How Much Does Self-Publishing Cost?

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I’m a proud self-published author and will probably continue to be for the rest of my life! I love the control it gives me over every element of my book—from final decisions about plot and characters to editing.

But with great power comes great responsibility! You’re taking everything on your shoulders with self-publishing—from the editing and proof-reading of your book to cover design, from the actual publishing project to marketing (e.g. selling your book).

One of the questions I get asked most often is, “How much does self-publishing cost?” Today I’m going to try to answer that question.

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How much does self-publishing cost?

The simple answer is “Nada.”

You should never pay to publish your book (and that applies to self-publishing!). The only sites/so-called “publishing houses” that request you do that are either scams or “vanity presses.”

They’ll steal your money. I cannot tell you how many people I’ve heard moaning about how awful it is to go with a vanity press (or of course be taken in by a scam).

So, simply, if someone asks you to pay for the actual publishing process, say, “No!” Nopety nope nope nope.

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I go through Kindle Direct Publishing and Createspace (which are now merging into one shortly) to publish my books. I also use Draft2Digital for expanded distribution in ebook (e.g. Nook, Apple).

All of these services are absolutely free. No start-up fees. They take a small commission of your book’s royalties in exchange for having it up on their platform, but that’s it.

So, self-publishing itself costs nothing at all.

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However, I haven’t begun to tell you about expenses that go along with independently publishing your novel!

There are two things I’d recommend to every Indie published author, and I do believe they are a must.

The first is hiring a professional designer to do your cover.

If you find yourself unable to at least pay for this, I suggest saving up your money until you are able to. Do not publish with something you threw together on Paint! You will not sale books this way.

But Kell! you say. That’s over $300 at the least for a pro cover!

Au contraire, my skeptic!

None of my covers have been $300. I’ve paid an average of $40 for each of my covers. Though they’re not amazing (I’m redoing the covers for The Lady of the Vineyard for that reason), they’re good for what they are.

Do your own research on this, ask for recommendations, etc., but here are some of my favorites:

Willowy Whisper

She’s the designer for my Chronicles of Alice and Ivy books as well as Baby Mine (coming soon!). I just love her!
Comes to about $30 ebook, $40 front/back, $50 full wrap.



Victoria Lynn Designs

Made the old cover for Flowers.
Her services come to $25(+) for ebook and $65 for paperback.



Reveries Designs