How much does it cost to Self-Publish?

The lowest it can cost to publish a book is $0. Yes, that is correct! The only reason I know that is because I heard rumors going around TikTok on how to publish journals, etc… without spending any money. Knowing what I know about publishing, (Author of 7 books and creator of the Self-Publish Program) I could see how this worked. So I personally gave it a shot. 

I created two journals in only a few hours without spending any money. Pretty neat.

This is great, but, when you are wanting to publish a book as a career option or professionally, I would recommend a few purchases to make your book seem more credible. 

These books here cost a varying range of $293-$711.

Let me show you my expenses to explain where I spent my money and why I think it’s important to purchase these things:

1: ISBN: You should buy your own ISBN because whoever owns the ISBN for your book gets to decide how and where you print and distribute your books. When you own it, you can make those decisions. For this reason, I tell the women in my Self-Publish Program to buy the ISBN if they can.

This costs at minimum $129 if you use Bowker (for US). 

2. Editors: Gah! I have a really hard time reading books with errors. It makes me think of the author less credible than they might be. If your first book has grammatical errors, your name can be tarnished in readers minds and they might avoid purchasing any other books from you in the future. 

If you spend any money at all, spend it here. This is super important. 

Editors can cost anywhere from $5 to $400. Obviously, if you write a children’s book, editing services will be cheaper as there are fewer words to edit. 

I show my Self-Publish members ways to do as much editing on their own using free resources, but hire, if you can, at least 3 editors at minimum. (Not including beta readers)

3. Book Cover: People really do judge a book by it’s cover. I am completely guilty of this as I have refused buying a book because it looked as if someone homemade their book in the dark lab of their basement. (I don’t know why they automatically become the villain in my mind, but it’s just what happens)  Not that creating your own cover is a bad thing per say, but I definitely subconsciously avoid books that look like they are no good. (I did my own cover for Ned the Narwhal: Pollution Problem and I understand why some might not ever buy it lol-Don’t worry, I plan to re-illustrate this soon).

I suggest you hire a cover designer. This can range anywhere from $45- $300+. 

I also recommend you do your research on book covers when you study your genre. If you’d like some guidance on how to write your book with a busy schedule, join the FREE Writing Program.

So truly, these 3 expenses can range vastly depending on your book and your book goals. 

Publishing doesn’t have to be expensive. There are ways you can publish within a budget that works for you and your family. 

Good luck future author!

You are the author of your life story. How will you write your next chapter of life?

For more resources, check out the book planners, character worksheets, vision boards and more here!