How Much Does Self-Publishing Cost? [Quick Costs Overview Guide]

Last Updated on August 19, 2020 by Jordan Alexo

So you probably heard that self-publishing is an excellent way for you to make money online. However, you are wondering about the costs involved… Do I need to waste all my savings, ask for a bank loan, sell my house, cat, dog, etc.? Okay, okay…I know… I’m exaggerating! But is self-publishing expensive or not? So let’s wrap everything tightly together and sum them up, this includes:

1. How much it costs to order a book?
2. How much it costs to get a book cover design?
3. How much it costs to get a book description?

Let’s take a quick look at this before we dive deep into more details:

1) You can start this online business 100% free

2) Or spend about $300 to $400 for a 15.000-word book or $600 to $700 for a 30.000-word book.

If you want to understand the advantages and disadvantages of shorter and longer books, then click here. But keep reading to learn more about the costs associated with self-publishing.

Watch Self-Publishing Cost Video

 

Does Self-Publishing Cost Money?

Yes and no! Many people often think that building an online business is superbly expensive. So they prefer to lay back on their sofa, watch Netflix, eat popcorn and wait for never afternoon. After all, it’s better than to have people laughing in their facing for spending their hard-earned money investing in a book business.

But the fact is you can start self-publishing completely free. Yes, you heard me correctly, so there are no excuses!

All it demands is for you to be willing to go out there and get your hands dirty. Well, in this case, not very dirty, since you’ll be spending most of your time in front of your computer typing the hell out of your keyboard. If you have decent writing skills, then you can write your books; This was the way I started publishing books a few years ago.

It’s always better than waiting for money to fall out of the sky. At least, it’s more productive, and there is a higher chance of you making money online. I didn’t have money to order books from a ghostwriter company like the one I use nowadays called Urban Writers.  However, that didn’t stop me, besides English isn’t even my primary language. Still, I decided to write a few books. Did they make much money? Not exactly!

But I made enough money to help me pay for my first two books. Also, over the past few years, I saw several cases of publishers writing their books and being successful. I know of one situation where someone wrote four manuscripts and, after about four months, was making $8.000 per month. Everything is possible as long as you are willing to work for it.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Writing Your Books?

1. You spend a considerable chunk of time writing books.
2.  You may need to write about topics you are clueless about. Usually, the hot topics in Amazon may be about something you don’t understand. Meaning you may need to spend some time researching content before writing your book.

But as I said before, it’s better for you to get started than to wait for better days. At least, you eventually start making some money online. Although, if you have money to invest, then I highly recommend you order books. As a result, you can expand your business more quickly. I also don’t suggest for you to create this business without having the proper knowledge. Otherwise, you may run the risk of wasting your money ordering books, which in return don’t make any money.

Just like with any other business out there, it requires you to have the right skills and strategies. The best online course for this is Audiobook Income Academy. Click here to get more information.

How Much It Costs To Order A Book In Urban Writers?

You have many ghostwriter companies in the market, some of them are cheaper and others more expensive. Although, I tried more affordable companies in the past and the problem is they often produce lousy content. You may think you are brilliant by saving some pennies. But once you publish a low-quality book, it doesn’t take long until you have bundles of mad customers leaving negative reviews. As you may imagine, this isn’t good for your business!

So to avoid these unfortunate situations from happening, you should get your s**t right from the start. For this reason, I prefer to spend some extra money and get high-quality content from Urban Writers. If you decide to use this company, then make sure to use my 5% discount coupon code on your book order. Coupon code: JA5

How To Order Your Book In Urban Writers?

In case we are going too fast, and you prefer to take things slower, then read my other post here, “How To Effectively Self Publish On Amazon KDP.”  You’ll get a good idea of what it means to become a Kindle super publisher.

Anyway, let’s continue for you to order your book go to Urban Writers and follow the direction shown below…

Once you are in the book package page, just scroll down until you can see them all.

Which Package Should You Choose?

Well, one of the main differences between each package is how skilled their writers are. With the premium package, you will have the best writers producing your content. I never tried their premium package because it never felt needed. But of course, if you want, you can give them a try.

I suggest you choose the Rising Package. This way, you will reduce your initial book costs. Often as a newbie, you are bound to commit mistakes in the Kindle publishing process. For this reason, it’s essential you reduce your expenses, just in case s**t hit the fan.

Although, I must remind you the Rising Package writers aren’t the best of the bunch, but still they produce fantastic content. Later on,  once your book business becomes a money machine, then you may go for a more expensive package. Honestly, I didn’t see a massive difference between the Rising and Urban Package. 

For a shorter book with 15.000 words, you should expect to pay $313. Although, by using my coupon code (JA5), you’ll reduce the expenses to only $297.

If you decide to go for a longer book (30.000 words), then the costs will increase to $596 with the coupon code included.

You can also choose if you want them to write a basic description; Honestly, I never used this feature, so I’m not sure about their quality. Based on my experience, writers often write ineffective book descriptions, commonly reviewing your book. Instead, a description should entice people to purchase your book, and this requires someone with copywriting skills, which usually most writers lack. Afterward, add the rest of the details, such as your book outline, author bio, etc. and follow the next steps. On the last page, make sure to add your coupon code (JA5), and there you go!

How Much Does Your Cover Design Costs?

The costs associated with your book cover depends on where you get your design done. You have two alternatives here.

1) Urban Writers Book Cover Design

Although they are more expensive compared to the second option, they produce higher-quality cover designs. Besides, I wouldn’t be cheap about this step. As they often say, a picture speaks a thousand words. Most customers decide whether they are going to purchase a book or not, based solely on its cover. If you have a garbage cover design, then nobody will buy your book.

If you are paying a fair amount of money to have a high-quality book, description, etc., then it doesn’t seem wise to ruin all of your efforts by being cheap with your cover design. I already ordered multiple covers, and Urban Writers does an excellent job!

In case you want to order your cover design, then follow the next steps…

So using this company, you add an extra $69.99 to your total book costs. But if you are looking for a cheaper solution, then use the second option.

2) Fiverr Book Cover Design

Another solution is to use a website called “Fiverr.” On this website, you get a cover design for about $5.

I suggest you choose between 2 to 3 gigs and from the covers you receive, pick the best one for your book. Although, I must remind you to be careful because sometimes you get garbage.

If you want to order your cover design now, then search for “Kindle cover design” in Fiverr. Afterward, choose the best looking gigs of the bunch.

 

How Much Does Your Book Description Cost?

If you are a skilled copywriter, then you can write your book descriptions. In my case, I prefer to use a Fiverr gig.

For this, just search, “Kindle book description” in Fiverr, and choose one of the gigs. Often this costs around $30 for each description.

 

Quick Amazon Self Publishing Costs Overview

Let’s quickly review the total costs associated with publishing a book on Amazon.

Total Costs For A 15.000 Word Book

Minimal Cost

• Book Content= $297
• Fiver Cover Design = $5
• Book Description = $30
• Total Book Costs = $332

Maximum Cost

• Book Content= $297
• Urban Writers Cover Design = $69.09
• Book Description = $30
• Total Book Expenses = $397

Total Costs For A 30.000 Word Book

Minimal Costs

• Book Content= $596
• Fiver Cover Design = $5
• Book Description = $30
• Total Book Expenses = $631

Maximum Costs

• Book Content= $596
• Urban Writers Cover Design = $69.09
• Book Description = $30
• Total Book Expenses = $696

Last Thoughts…

Now you know everything you need to about how much it costs to publish a book in Kindle Direct Publishing. Most of these expenses depend on the options you choose, so it’s really up to you. If you have any questions or would like to share some advice, then leave it in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!