a book cover designer and are for sale online. After you make your choice, the designer will add your title and author name.

Pre-made covers usually are only suitable for ebooks. But some designers will modify a cover for print on demand for a fee.

Estimate range for a pre-made cover: Between $35.00 -$ 70.00. Expect to pay an additional $60 – $80 for a print on demand version.

 

The second choice is a custom-designed cover.

You can discuss your precise needs with a designer, and they will design your cover to your exact requirements.

Estimate range for a custom-designed cover: Between $400.00 – $800.00.

 

Yes, you can produce an ebook cover for free.

Many sites offer free ebook covers.

But note that these can only produce a low-resolution cover. These sites cannot create a cover that is suitable for a print book.

However, it is possible to use them for a quick ebook cover.

These book cover creation services use free stock images. So the drawback is that you will never be able to produce a unique design.

The best use for free book cover design sites is to work on ideas or mock-ups for your book cover.

 

Interior typography and ebook formatting.

Services can vary a lot. Look at the types of services that are on offer and the standard of the finished product.

Estimate range for ebook formatting: Between $40.00 – $75.00

Estimate range for a print book interior design and format: Between $300.00 – $850.00.

 

Promotion and marketing.

It depends on your current author platform and social media footprint. You will need to decide on how much you want to invest in promotion.

There are hundreds of paid promotion services, so choose wisely. Look for affordable and long-term book promotions such as the one-year book promotion offered by Whizbuzz Books.

Estimate range for promotion. Prices and rates vary from as little as $10.00 to well over $500.00.

You can also improve your chances of success by selecting profitable categories and search keywords when you publish your book.

 

Publishing.

With Amazon KDP, Smashwords, and Draft2digital, there is no charge to publish an ebook. For a print on demand (POD) paperback, KDP is also free.

However, you will need to pay for proof copies of print books, plus shipping costs.

Blurb is another option you could consider for high-quality trade paperback books.

Estimate range for ebook: $0.00

Estimate range for paperback: $15.00 – $30.00. Note: International shipping charges can be more expensive.

 

Assisted self-publishing.

If you are not confident in your computer and online skills, assisted self-publishing might be worth considering.

But be careful because there are some sharks in this field. Discuss your needs, and be sure to ask a lot of questions.

You will need someone who can set up your accounts and use your manuscript and cover to publish your book.

Once your accounts are set up, and your book is published, you should change the password on your accounts.

Estimate range for assisted self-publishing. Between $150.00 – $250.00.

 

Do you want to produce an audiobook version?

There is an expensive way, and a very economical way to produce an audiobook.

If you choose to hire a narrator and then a producer, the costs can be daunting.

The best way is to use Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX). Or you can find a publisher who is willing to publish your audiobook.

Most publishers offer you a 50/50 split on royalties and free production. It is not a bad deal for new authors.

 

Decisions about professional services.

The decisions you need to make before you self-publish

How much should you spend on publishing a book? Every book is different, but it can range from next to nothing up to a few thousand dollars.

Today’s indie-published authors are getting smarter and smarter.

They have been through the long learning curve of learning how to write a book. Then how to self-publish and promote a book.

They understand that a modest investment in improving their skills can save them a lot of money. I know some who have spent a lot of time learning how to design covers and how to use Photoshop proficiently.

Other authors have honed their grammar, lexical skills, and language knowledge. It can help you produce much cleaner manuscripts.

For a new indie author, rushing to publish can be very costly. Taking the time to learn new skills can save a lot in the long run.

It’s always worth remembering that a book is for the long term. Your book will be on sale for years and years to come.

It will have the potential to earn you an income for years and years too. Don’t jeopardize this by doing everything on the cheap or cutting corners.

Make good decisions about what you can do, can learn to do, and what you really must pay for.

Every copy of your book will be judged and assessed by readers, so make sure it’s a winner.

For most authors, paying for a professional editor and a cover designer will be the first two priorities.

It doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. The options of copy editing only and a pre-made book cover can be quite economical.

As for book marketing and promotion, don’t get carried away. An investment of two to three hundred dollars can go a long way.

 

What is the estimated cost to self-publish?

Doing your sums before you start self-publishing a book

There is no short answer to how much a book will cost.

It will depend on so many factors, such as the word count, your skills, and what versions you want to publish.

Take your time to decide what you will need to pay for and what you can do yourself.

Also, you should think about friends who can help you. When it comes time to contact service providers, be very selective, and ask lots of questions before making a final decision.

Prices and charges can vary greatly, so make sure you know what you want and compare the offers you receive. It is not only a matter of cheap or expensive. It’s about getting good value for your money.

Publishing a book is easy today. But make sure you focus on producing a quality book at a fair list price that readers will appreciate.

