How Much Does It Cost Money to Make a Book?

Does it cost money to publish a book? Yes, it does. The positive aspect is that there are plenty of methods to achieve this. It’s essential to grasp that putting out your book doesn’t need to cost a lot. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you can make your own book without spending much (if any) money, then sell it yourself.

If you require your book to have professional editing, design, and marketing, the price will be higher than if you only need an ebook or a paperback version of your publication. This is what you should be aware of concerning the expenditures of publishing.

How much does publishing a book cost?

What kind of appearance do you desire your book to have? The answer to this question depends on several factors. Many different ways of making books exist, each with its own cost.

This is the amount of money required to publish a book via self-publishing or traditional publishing.

Self-publishing

What is the expense of releasing a book through self-publishing? Self-publishing costs vary depending on several factors. This entails deciding how many copies to print, the proportion of hardcover and paperbacks, the dimensions and appearance of the cover, and if editing or proofreading is needed, etc.

Generally, self-published books range in price from around $1,000 to $3,500. The amount spent varies widely; some pay significantly less, and some spend considerably more than the average.

Self-publishers tend to miscalculate the effort required to publish a book, especially in the fiction genre.

Exploring agents and traditional publishers, constructing query letters and synopses, submitting pieces, waiting for reactions, and making alterations to your work based on remarks from agents or editors are essential.

Traditional publishing

What is the expense of self-publishing a book? The typical price of putting out a book with a standard publisher is between $6,000 and $12,000.

The standard procedure where you enlist an agent, team up with a publishing house, and obtain a monetary reward upon selling your book will involve expenses.

The most popular payment that typically accompanies regular publishing is the “advance.” This is an amount of money given to an author beforehand in consideration of their future sales by the publisher.

Many traditional publishers provide their advances in multiple annual installments, commonly called “tranches.” An example would be a situation in which a publisher offers $10K all at once and then pays $5K annually over five years, totaling $50K.

Some publishing companies require authors to cover the expenses for editing and design work before the work is done, which can be expensive.

The typical expense for expert editing services is about $3 per page or $1 per minute of recorded audio.

If one were to pay a professional who charges $100 each hour (comparatively cheap) to edit, design, and compose fifty pages of 250 words each, the cost before paying for advertising and royalties would be approximately $6,000.

Ten factors affecting the cost of publishing a book

The expense of printing a book can differ depending on your style, the measure of pages, and the design you need to print. What is the monetary cost of publishing a book? Several elements can have an impact on the expense of releasing your book. Here’s a summary of some of them.

1. Genre

One thing that influences the cost of producing a book is its type of genre. The kind of book can affect the expense of publishing it. For instance, romantic novels tend to be cheaper than science fiction ones because the cost of producing each book varies.

2. Cover design

The cost of making a book can be significantly impacted by its cover design. If you lack the money to employ a skilled book cover designer but still desire to have your book published, you may be required to make a concession regarding the design of your book cover.

The cost of a cover created by an expert can differ significantly depending on who is doing the job and how much experience they possess.

3. Formatting

A critical factor in determining the expense of publishing a book is the cost of formatting. Not only is proper formatting necessary to ensure a neat look to your text, but it can also affect the cost of the printing process. Here’s what book formatting services do for you:

• Formatting makes sure that your book looks professional.
• The arrangement makes sure that your text is readable on all devices.

4. Editing

One of the most substantial outlays related to book publishing is the cost of editing. You can spend various amounts of money editing a book’s publication.

Developmental editing is the most basic type of editing, and it’s created to help arrange your written material in connection with a bigger picture.

5. Illustrations or photos

You can use either a large or small number of illustrations or photos. What is the expense of producing a book with pictures?

The price of your book will be contingent on the number of pictures you pick to include and if you require a high-level photo to be taken.

6. ISBN and barcode

An ISBN and a barcode are used to monitor the commercial performance of a book. What is the expense of publishing a book using your own ISBN? You must remit a cost and complete an application form to obtain an ISBN.

You can only obtain one from your publisher or printer. Once you get an ISBN, you can insert it into your book’s barcode; having one that doesn’t include an ISBN is impossible.

7. Copyright

The cost of creating a book is impacted by copyright regulations. The rules and regulations in place guarding self-publishing authors and publishers against any form of plagiarism.

Copyright Office. The copyright-related expenses would include charges for legal representation, registering the copyright, and any government charges. The cost ensures your work is legally recorded in the United States.

Copyright protection doesn’t just apply to print books.

8. Printing and binding

Photocopying and fastening are among the most essential elements of how much it costs to publish a book. It is usually the reason for over 50% of total publishing costs.

Digital printing requires only an electronic file, reducing the need for paper compared to traditional offset printing. On the other hand, offset printing can be done with high-grade paper and binding.

9. Distribution channels

How you make your book available to the public can have a noticeable effect on your expenses. If you work with a standard publishing company, they likely have an internal distribution group that can help spread your book.

10. Marketing and promotion

Creating recognition of a product or service through a variety of mediums is what marketing is all about. Increasing sales after a sale have been made is what promotion means; it is the continuation of building up the volume of book sales in the long run.

Effectiveness and efficiency are critical elements of a successful business venture, whether a book or any other type of company.

How Much Does it Cost to Self-Publish a Book?

