How Much Does Traditional Publishing Cost?

Getting published is one of the most exciting experiences for any author. And whether you’re new to the traditional publishing world or have already published multiple works, you should be aware of the costs of traditional publishing.

Publishing the traditional way can help broadcast your book to the world. A strong publishing company can produce a beautiful print book and help establish your name with large book retailers. This increases your potential readers—and potential book sales!

But traditional publishing does have expenses, and you have to be aware of your costs throughout the entire publishing process. From book preparation and printing all the way through marketing and distribution, you should educate yourself on the costs associated with traditional publishing.

Steps to publish a book the traditional way

So you’ve finished your book. You can feel your first book sale coming. And you can picture your very own book launch event! You worked hard on your book and are excited for the world to read it. And when you decide to sign a book deal with a traditional publishing company, you know you’re on your way to becoming a successful author.

But publishing is a process. And it starts with research and ends with patience.

What steps should you take to publish a book the traditional way?

The first step in publishing your book the traditional way is to familiarize yourself with the publishing process. One main aspect to research is your genre. Publishers often specialize in specific genres. So if you’ve written a poetry book, search for poetry-specific publishers. If you’ve created a children’s picture book, find a publisher who focuses on younger ages. And if you write across different genres, you can find a hybrid publisher.

Here are a few additional questions to ask yourself while you research the process:

• If you’re an indie author, do you want to work with a self-publishing company, or will you only look at traditional publishers?
• Are you focusing on domestic publishing, or are you branching out internationally?
• Should your publishing company offer additional services such as a marketing coordinator or a book cover designer?

The next step in publishing your book the traditional way is to find a literary agent. Many publishing companies only work with agents rather than directly with an author—so you often need a literary agent to even convince a publisher to read your manuscript!

What do you need to prepare in order to publish a book the traditional way?

Each publisher and literary agent will require you to formally submit your work for their review. This is known as a book proposal. Your book proposal will include things like a query letter, a one-sentence pitch of your manuscript, and a sample of your work.

Preparation is the key to successful publishing! As you research publishing companies and literary agencies, take notes on the information and documents that they request. Take your time preparing these items and submit your full book proposal when you’re ready!

What are the other components of traditional publishing that you should be aware of?

There is one major component of the publishing process that many authors overlook: patience. Whether you’re an established writer or an indie author just starting out, it will take time to hear back about your publishing deal. Every publishing house and literary agent receives a lot of manuscripts from authors, so it’s common for them to take weeks—or even months—to respond.

Patience—or lack thereof—is a reason that some authors choose to self-publish their books. It’s true that the traditional publishing process can take a while. But be patient—it’ll be worth it when you sign a great book deal!

Costs of preparing a book for publishing

If you’re a new author, you might not be aware of all the costs involved with preparing a book for publishing. From editing all the way through creating your book’s back cover text, you should have a strong grasp on the services you’ll need to prepare your masterpiece for the world.

How much does it cost to format a book with a traditional publisher?

Traditional publishing carries different costs depending on what services you need. Your publishing house might have a book editor on staff to make sure there are no continuity gaps or typos in your manuscript. But here are a few lesser-known services that you might need to pay for:

• Book cover design. Your print book needs an eye-catching cover to draw in potential readers.
• Book jacket text. You might want to consider hiring a professional to write a stunning synopsis and pitch for your book.
• Printing cost. Hardcover books cost more to print than paperback books. So if you have a strong preference for hardcovers, prepare yourself for a higher printing cost.
• Audiobook formatting. Even if you’re starting with a print book, you might want to consider also publishing your manuscript as an audiobook. E-books are extremely popular and will help your book be available to a lot more people than just a print book.

How much do proofreading services cost when going through a traditional publisher?

Proofreading is an essential part of the traditional publishing process. Every word in your book—from the book cover all the way through your acknowledgments—needs to be proofread by a professional.

Your proofreading cost will really depend on the length of your work. For instance, if you’ve created a children’s book with a lot of illustrations and just a little bit of text, your proofreading cost will be quite low. But a full-length novel that is several hundred pages long will cost more to proofread.

The best way to manage your proofreading cost is to ask how your publisher and proofreader charge for this service. Some proofreading and editing professionals charge by the word, and others by the hour. They can provide you with an estimate so that you’re prepared for their final invoice.

What other costs go into preparing a book for publishing in the traditional method?

