It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a writer in possession of a good manuscript must be in want of a publishing deal. But not all writers agree on the methods of publication; a great many writers prefer self-publishing to traditional. The problem is most don’t know the amount of labor and costs that go into self-publishing.
Once you’ve written a manuscript and have begun to consider getting it published, here are a few things you need to know about costs and where to find reliable help.
Editing Costs
• Costs of structural/development editing: According to the Editorial Freelancers Association, standard editing rates begin at .20¢-.25¢/word. There are a great many freelancers who will edit for less, but don’t enter into the contract expecting your editor to work for next to nothing. Many editors will ask for a sample of your writing before determining a cost and some also charge by length of the manuscript rather than per word. Prices for editing can vary, so it's important to talk the process out with your editor beforehand.
Lowest rates for structural/development editing: .05¢ per word
Highest rates for structural/development editing: .50¢+ per word
• Costs of copyediting: Many copy editors ask for .02¢ (2 cents) per word but I’ve met a few that will copyedit for around .005¢ (half a cent) per word.
Lowest rates for copyediting: .005¢ per word
Highest rates for copyediting: .10¢ per word
So let’s say your manuscript is 85,000 words. On the low end you’re probably looking at around $425 for copyedits.
Finding an editor that fits your style can be tricky. The best way to find out if an editor is right for you is to ask for a free trial consultation. It may only be a few sentences to show you an example, but it will help you determine if the editor’s style of doing things is right for you. Some editors charge more because they provide more in-depth work of your manuscript.
Cover Design Costs
You know the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’? Well, sorry to say, readers do judge your book on how the cover looks. It’s important to have a design that works for print and digital, which can be pricey. One of the best ways to save money on cover design is to have your own images (NOT stuff you pull from Google) or images you bought from stock photo websites. Pre-made covers are also an option if you can find one that works for you.
Lowest costs of cover design: $150-200
Highest costs of cover design: $3000+
Book Formatting Costs
Converting your manuscript document into Kindle format or pdf can be difficult. The best way to ensure it looks like it should is to hire someone to do it for you. This part of the process is relatively cheap, as most formatters only charge around $100-$500.
Distribution Costs
Naturally if you are going the self-publishing, ebook route your distribution will be free. But whichever retailer you choose, (e.g. Amazon KDP) will get a percentage of your book profits. This will be explained in your contract.
Marketing Costs
This can be a bit tricky. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter offer ways to market your books for free – or for very little cost. You can benefit from doing blog tours for your book, which are also free and having a blog also helps. If you really want to shell out the money, you could get a publicist but it’s difficult to say how they could do any better marketing your ebook than you could. Publicists usually make between $10-40 dollars an hour depending on location.
*Overall self-publishing costs vary depending on the manuscript. These price estimates are based on one set of research and can vary.