How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book?

Writing a book is a huge accomplishment. And once you’ve completed your masterpiece, it’s time to publish! Many writers consider self-publishing if they’re just starting out. It’s a great way to establish yourself as a serious author. And before you decide whether to self-publish or work with a traditional publisher, you need to understand the costs associated with self-publishing. So how much does it cost to self-publish a book? Let’s find out!

Editing costs for a self-published book

As a writer, you know how important proofreading and editing are. And as an author, you know that you want to put your best foot forward. This often means hiring a book editing service that can help you finalize your work for publication.

Whether you’re going to work with a traditional publisher or are hoping for an optimized Amazon listing, it’s important to have a team of expert editors on your side.

What are the different types of editing that self-published authors should know about?

Editing comes in many forms. Here are a few different types of editing that you might want to consider before self-publishing your book:

• Developmental editing is an overall big-picture review of your book. A developmental editor will examine the overall structure and style of your work and make sure that the plot flows without any holes or continuity gaps. If you’ve written a nonfiction book, developmental editing will also research and confirm any facts that you’ve written about.
• Substantive editing examines your book’s organization. It ensures that each sentence and phrase contribute positively to your story. A substantive editor will provide constructive criticism if there are any chapters or paragraphs that need revision.
• Copyediting happens in the draft stage of your book—after the book is written, but before it’s formatted for release. A copyeditor will find and help fix any typos, misspelled words, or grammatical errors.

Most published works have to go through several rounds of editing. But it’s worth it to make your masterpiece perfect before you go publish!

How should you determine what type of editor you need?

All authors—even self-published authors—need editing assistance. And when you partner with a professional editing service, you’re hiring a team of experts to help prepare your book for the public eye. These services can also help guide you toward the type of editor you’ll need each step of the way.

The great thing about a professional editing service is that they tend to have all the help you need on their staff. From the various types of editing to proofreading and even book cover design, the best editing services will be able to help you perfect your work.

How do different types of editors structure their fees?

Your editing costs will vary depending on what type of editing service you need. Many publishing and editing companies have professionals who can help you each step of the way, from your initial developmental editing phase through proofreading.

If you need multiple editing services, be sure to ask about package pricing for the most economical service. Editing services that are set up to help you as a self-published author will often offer package deals to help you keep your editing costs low.

Printing costs for a self-published book

Preparing to print your self-published book is an exciting process! But you need to be aware of the costs. You’ll have to allocate funds for things such as your book cover design, book marketing efforts, and the cost of the print run that your publishing house will charge.

Printing costs can add up. But when you know what to look out for, you can self-publish your book efficiently and successfully!

What does it cost to print your self-published book?

One of the biggest questions that independent authors have when self-publishing a book is: How much will it cost to print the book?

Printing costs will vary based on a number of factors. As you research potential printers, make sure that you have an idea of the quantity of books you’d like printed, whether you need to use color ink, how many hardcover versus paperback copies you’re printing, and whether you want help marketing your book.

What factors can affect the cost of printing your self-published book?

Self-publishing costs will vary depending on what your printing goals are. Here are a few factors that will affect your costs:

• Print run. Many publishing companies offer price breaks depending on how many books you are ordering. For instance, if you order 100 books, maybe the cost will be $15 each. But if you order 250 books, the cost could be closer to $10 each. Every book production company works a little differently, so be sure to ask how your print run will affect your costs.
• Book design and format. The page count of your book will also be a factor. If you’re printing a long book that requires a lot of paper and ink, it’ll likely be more expensive than a short book. Color ink can also drive up your cost—black ink is more standard and less expensive, so color illustrations on the cover design and interior of the book can cost you more money.
• Cover style. A hardcover book is more expensive to produce than a paperback. And many companies will allow you to purchase some of each. For example, you can buy some hardcover copies as gifts for your family and friends, and then purchase a larger quantity of paperback books to sell at book fairs or bookstores.
• Book marketing. Some publishing companies also offer book marketing services to independent authors. In addition to printing your book, they’ll market it to retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores.

How should you choose a printer for your self-published book?

As a self-publishing author, you have a choice in which printer you work with. Some printers work more like traditional publishing companies while others focus on helping newer, independent authors who have just completed their first book.