Reedsy indicates that an author might need to budget approximately twenty-four dollars for every one thousand words to take advantage of developmental editing. (Check out their average freelance editing rates .) also, copy editing costs between fifteen to twenty dollars, while proofreading is estimated to be ten to fifteen dollars.

It is reported that veteran authors typically invest thousands of dollars in self-publication support.

Scott Allan of Self Publishing School has said that authors can invest anywhere from under a thousand to twenty thousand dollars in their work.

The more you invest in your book, the better it will be; however, you will eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. If you are in the process of employing a freelancer, you should anticipate having to pay extra for a book that has been independently released.

1. Self-Publishing Software

Budget: $100-$300

I assume you already have a computer or the ability to use one. You’ll need programs like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Scrivener to accomplish the task.

• Google Docs is free to use.
• Scrivener costs $45.
• Word costs $45
• Vellum starts at $199

Using either one of these tools or a different writing application will assist you in putting together and refining the initial draft.

What next?

2. Editing and Proofreading

Budget: $1000+

Unfortunately, your attachment to your work prevents you from properly editing and checking for mistakes. Getting someone else to look over and arrange your book for you is a brilliant idea.

Most writers collaborate with a development editor, a copy editor or line editor, and a proofreader. These experts may assess a fee per word or on a job basis.

• A development editor costs $17 per hour. A developmental edit of a 40,000 manuscript costs approximately $960.
• A copyeditor charges $15-20 per hour. Copyediting a 40,000-word manuscript costs approximately $680.
• A proofreader starts at $10-15 per hour. Proofing a 40,000-word manuscript costs approximately $400.
• Combining copyediting and proofreading works out to $680.

A developmental editor will provide essential comments regarding the style and aim of your book in a reader’s assessment. They may offer light copyediting, depending on your contract.

A copy editor or line editor will make refinements to each sentence. The editor will also examine to see that your spelling, choice of words, and the entire tone of your book agree. They’re kind of like a copywriter.

A proofreader will get rid of any spelling or punctuation errors, and they will also check to make sure that any facts are correct.

3. Book Cover Design

Budget: $200-$500+

Engaging the expertise of an expert book cover artist should be one of the immediate actions you take before releasing your book in the self-publishing process. It will take an investment of at least 500 dollars to employ an experienced book cover designer, and the same concept applies to hiring an editor–you have to invest to receive quality work. Competitions on crowdsourcing websites like 99designs start at $240.

That’s a hefty cost, but having a well-designed cover for your book is probably the most critical factor in ensuring it gets noticed amongst the many others on sale on sites like Amazon.

As an author, composing rather than fussing around with Photoshop or Illustrator is more efficient. Thus, either begin to put money aside or view the cost as an investment in your skill.

Tip To Save Cost On Cover Design:

A good cover will draw in the perfect audience, but if you have a limited budget, you can get a cover design that uses photographs. If the picture effectively and pleasingly conveys the message intended, then the designer won’t need to spend a lot of time retouching and modifying the cover image.

To avert any need for fixes, it is a good idea to look at a few examples of the designer you plan on using to ensure they are the right fit. The designer’s collection of work may be suitable to your taste. If the cost of their services fits into your spending plan, it is a good indication.

4. Book Formatting

Cost: $150+

Thanks to Vellum, putting a book together in the correct format is now relatively straightforward. You can swiftly bring in a Word document and adjust your book’s graphical representation and atmosphere.

Scrivener can also arrange a book for print if you opt not to utilize Vellum. However, it has a steep learning curve.

Your other option is to hire a book designer. Typically, a book designer will use Adobe Indesign. Expect to pay them between $150 and $200. Be sure to request the original documents for the book so that another designer can alter them if required.

5. Print

Budget: $149+

Any author would love to physically possess the novel they wrote. You can accomplish that if you abide by the instructions listed on Amazon. Vellum (only available for Mac users now) allows authors to create a printed edition of their books.

If you do not want to go with Vellum, employ someone to construct your paperback book. They will handle concerns such as organizing each page correctly. The fee for hiring a designer to format a text between 40,000 and 50,000 words for printing ranges from $250 to $300.

6. Audio

Budget: $1000+

Creating an audiobook is a project in itself. Firstly, record and edit the audio yourself. That’s assuming you have the equipment and technical skills.

Secondly, record the audio and hire an audiobook editor. You should be prepared to spend no less than $250 for four hours of edited audio.

Thirdly, consider utilizing programs such as Audible ACX or Findaway Voices. The contract cost can vary, beginning at $1000, depending on your agreement with the book narrator and editor.

7. Book Marketing

Budget: Unlimited

First up, the bad news:

The ebook market is crowded with substandard books. You need to stand out from the competition to earn revenue from self-publishing a book.

Bringing along your closest allies, a handful of devoted admirers, and perhaps a news journalist from the community newspaper is unlikely to result in significant sales.

You need to create a plan to market and launch your book to draw attention and guarantee success amongst many other published books.

The notion of a “book launch” has been altered due to the presence of online sellers such as Amazon. Essentially, self-publishing authors must prepare to promote and move their book after it has gone live on websites like Amazon. Allocating funds for advertising and marketing your book via email by giving away complimentary copies is needed.

Guest Post Disclaimer
The views expressed in this post do not represent the views of 90-Minute Books. The information has not been verified and should be considered an opinion. You are always advised to do independent research.