How Much Does It Cost To Self Publish A Book in 2020?

About this video

Dale L. Roberts walks through the actual costs of self-publishing a short example book in 2020, as the fifth part of a how-to-self-publish series sponsored by Fiverr. Research using Publisher Rocket for keywords, competition and categories cost $97 as a one-time, lifetime fee, which he calls optional but recommended. Because he lacked time, he hired a ghostwriter on Fiverr for a planned 5,000-word manuscript at $250; she delivered 6,100 words, which raised later per-word costs, leading him to advise specifying an explicit word-count cap or range. Editing was a basic gig covering grammar and syntax for $100 (he notes the standard gig he intended to order would have been $140), and proofreading cost $90 for 6,100 words (it would have been $75 at 5,000 words). Interior formatting for both ebook and print cost $75, and a Fiverr Pro cover design for ebook and print cost $280. After Fiverr service fees (5% on gigs over $40), the totals were $262.50 for ghostwriting, $105 for editing, $94.50 for proofreading, $78.75 for formatting and $294 for the cover, for an all-in total he states of $931.75, with publishing itself free. He stresses editing/proofreading by someone other than the writer, hiring out where possible, and that longer manuscripts will cost more.

Key takeaways

• Creator’s stated all-in cost for his short book was $931.75, including fees, for a manuscript that ended up 6,100 words
• Breakdown he gives: Publisher Rocket $97, ghostwriting $262.50 with fee, editing $105, proofreading $94.50, formatting $78.75, cover $294
• Ghostwriter delivered 6,100 words instead of 5,000, raising later per-word editing and proofreading costs — specify a firm word-count cap
• He recommends not editing/proofreading your own work alone, and budgeting for two to three rounds of editing for longer books
• Publishing itself was free in his process; costs came from research, writing, editing, proofreading, formatting and cover design

Episode details: published April 20, 2020 · 12:02 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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