What Is the Self-Publish Book Cost for 2023?

Thanks to technology and the multitude of self-publishing platforms out there today, it’s easier than ever to become an author. While the self-publish book cost is affordable, many authors still wonder what’s involved – and how much it will cost – to produce a high-quality book that sells.

It’s all about balance

When it comes to self-publishing, there are many ways to create a professional-looking book without breaking the bank. The key is to balance how much you’re willing to spend with how well you want your book to sell.

For example, if you skimp on the process, you’re more likely to produce a low-quality book that generates few to no sales. It’s much better to think of your book as an investment, and carefully budget for those areas that add to the overall quality of your book, like professional editing and design services.

The scoop on self-publish book cost

Technically a book can be self-published for free, but there are several reasons why it pays to invest in your work before making it available for purchase. On average, authors can expect to spend about $3,000 or $3,500 to self-publish a marketable book. Several factors may push that cost higher or lower, including:

• Genre
• The addition of illustrations or other images
• Total word count of your manuscript
• The number of professional editing or design services you use
• How many ISBNs you need
• The number of formats in which you’ll offer your book

Another important factor relies heavily on which company you use. Some publishing companies, also known as vanity publishers, charge additional fees to publish your content on top of their already high fees, or they require you to print and pay for hundreds of advance copies. Self-publishing assistance companies help authors get their books published by offering professional services an author needs to create a book people will want to purchase, such as editing, cover design, interior formatting, and illustration.

Making the smart self-publishing investment

Regardless of whether this is your first or your 50th self-published book, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the costs involved to prepare a book for print. While there are no cheap shortcuts, our professional team is here to help, so you can rest assured you’re spending your money wisely and getting the best possible outcome for your hard work.

If you’re committed to building a career as an author, it pays to spend more on the services you need to be successful. Remember that old adage, “You get what you pay for”? As an indie author, you determine what makes sense for you, but by investing more in professional editing, formatting and design services, you’ll ultimately create a better product for yourself and your readers.

Want a sneak peek at what your book may cost? Use our free book production cost estimator to learn how different options affect your total publication cost. You can also learn more about different payment options to make the publishing process more affordable, including our new crowdfunding support feature! We also offer a referral program, which can reward you with a significant service credit just for referring an author to our Publish Pros team.

Let’s get started!

At Publish Pros, we do everything we can to provide top-notch self-publishing services at a reasonable price. And while some self-publishing companies take a portion of their authors’ royalties or charge extra for distribution, we don’t believe in that at Publish Pros. When you work with us, you’ll receive full royalties on the sale of every book, and we never charge a distribution fee. Check us out today!