Unpacking Self-Publishing Costs: A Brief Overview

Unpacking self-publishing costs so you can work out your budget ahead of publication.

In recent years, an increasing number of authors have chosen to break free from the constraints of traditional publishing and have opted to self-publish instead.

If you are one of these authors, it's important to understand the costs associated with publishing a book in 2025. Here are some services you may need to pay for:

1. Editing Costs – this will vary depending on the type of editing you require

2. Cover design costs – if you hire a graphic designer to create your book cover

3. Book design & formatting costs – for platforms like Amazon KDP

4. Marketing costs – includes services like reviews and digital ads

In this article, I break down each of the costs listed above and give you a general idea of how much each service (if you hire out) will set you back.

Book Publishing Costs in 2025

I did a little digging into the costs of the above services and compared price tags amongst the various businesses, freelancers, and publishers offering them. For this article, I decided to use Reedsy to give you a rough idea of the costs involved.

Reedsy is not a hybrid publisher but more of a marketing platform that helps authors find and hire professionals in the book industry. According to Reedsy, publishing a book in 2025 will cost authors between $2,940 and $5,660. The exact costs will differ depending on the services you require.

Side-note: Hybrid Publishers

A hybrid publisher is a combination of traditional and self-publishing. The author pays a fee to the publisher, who provides editorial, design, printing, and distribution services. As the author, you will retain the rights to the book and receive royalties from book sales.

Some reputable hybrid publishers I've encountered are IdeaPress Publishing, Greenleaf Book Group, Forbes Books, She Writes Press, Amplify, Book Baby, CreativeSpace, and Success Books. Alternatively, you can work with a traditional publisher or publish as an indie publisher.

The decision of which publishing path to choose for your book is a personal one that will depend on your goals, resources, and preferences. To help you decide, I've compiled a guide, Non-Fiction Book Publishing: A Guide for First-time Authors, which breaks down the advantages and disadvantages of each publishing method.

Not sure? An author/book coach can help you choose your publishing route.

A General Idea of What It Will Cost You to Self-publish

Whether you work with a hybrid publisher or self-publish, here is a general idea of the costs.

Note: These numbers are based on real market data but can fluctuate according to your chosen service provider.

1. Editing Costs

Independent editors, such as myself, specialize in either one of the four different types of editing or offer comprehensive editing services. This means we provide more than one type of editing. Fees vary according to the editor's qualifications and experience, as well as the genre of the book and the number of words.

Reedsy editors charge an average of $2,000 - $4,500 for an 80k-word book. This is for one round of developmental editing and copyediting.

Should you decide to self-edit, getting another pair of eyes on your manuscript before publishing is always a good idea. Hiring a proofreader to catch minor errors and typos is a worthy investment.

Proofreading fees typically range from $0.01 to $0.04 per word. Hourly rates range from $20 to $50 per hour for standard proofreading services. Word count, document type, and turnaround time will influence a proofreader's rates.

Tip: Always conduct thorough research (check portfolios for experience, qualifications, & client reviews) before hiring an editor. Hiring the right person who meets your specific needs can save you money in the long run.

2. Book Cover Design Costs

Choosing the right book cover is not only about aesthetics. Your book cover acts as an ad for your book. We often say, "Don't judge a book by its cover," but we do, don't we? Readers are attracted to the cover first before they read the blurb on the back.

Your book cover needs to sell your book and attract the right audience. A good cover design can cost up to $800. This will depend on the style you want and how complex it is.

For your book to stand out, you need an attention-grabbing cover design. At the same time, your book cover should convey vital information about your book's genre, content, and tone.

3. Layout and Formatting Costs

Having an attractive cover is one thing; you must also ensure your book looks good on the inside. You can do it yourself if you already know how to format for ebook or print. If not, you can hire a professional book formatter (yes, they exist) or learn how to do it yourself to save on costs.

There are tons of resources online (YouTube videos, for instance) that teach you how to format your book for print and digital. If you decide to hire a pro, charges range from around $500 to $2000 for the service. This will depend on how much specialist formatting your book needs. Books with customized fonts, complex illustrations, intricate layouts, or numerous images will cost more to format.

Note: Some books, such as cookbooks or photo books, might need the services of a specialist book interior designer. The interior design of such a book can cost you anything from $250 to $750.

A book with more pictures, requiring a precise layout, such as a cookbook, will cost more to format.  

Software Options

An alternative to hybrid publishing is to self-publish your book on platforms such as Amazon KDP. If you're publishing on KDP and not using the services of a hybrid publisher, you can save $500 by learning how to format it yourself.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) provides a step-by-step guide to help you format and publish your book on their platform. You can publish your book in eBook format, print copy, or both.

Self-publishing platform IngramSpark also offers an excellent free guide on "how to format your book like a boss." Download it from their website.

You can use MS Word to format your book if you're a Microsoft user. Remember to save it as a PDF for printing or ebook submission. Other popular software options for book formatting are Scrivener, Vellum, Atticus, and Adobe InDesign.

4. Marketing and Promotion

Your book is not going to sell itself. You will need to budget for marketing campaigns. These can take the form of paid professional campaigns (around $1000 to $5000). Marketing and promoting your book should start before you even publish it. You can use a marketing company, paid ads on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, or promote the book yourself.

If you decide not to hire a pro, you can plan and execute your own marketing strategy for minimal costs. Promote your book on social media platforms, consider hosting virtual book launches, attend book promo events, and get family and friends to chat about your book in their circles.

Tip: When promoting your book on social media, use book-specific hashtags, such as #bookstagram, #booklover, #bookworm, #selfhelp, #memoir, #businessbook, #newbook, #booklaunch, #reading.

You can also use the title of your book as a hashtag. E.g., #DemystifyingSelfpublishingCosts

Other Costs

These can range from manuscript evaluations/reviews to hiring Beta readers to literary agent fees. Not all of these are incurred if you self-publish. Most traditional publishers require you to approach them via a literary agent. Beta readers and MS reviews are optional.

To sell your book in stores, you will need an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and a barcode. These can set you back anywhere from $25 for a barcode to $125 for an ISBN.

One last thing: If you decide to market and sell your print book yourself (not using a platform like Amazon), you should also budget for postage and packing costs.

Final Thoughts

Writing your book is only one part of the journey. You must also consider publishing routes and sales. Many authors I work with start looking into these costs as early as the writing or editing stages.

Writing and publishing a book is a big investment. Knowing all the costs can help you plan and budget, saving you from financial surprises.

To first-time authors, please don't rush to publish. Take some time out to research all your options thoroughly.

I wish you tons of success in your book-writing and publishing journey.

Shamila Iyer – Write. Edit. Coach.

Empowering aspiring authors to share their perspectives with the world.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more book writing and publishing tips.