 

An estimate for publishing your book.

The infographic below gives you a rough guide of the costs involved in self-publishing a book.

Your Publishing Cheat Sheet

How much does it cost to publish a book Infographic

Conclusion.

How much will it cost you to self-publish your book on Amazon and other publishing companies?

The cost on Amazon is zero for Kindle ebooks It is also free for print on demand paperbacks except for the printing costs and shipping for your proof copies.

It is also free to publish with Smashwords, Draft2Digital, and many other self-publishing services and platforms.

The costs you need to consider are all related to producing your book.

That means all the elements you need to do before you begin publishing. You should budget carefully. Only spend on areas that will help you improve the quality of your book.

The two most important areas are the quality of your manuscript and your book cover.

There are no cheap shortcuts with these two critical elements. Both must be perfect. Be sure you are up to the high standard expected by readers and book buyers.

But where you can use your skills, or barter to get some help, these will save you a lot of money.

Derek Haines

A Cambridge CELTA English teacher and author with a passion for writing and all forms of publishing. My days are spent writing and blogging, as well as testing and taming new technology.

Avatar for Derek Haines

10 thoughts on “How Much Does It Cost To Publish A Book? – The Numbers

  • Avatar for Marlo Best
    February 27, 2020 at 4:19 pm
    Permalink

    I’m only confused at how do I order copies to sell on hand, like at my book launch.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Derek Haines
      February 27, 2020 at 4:26 pm
      Permalink

      You can order copies through your KDP dashboard. Go to your book, and select Order Author Copies from the paperback options menu.

      Reply
  • Avatar for Gopalan
    July 25, 2019 at 9:39 am
    Permalink

    Hello I am from India and New to this KDP, We are planning for a book to be Published in Kids Category, its a kind of Graphic Novel can you please help me with your terms and conditions and Process.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Dean Larson
    July 23, 2019 at 6:56 am
    Permalink

    I’m a total newbie…and totally confused…in the realm of book publishing.
    In fact, almost overwhelmed.
    Then I happened upon this step-by-step overview…with pricing estimates [!]…links, even!
    This will be my guide…my compass…my oasis!!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Derek Haines
      July 23, 2019 at 7:31 am
      Permalink

      Happy to read that our content is useful for you, Dean. Good luck with your publishing adventure!

      Reply
      • Avatar for Dean Larson
        August 20, 2019 at 3:31 am
        Permalink

        Derek:
        If I interpreted correctly, the text has to be converted from written English to ‘Word’? (I thought that this was the “formatting”….apparently not)
        And if I interpreted correctly ‘Word’, is a horrendous nuisance? (I took a gander at one site….experienced computer-heads were tearing their hair out over the “new-and-improved!” ‘Word’ / sounds like 40 miles of swamp and snakes)
        I am not about to attempt this. Nuh-uh.

        Sooo…..where would I find someone who will do this conversion?? (as I said….it’s in English….as an email….all typed out….could cut-and-paste into ‘Word’….then just “adjust”??)

        Thanks.

        Reply
        • Avatar for Julie Bajo
          September 10, 2019 at 4:42 pm
          Permalink

          I have a calendar of inspirational paragraphs for each month of 2020 words begin the poetic advice. I want to publish the book idea first before my next very deep memoirs of my life completely. In October sales for the calendar are critical to begin selling asap. I will then be ready to publish my cookbooks because they’re full of stories and recipes from many family and friends and places influences are many. Any advice is wonderful but I am the photographer, writer, creating my books myself. Thanks so much for anything to help me do that

          Reply
  • Avatar for Valerie
    October 8, 2018 at 2:03 pm
    Permalink

    I looked into vanity publishing awhile back and decided against it for these reasons:

    (1) Self-publishing is called vanity publishing for a reason. Think about it.
    (2) They only do token marketing. They really are a book printing business, not a publishing and marketing business. Interrogate them on what they do to market your book and you will see what I mean. (Get specifics in writing.)
    (3) Do you really want to be hocking your book out of your trunk for years?
    (4) If you want to update your book or catch a few typos, it will cost you bigtime. Print-on-demand makes a lot more sense today.
    (5 ) Cost. Publish your book first as an ebook and see if there is any demand for it.
    (6) Some of the vanity presses will haunt you forever to publish or republish something with them. They are hard to get rid of.
    (7) Bottomline: It’s just old school.

    TO THE PUBLISHER: it would be helpful to have the posts dated.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Lee Cameron
    August 8, 2018 at 7:41 pm
    Permalink

    The information in the order and priority is very helpful.The prices for editing seem to be a little low based on the proposals I have gotten for book manuscript in the 40,000 word range.But the article offers a good guideline for new authors for sure.

    Reply

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