Before you decide which printer will handle your book production, make sure you’re comfortable with them. Is their customer service helpful? Is their pricing fair? Think of this decision process as a job interview, and each printer as a candidate. Interview them to make sure they’re the right fit. After all, you and your book deserve the very best!

Costs associated with a self-published e-book

Self-publishing an e-book comes with some costs, just like publishing and printing hardcover or paperback books. But e-book pricing and fees are a bit different than traditional publishing. Before you determine whether to publish your book digitally, it’s important to understand the costs.

What costs should you consider when self-publishing an e-book?

There are several costs you’ll need to be prepared for if you’re considering self-publishing your work as an e-book rather than just the cost to self-publish a book. The good news is that your self-publishing costs might be lower with an e-book than if you’re printing with a traditional publisher. Still, though, it’s best to know what to expect!

Your book design is one cost to prepare yourself for. Several e-book services—including the Amazon Kindle e-book—need to be specially formatted. Fortunately, there are experts who specialize in e-book conversion so that your masterpiece will be ready to launch to the public quickly and without formatting issues.

Book marketing fees are another cost to keep in mind. Your e-book publishing company might offer marketing services to send your e-book to retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others. Even if there’s a fee associated with this service, you should really consider paying your book publisher to help with your book marketing. They have a foot inside the door with these retailers, and their help can get your name out into the world!

What platforms are available for self-published e-books?

As a self-published author, you have a lot of options to consider when you decide what platforms are best suited for your work. So take a look at what’s available to you. Decide whether you want to sell your e-book on a huge platform like Amazon, or if you want to stick to a more traditional publisher that specializes in your genre.

Before you decide what platforms to publish on, do some research on self-publishing distribution. Gather as much information as you can so that you can make a well-rounded decision. This will help you make the best choice for your e-book—and for your career as an author!

How do e-book platforms structure their fees?

Every e-book platform has their own fees. Some might give you a commission on each e-book that you sell. And others might just charge a flat rate. Your e-book pricing might also affect the platform’s price structure. So make sure that you thoroughly research your publisher’s costs and fees before you submit your book to them.

Marketing costs for a self-published book

You’ve written a quality book. And you’ve hired a professional book editor to help get it ready for publishing. So what’s next? Marketing!

Book marketing is crucial to your book’s success. From your book cover design to your publishing package, your marketing efforts should be at the top of your priority list. Whether you’re working with a traditional publisher for printed books or focusing on e-book platforms like Amazon Kindle, you’ll have to put some resources into your book marketing.

How should you market your self-published book?

Marketing can be fun! Just like writing your book, marketing gives you a chance to be creative. You’ve created a quality book, and your book marketing gives you the chance to brag about it to the world. Here are a few ways that you can market your self-published book:

• Book cover design. That’s right! An eye-catching book cover can be a marketing tool. If you’re not the best artist or illustrator, many marketing services and publishing companies offer graphic design to help your target audience notice your book, starting with its cover.
• Social media. Post about your self-published book on all of your social media platforms. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram are all marketing tools available to you at little or no cost.
• Marketing through your publisher. Marketing costs might be included in your overall publishing package. Regardless of whether you’re working with a large or independent publisher, be sure to ask how they can support your marketing efforts.

What factors can affect the cost of marketing your self-published book?

Book marketing costs depend on how much you, as the author, want to spend—and how many people you want to reach. You want each marketing effort to lead to a book sale. And if you want a lot of book sales, you should be prepared to budget for heavy marketing. Your target reach is the largest factor that will affect your marketing costs.

If you want to stay low-budget, you can market your book on social media and spread it word of mouth through your friends and family. But the best way to reach the most people is to cast a wide net! You can consider paying for advertisements on retailer websites and search engines. You can even buy airtime on radio and TV. The sky’s the limit!

How should you determine your marketing budget for your self-published book?

Think of your book marketing as an investment. You’ll need to include some marketing-effort dollars when you think of your overall self-publishing costs. Simply put: book marketing leads to book sales.

Your marketing budget should really depend on how much money you hope to earn from your book. If your goal is to establish a strong author brand and earn a living as a professional writer, then you should set aside a healthy portion of your budget for your book marketing.

Let Elite Authors help you succeed in self-publishing

Self-publishing is a great way for you to make a name for yourself. And we want to help you succeed! Tell us about your book today so that we can help edit, design, and market your masterpiece!