The freedom to publish whatever you want whenever you’d like makes self-publishing an attractive option for many writers. But such freedom comes, quite literally, at a cost.

How much would it set you back to self-publish a book? To put it simply: however much you’d like.

If your sole reason for publishing is to make your story available online, then it’s entirely possible to self-publish without spending a dime. But if you’d like to develop a career or a side hustle as an independent author, then spending a bit of cash to produce a high-quality book is key.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common expenses that independent authors incur.

An Overview of Self-Publishing Costs

To produce a book that readers will not only want to buy but that will keep them coming back for more, independent authors typically invest in some or all of the following services:

• Developmental Editing
• Line Editing
• Copy Editing
• Proofreading
• Formatting / Interior Design
• Cover Design

These services represent the same pre-publication tasks that a manuscript would undergo in the hands of a traditional publishing team. The only difference is that independent authors must pay for these services up front.

How much each service costs will depend on the length and/or genre of the manuscript, the difficulty or complexity of the work, and the unique pricing model each freelancer or company employs.

As you begin to research editing, cover design, and formatting options online, you may find yourself surprised by the wide range of pricing models and quotes. Why would anyone pay $2,000 or more for a developmental edit when plenty of freelancers offer the same service for less than $500?

Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. Though there are always exceptions to the rule, most highly-qualified companies and freelancers charge a premium for their services — and rightfully so.

Most indie authors spend somewhere between $1,000 - $5,000 on their books’ production. If you decide to self-publish as well, it will be your job to determine your unique budget and which services you consider most important as you work to bring the best version of your book to life.

Breaking Down the Scope of Self-Publishing Expenses

With all the preliminaries out of the way, let’s explore the six most common self-publishing expenses listed above in greater detail, including what they entail and how much they cost.

Developmental Editing

Also known as content or structural editing, developmental editing consists of story arc and scene-level feedback designed to help you polish your story’s plot, and character arcs, world-building, themes, and other key story elements.

A full developmental edit is typically highly detailed and includes in-line notes, making it the most expensive form of feedback on your story.

However, many developmental editors also offer more affordable manuscript critiques, evaluations, or editorial letters that consist of broader but still highly valuable feedback on your story.

Some independent authors, especially those writing strict genre fiction, forgo such editing entirely in favor of utilizing feedback from beta readers.

Price range: $500 - $2,500 USD

Related: What to Expect When Working With a Freelance Editor

 

Line Editing

After finalizing your story, you may wish to seek feedback from a line editor who will critique the language you use throughout your manuscript.

Though a line editor may point out spelling and grammatical issues, they’re chiefly concerned with whether you’ve used the best possible language to tell your story. Their line-by-line feedback is typically highly detailed and can help you refine your writing style.

Because both forms of editing address the language of a manuscript rather than its content, line editing is sometimes known as copy editing and includes feedback that addresses the accuracy and consistency of a writer’s prose.

However, many authors find it helpful to first address the effectiveness of their writing before ensuring its correctness. For this reason, many editors offer line editing and copy editing as two distinct services.

Price range: $500 - $2,000 USD

Copy Editing

When treated as a distinct service, copy editing denotes detailed feedback on the consistency and accuracy of the language used throughout a manuscript. Think: sentence structure, word choice, voice, verb tense, and point-of-view.

Copy editing is often conflated with both line editing and proofreading, and there’s nothing inherently disreputable about editors who don’t offer copy editing as a distinct service. Just make sure that you understand the technical differences as you determine which types of editing you’ll commission.

Price range: $300 - $1,500 USD

 

Proofreading

Proofreading is commonly understood to mean “combing through text with the intent to find and fix spelling errors and grammatical inaccuracies,” but the true scope of this work is much more detailed.

Proper proofreading takes place after a manuscript has been formatted. The work itself consists of ensuring the printed or digital proof matches the final manuscript; contains no remaining errors or inconsistencies; and is formatted correctly for mass production and/or online distribution.

While some editors conflate copy editing and proofreading (typically under the label “proofreading”), many others offer great bundled rates on their distinct copy editing and proofreading services. Keep an eye out if you’re on a budget.

Price range: $150 - $800 USD

 

Formatting & Interior Design

After a manuscript is finalized, it’s ready to be formatted for distribution. Many authors opt to format their own manuscripts and can do so quite professionally thanks to the DIY tutorials, templates, and apps available online. That said, it’s perfectly normal for an author to commission this service as well.

Technically speaking, formatting consists of preparing a manuscript in plain text (i.e. fixing fonts, type size, paragraph and line breaks,) for interior design and layout (i.e. making sure your story looks good on the page).

While copy editors typically address plain-text formatting, the term itself has become largely one and the same with interior book design. Just something to be aware of when you start researching your formatting options.

Another thing to bear in mind is that each edition of your book (e.g. paperback, e-book, large print, hardback) must be formatted separately. This can drive up the cost of formatting if you choose to commission this service.

Price range: $0.00 - $600 USD

Cover Design

Let it be said that customers do judge books by their covers, which is what makes commissioning a great cover design so important. Thankfully, the expense of a high quality cover doesn’t have to break the bank.

Many cover design companies and freelancers offer pre-made book covers for $99 or less, as well as print and e-book cover design bundles that can make custom cover design more affordable.

Some companies and freelancers will even happily bundle custom cover design with one or more of the following: interior formatting, audiobook cover design, author branding, and marketing materials. Again, keep an eye out for deals!

Price range: $49 - $2,000 USD

Additional Self-Publishing Costs

Of course, these six self-publishing expenses aren’t the only costs that independent authors may incur as they prepare to launch their books. Some self-published authors also choose to invest in:

• Interior illustrations
• Fantasy map design
• Professional headshots
• Professional blurb copy or blurb editing
• Print books for in-person bookselling events
• Author website domain name, hosting, and maintenance
• Marketing tools, merchandise, and book swag
• Launch party materials
• ISBN: International Standard Book Number

Most of these expenses are far from necessary, but they’re nevertheless something you may wish to consider as you prepare to produce, publish, and share your book with the world.