Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

At every writers conference or self-publishing panel the question that almost always inevitably comes up is: “How much will self-publishing really cost me?”

Because the book publishing industry is one of the last industries to go digital, it’s going through a quick transition. As a result of this shift, authors no longer need to go through the traditional gatekeepers to publish high-quality books and are instead moving toward self-publishing. Launching a book is like launching a startup.

Putting together a quality book involves not just writing it, but getting it edited, then formatted, designing a cover, and having a marketing strategy around it.

"Not having an editor is like not QA’ing a software product or not testing a drug before it goes out into the marketplace." 

Below, I break down the costs of how much professional services will cost you for a high-quality book.

(For the purposes of calculation we’ll assume you have a manuscript that is 70,000 words.)...

Today’s short-run printing companies cater to self-publishers by offering easy-to-use book design templates and astoundingly quick service.

Here is a review of the companies from which you can get a PDF-formatted proof, approve it, and order 1, 25, or more books. "Because these services do not lock you in, you can print with whomever you like, changing print and distribution vendors at will."...

With the growing popularity of self-publishing, there is one recurring question I get from almost every aspiring author: “How much should I budget?” This is a really hard question to answer because the term “self-publishing” encompasses a wide range of very different possibilities.

For example, let’s say you’ve written a first draft of your novel and just uploaded it to Amazon via Kindle Direct Publishing. Technically, you’re “self-publishing.” And your only monetary cost is the formatting to get the required .mobi file, which can be done for free via several online tools.

Now, if you want to have a chance of selling that book, you need to replicate at least some of the steps of traditional publishing and ensure a certain level of quality and professionalism. This means having your book properly edited, typeset and proofread, and hiring a designer to create an eye-catching cover. Depending on your genre and your writing ability, these can cost more or less.

It’s impossible to say, “Self-publishing your book with cost you $X.” However, it is possible to find average costs for the different steps that go into producing a book: editing, design and typesetting. And this is what the data and infographic below focus on....