The publishing world has massively changed over the last decade since companies will allow any author to self-publish for free or for a nominal fee. This ability to self-publish offers authors a unique opportunity to be published and make a career of writing what they want to write.
Self-publishing isn’t putting traditional publishing companies out of business, but it gives them a run for their money. If you are a great writer and social media savvy, you can get yourself published in a short time.
Many authors looking to publish independently are concerned with the costs. If you publish, edit, format, and design the book cover yourself. You can do it for free on platforms like Amazon or other published on-demand sites.
The cost of self-publishing a book depends on a few things:
- How much of the publishing process you are going to do yourself
- The length of the book and content
- The prerequisites of the publishing company you are using
Most writers can count on spending between $2,000 – $4,000 on self-publishing their book, including marketing services, cover design, formatting, and editing. This cost will be cut significantly if you do all of these services yourself. However, it is suggested that you should at least hire an outside editor for the best quality.
Therefore, if you only want to get your book out there, you can always format it for free and make it available within 72 hours on Amazon, Kindle self-publishing sites, or other publish-on-demand sites. However, if you want to compete with traditionally published books, you will need to pay for editing, marketing, and design.
Editing
It would be best if you got a few different kinds of technical editing done before publishing, including proofreading, developmental editing, and copy editing. You should have an editorial assessment and work out to make critical changes to publish the best product possible.
Book Cover Design
Unless you are an artist or have skills as a graphic designer, it is suggested that you hire a professional book cover designer. Though there is the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover,” most people will explore a book further for potential purchase because of the book cover design.
The cost of having a professional cover designed can range widely with the cost depending upon the designer’s skill level.
Formatting
Depending on where you are publishing, you will need to format the book for a book and an eBook. Each format is different depending on where you are publishing the book. You can format the book yourself if you know how to do it properly.
Hiring a professional to format your book is a great idea because it can be tedious and requires knowledge and skills, so it looks right when the book is published. While formatting can be tricky, there are many videos online that show how to do it.
Marketing
One of the major disadvantages to self-publishing instead of going through a traditional publisher is that the publisher will heavily market your book. They will also set up any book signings or other promotional events and handle all websites and social media associated with you or the book.
Other Costs
Depending on your chosen path, there can be costs associated with the delivery and converting your book to an audiobook. There can also be fees that you pay to use a website to publish for you, such as a flat fee or a percentage of your royalties.
In some cases, an author will hire a ghostwriter to help them develop, edit, and publish their book. Some ghostwriters will charge by the hour, while others will charge by the project. While it can be expensive to hire a ghostwriter, it can also help you get your ideas out quickly and professionally if you aren’t a strong writer.
Conclusion
The more you invest in the development and publishing of your book, the better it will do in the market. Do the research and plan what you will do yourself and what you will hire another person to do for you in the process.
The cost to self-publish can cost anywhere between $0 to $20,000, depending on the skill level of those involved in the publishing process. If you are contemplating self-publishing, you need first to assess your budget then analyze how much work you will do yourself in the publishing process.
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