Self-Publishing Cost Calculator

How to use the self-publishing cost calculator

1. Start from a preset: bare minimum, typical indie or fully professional. Then change any line to match your plans.
2. Enter your word count. Editing is priced per word, so length matters most there.
3. Add your own costs, like a website or email software, and your launch budget.
4. Add your royalty per copy to see how many copies cover the typical total. The KDP royalty calculator works it out if you're not sure.

The figures are typical ranges from published price surveys, checked 2026-10-04, not quotes. Real prices depend on the person you hire and your book.

What it costs to self-publish a book

Publishing itself is free on most platforms. KDP, Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play don't charge you to list a book. The costs come from getting the book ready and launching it:

• Editing is usually the biggest cost, and it's priced per word. A proofread catches typos; a copyedit fixes sentences, consistency and clarity; a developmental edit looks at structure and argument, and costs the most.
• The cover ranges from almost free (a tool or a stock image) through a premade design to a custom designer.
• Interior formatting can be free with a formatting tool, or a few hundred dollars and more if you hire a typesetter.
• ISBNs are free from KDP for paperbacks, and Kindle ebooks don't need one. You only pay if you want your own, under your own imprint.
• Proof copies of a paperback cost KDP's printing cost plus shipping.
• Launch costs like ads, review copies and giveaways are up to you.

For a 40,000-word book with a paperback, the presets come out at about $3 to $63 for the bare minimum, $1,075 to $2,405 for a typical indie book, and $3,978 to $9,598 fully professional.

Where you can save money safely

• Don't skip editing entirely, but match it to the book. A clean, well-structured book may only need a copyedit or a proofread. Beta readers are free and catch a lot.
• Use a premade cover from a professional designer instead of a custom one. It still looks the part, for a fraction of the price.
• Format it yourself with a tool if your book is mostly text. Hire help for complex layouts, like cookbooks or picture-heavy guides.
• Use the free ISBN for your paperback unless you want your own imprint. See do you need an ISBN for an ebook?
• Start small with ads, and spend more only when you know what a sale costs you.

Where not to cut: a clear cover that works at thumbnail size, and enough editing that readers aren't tripped up by mistakes. Both show up in your reviews. For what you'll earn once it's out, see how to make money selling ebooks. For every step from finished file to store, see our guide to self-publishing an ebook.