Some of your printing costs will be covered in your overall book deal. Your publisher might absorb some of these costs because they’re confident that your book will earn both them and you a lot of money. It’s common for a traditional publisher to cover the cost of editing, proofreading, and even printing your book.

Keep in mind that book marketing costs are not always covered in a book publishing deal. While your publisher might inform large retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble of your book, they might not cover additional advertising expenses.

If you’ve signed on with a literary agent, find out how they can help create a book marketing campaign. This might include a book launch event, a social media push, or even Internet, television, or radio coverage. This is a chance to introduce yourself and your book to the world. So be creative, have fun, and set aside a healthy marketing budget!

Printing costs in traditional publishing

Whether you choose to work with a traditional publishing house or a self-publishing service, getting published is likely your ultimate goal. But before you sign that book deal or publishing contract, you should be aware of the printing costs that you can expect.

How much are average printing costs when traditionally publishing a book?

Your printing cost will depend on your book deal and your publishing house’s process. There might be a book quantity specified in your publishing contract—and the contract might also detail the hardcover and paperback book quantities.

The printing method that your publishing house uses might also affect your printing cost. If your book printer is going to produce a huge quantity of books using a method like offset printing, your printing cost will be different from a demand publishing house that will only produce copies of your book as they’re ordered.

How can you cut back on printing costs when publishing a book traditionally?

Printing costs can add up. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can keep your printing costs low. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when you negotiate your publishing contract:

• Consider printing more paperback books and less hardcover copies. Hardcovers are more expensive to print than paperback.
• Ask your book printer if they use large-quantity print methods like offset printing to keep the costs low.
• Research the actual paper that will be used for your book. Paper comes in different thicknesses and qualities, so this very basic element of your book can really affect the cost.
• Find out if your traditional publisher works with e-books. Since these are entirely digital, there is no actual printing cost

Why does it cost more to print a traditionally published book?

Book printing is one of the highest costs in the traditional publishing industry. One main reason is the quantity of books that they print. A large publishing house might print thousands of copies of your book that they sell to retailers. And this costs money! From the labor to set up the printing machines to the actual paper and ink, book printing can be an expensive process.

If you choose a self-publishing service instead of a traditional publisher, your printing costs might be lower. But so will your quantity of books and exposure to large retailers. If you self-publish, you can have your books printed on demand. This means that your book is only printed when someone buys a copy.

Your book is an investment. You’ve worked hard to complete your manuscript, and the world is ready to read it! Although printing your book with a traditional publishing company might cost a little money, a traditional publisher can also make your book accessible to a much wider audience. And that means more book sales for you!

Marketing and other costs associated with traditional publishing

Whether you’ve been publishing books for years or are making a name for yourself as a new author, you should be aware of all of the costs associated with traditional publishing. You already know that printing your book can be expensive. But you’ll also need to look out for costs associated with marketing, editing, and distribution.

What are the marketing costs associated with traditional publishing?

Book marketing costs vary depending on the marketing methods you choose. If you want to keep your costs low, you can create a book-specific website and new profiles on your social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. But marketing your book is an investment. And if you want to put your masterpiece in front of as many potential readers as possible, you might want to consider a larger book marketing campaign.

Your publishing contract might include a marketing budget. Your publishing house and literary agent can help you create a marketing campaign that includes all kinds of advertising. They can even help you navigate through gender discrimination in the publishing industry by crafting a strong book marketing strategy.

Marketing your book can be fun and exciting. It’s another chance in your book process to be creative. You might even get to travel on a book tour or hold a book launch event! These larger-scale marketing methods cost money, but they’ll also help you ring up those book sales.

What are the editing costs associated with traditional publishing?

Many traditional publishing houses have editing resources. Even a small independent publisher might have an editing staff available to you, even if the editors aren’t part of the publishing company itself. The editing process has several steps, including the developmental edit, line edit, and copyedit phases.

The largest factor that will affect your editing cost is the length of your book. The longer your book, the longer it’ll take to edit. But the editing style that your book requires can also affect the price. For instance, a nonfiction book will require a different editing style and process than a fictional children’s book.

Set yourself up for publishing success

Your book deserves to be seen by the world. And a traditional publishing company can help! But first you need a partner to help you prepare your book for the publishing process. Elite Authors can help polish your book so it’s ready for publishing success.

We offer a range of services, including editing, cover design, marketing, book trailers, and book formatting. Visit our website today to get started on your way to a successful book publishing experience!