Plenty of variables will impact your bottom line, but I’m going to give you a quick run-down of the basics you’ll need to budget in order to self-publish your book. These are what I consider the absolute non-negotiables.
Once you start marketing your book, you’ll be looking at other expenses, including buying ads and whatever other methods you choose, but this list will get you to where your book is available for purchase. Once I’ve done more marketing of my own, I may add those expenses to this list or write another just for marketing.
- Professional editing – Expect to pay at least $1,000. The exact cost will increase with the size of the work, the prestige of the editor, and how soon you need it done. Just make sure you have an editor who’s perfect for your project, because then it’s worth every penny. I found my editor through Reedsy, which allows you to connect with editors based on their genre and availability. You start by sending a brief of your project and what you’d like them to do, and they’ll respond with a quote. For more information on what types of editing are out there and what type you might need, I recommend this Reedsy article.
- Formatting services or software – I went with the latter and recommend Vellum (Apple) or Scrivener (PC). There are also people who will format your book for you. Just dig into reviews and vet them carefully.
- Cover art – This can cost from a few hundred to $1,000. If you’d like to try your own hand at design, try creating it with Canva, which offers a free tier or pro versions for a subscription fee. Just like finding an editor, it’s crucial that you find someone who is a good fit and shares your vision. It’s good to know as much as you can about what you want in a cover, so have examples ready and tell them what you like about each. But here’s a little word of advice: Give your artist a little room to do what they do. They’re artists (that’s why you’re hiring them), and chances are they’ll be able to build on your ideas and come up with something even cooler. My cover for Angels Strange and Beautiful followed my vision beautifully, but Abbey came up with ways to incorporate the elements and add a few more that completely blew my mind. Just be kind, be honest, and work toward a vision you both love. One more note: A beautiful, professional-looking cover is what often separates indie authors who get positive attention and ones who come across as sloppy and homemade. Put the love into the cover that you put into the story. After all, it’s the reader’s first impression of your book, so make sure it gives them a firm handshake!
- ISBNs – Each format (paperback, hardback, ebook) needs its own. It’s a better deal if you buy a block of them. You can assign them as you go along. Many places will offer to sell you ISBNs, but in the end, they all come from the same place, and that’s Bowker. Everyone else who offers them is ultimately getting them from there, but you’re paying a little extra in order for them to be the middle man. Translation: Go straight to Bowker.
- Copyright registration – You register through the U.S. Copyright Office. I paid about $65. Not much, but it goes a long way to protect your work. It’s very difficult to protect your work in court if you haven’t registered the copyright, even though copyright technically attaches automatically.
- Upload fees – $50-100 for IngramSpark or Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) with Amazon.
- Domain and hosting for your website. This varies and is usually a monthly or yearly fee.
This list is excerpted from my blog post, Please Do Not Feed the Pigs: A Critical View of the Traditional Publishing Industry.
