By Mike Kowis, Esq.
When I began writing my first book, I never stopped to consider how much it would cost to produce the final product, bring it to market and then spread the word to potential customers. I simply started typing and assumed the cost would be minimal. Fast forward to today (approximately 3 months after I published Engaging College Students: A Fun and Edgy Guide for Professors), and the reality of just how expensive this endeavor actually was has finally sunk in. To date, I have spent a GRAND TOTAL of approximately…
[drum roll please]
Seven Thousand Smack-a-roos. Really? Really, really? Holy Toledo! Where did all that money go?
For anyone thinking about self-publishing your future book, you might be interested in the following breakdown of costs to write, self-publish and market my new non-fiction book in three formats (eBook, paperback and hard cover) via CreateSpace, KDP and Ingram Spark. Of course, there are plenty of other books created, self-published and promoted at a total price well below and above my total cost. From what I’ve read thus far, I believe my total cost is not uncommon for a self-published book. In any case, the following cost breakdown for my new book should give folks a rough idea of what to expect if they decide to take a similar path down the exciting road of Self-publishing Lane.
WRITING COSTS: $2,400
Developmental Edits…………………………………………..$1,000
Copyediting………………………….…………………………$1,400
SELF-PUBLISHING COSTS: $2,500
Domain name, webhosting contract (3 years) and website theme…..….……….….$300
ISBN numbers (pack of 10)……..…………………………………………………$250
Book Cover Design………………………………………………………………….$850
Interior formatting and eBook conversion, including later corrections for typos…..$500
Professional author pic (for back cover, website, social media pages, etc.)…………$150
Purchased rights to use name, likeness, quotes of third parties used in the book……$100
Editorial Book Review……..………………………………………….…………….$100
Proof copies of print books and fast shipping from Ingram Spark/CreateSpace……$100
File uploading fees for Ingram Spark (CreateSpace was free)………………………$100
Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office, including cost to mail 2 copies………..$50
MARKETING COSTS FOR THE FIRST 90 DAYS: $2,100
Purchased 150 paperback copies and mailed them to colleges, news media, give-away
contest winners and book reviewers……………………..………………..$1,050
Entered 10 book contests…………………………………………………………$800
Ads on Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads………..……………………….………$150
Office supplies (envelops and postage) to mail books and follow-up letters………$100
Now for the GOOD NEWS! I self-published my second book for only $1,500 using the same 14-step process and that book has sold over 5,000 copies todate. You can find out all the cost details and also how to save big $$$ in my award-winning self-publishing guide entitled 14 STEPS TO SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK!
Copyright © 2018 Mike Kowis, Esq.
