How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book
How much does it cost to edit and publish a book?
If you’ve typed this or something similar on your web browser’s search bar, you’ve arrived at the right place. Authors on a tight budget are getting increasingly independent and acquainted on the real cost of self-publishing a book. This guide on how much does it cost to publish a book will walk you through the top three most important expenses in your literary journey.
Cover Design - Estimated at $350
You can commission covers from freelancers on sites like Fiver and Upwork for as little as $5. However, you do get what you pay for. Ask yourself if you really have the patience to sift through the subpar in search of the stellar. The low fees will eventually add up in doing so. Cut to the chase with a professional designer.
Book Interiors - Estimated at $350
Your book cover may be fetching enough to invite a reader to open it. But it is your book’s interiors that can make them stay until the end. Page-by-page formatting occurs here. The bulk of how much does it cost to publish a book depends much on how many pages and images there are in your book’s interior.
Manuscript Assessment - Estimated at $200
Contrary to what most people think, you don’t have to wait until your manuscript is finished for you to call an editor. In the manuscript assessment, which is the initial look of your manuscript, the editor scrutinizes the plot, structure, and style. You emerge renewed with their input on how to proceed with your text.
Developmental Editing - Estimated at $0.075 per word
For authors who have produced a closer-to-complete draft, developmental editing is for you. It is more comprehensive than the manuscript assessment with its feedback in the form of margin comments on how to improve the story.
Copyediting - Estimated at $0.015 per word
Technical errors in spelling and grammar are corrected here, which you then implement into the first of many official revisions.
Proofreading - Estimated at $300
Proofreaders go over what the copyeditors may have missed. They subject your work to a final polish after the book has been formatted by a designer and before it is sent to the printers.
Print on Demand - Estimated at $100
In this publishing model, you place an order before printing a copy. Most POD services cater to the self-publishing author who is just starting out. There will never be a risk of excess unsold books gathering dust in your inventory, as you and your readers can order as many—or as little—copies as you like. The unit cost of a POD book is less than $10.
Offset Printing - Estimated at $1000
Once you’ve established a wider readership, you may graduate to offset printing, which is better for bulk orders as the cost to publish a book through a publisher means you pay less, the more copies are printed. You do pay upfront, though. Offset printing has been around far longer than POD and you can see that in the quality of the image resolution, paper stock, and design customizations. Offset printing should be your choice if you want to publish any of the following: image-heavy books on travel, natural science, visual arts, and food.
On top of these, be aware of pre-publishing costs, such as copyright registration and ISBN services, which are estimated at $200.
Now that you’ve established a solid introduction to the cost of self-publishing, you can set aside funds or save up for the marketing and promotions. The pragmatic mind thinks about how much does it cost to publish a book at the beginning, but more importantly how much it will cost to share your story with the world. The author’s mind thinks about how many people he can touch with the words in his work.
