When self-publishing a book, there are many additional responsibilities that fall on the author. The author is no longer simply a creator, they are an entrepreneur. They are responsible for a variety of roles and tasks that stretch far beyond writing and include but are not limited to contracting other services or professionals, leading design, marketing, advertising, running a business, and more. Unlike traditionally published authors, independent authors (also known as indie authors) who are self-publishing, do not have a team supporting them. It is possible to build a team of trusted professionals, but they must be sought out and hired by the author. Since I am a self-published author myself (and have another book coming out in only two short weeks), I am very familiar with this process.
Nowadays, there are a variety of online resources that aim to help authors prepare for self-publication. MIBLART and Reedsy are just two examples of websites that offer a plethora of free resources and articles, but also connect authors with professionals directly. They help authors find cover designers, marketing professionals, logo designers, editors, proofreaders, and more. These sites are a great start for new authors. Another way to locate editors or cover designers is by looking at the copyright/informational page inside of other books. Most books list the editor, designer, and other professionals who have worked on the book. Oftentimes, one can easily access their website or social media page, which often lists rates or contact information. Other self-published books are especially good for finding editors/professionals who work with self-publishing authors. I found my professionals through referrals. I asked other indie authors in my genre/network who they recommended, and they provided me with great information.
The estimated costs for self-publishing can vary wildly depending on which services you hire out, and how experienced your professional is. The Editorial Freelancers Association offers a great rate chart which shows suggested rates for various editorial services. The following rates are just a few examples of services:
- Developmental editing — $.03–$.039/wd
- Copy editing —$.02–$.029/wd
- Line editing —$.04–$.049/wd
- Formatting — $.02–$.029/wd
- Proofreading — $300-2000 $.02–$.029/wd (Editorial Rates).
According to the EFA’s rates, even at the “low” end of each suggested rate, the total runs over $10,000 easily for an 80,000-word project. In my experience, I have found editors and designers that I like for much cheaper. In fact, one of my current editors does a package for copy and edit (two separate passes) for only $.005/wd, which is only $400 total for an 80,000-word project. Editing is not her full-time job, but something she enjoys, so she is extremely selective about the projects she takes on. Since I’ve worked with her on prior projects (and was her first developmental client) she even offers me an additional ongoing deal for developmental edits, copy edits, and line edits altogether for $.007/wd for all three passes, which is $560 total. Granted, I took a risk on her in exchange for the cheap rates at the inception of our relationship, but it was worth it. We’ve developed a strong working relationship and I trust her implicitly with my projects. Not only does she get my vision, communicate well, and understand the ins and outs of editing, but she also has a strong line/copy editing history, as she has worked on other projects and built a portfolio.
I found a similar opportunity with formatting. Another indie author friend of mine started offering formatting/proofreading services last year, and she offered me a steep first-client discount if I would take the risk with her. I knew her work ethic, knew her book, and knew she formatted and proofread her own book which was of high quality. I took the risk and last year she formatted my work and proofread it for only $100. Granted, this year, I paid her normal rate, and it came in at about $350 for formatting the hardcover, paperback, and eBook, plus proofreading—which is still a huge discount. For this same project I’m referencing, my cover was $450 for a hardcover, paperback, and eBook from a popular cover designer with a comprehensive portfolio.
The total price for this referenced project (a 110,000-word fantasy-romance novel) was $770 (for developmental, line, and copy edits at 110,000 x $.007/wd) plus $350 (for formatting and proofreading) plus $450 (for the cover), which totals about $1,570. Granted, there are other costs associated with self-publishing that are not often discussed. For instance, ISBNs cost $125 for one, or $295 for a pack of ten. There are free options for ISBNS depending on which formats you’re uploading or which printers/distributors you used, but I paid $295 for the ten pack so I could enable wide distribution (which gets my book in Barnes & Noble, for example). On top of this, it is $50 per upload to Ingram Spark. A hardcover plus paperback upload is $100 total (and eBook is free since I use Amazon’s KDP).
For this project, since it was my authorial debut, I also hired a marketing company for a book tour on social media. This ran about $200. I also hired a character artist for art of my characters which cost about $300 total. A commissioned map cost another $100. All in all, the “main” costs of $1,570 plus these “accessory” costs (including the ten pack of ISBNs) totaled about $2,565. This is what I would consider the cost-effective end of professional self-publishing. Meaning, though I hired all services out professionally, this is the absolute cheapest I found options for. It could potentially be even cheaper if one does not hire out some services, but then they run the risk of quality decreasing. As shown in the ESA’s rate charts self-publishing, more expensive options/professionals can easily run upwards of $10,000 or more.
For the time commitment, I typically allot one month for each editing step (not including the writing process). This is based on my previous publication experience and my crippling anxiety. For instance, I allot one month for my editor’s developmental edits plus another month to work through them. Then I allot two months for my editor’s copy/line combo. (We have a routine, and she works on a few chapters per night, and I go in behind her and work on edits as we go. One month is dedicated to copy and one to line—she does them back-to-back since I keep up on the edits). For formatting and proofreading, I allot another month. This is about five months total for all the editing steps, formatting, and proofreading. I typically hire the cover designer at the start of the editing process, or even earlier, to use the cover for marketing. (My cover designers allow me to update them with final page counts for the physical book spines once they’re done with formatting.) On top of this, I also like to give myself a month to upload my files and order proofs. Ingram Sparks has a process in which I must approve an e-proof before I can order a physical proof, and this can take a few days to a couple of weeks to process. Then, the book can take a couple more weeks to ship. I like to see my physical copies prior to offering them for sale, to ensure quality is up to par. This is about six months total between “finishing” the book writing-wise and completing all the editing and publication steps.
References
“Editorial Rates.” Editorial Freelancers Association, 10 Dec. 2021, www.the-efa.org/rates/.
Bowker | Identifier Services, 2 Feb. 2023, www.myidentifiers.com/identify-protect-your-book/isbn/buy-isbn.
MIBLART, 17 Feb. 2023, miblart.com/.
Reedsy, reedsy.com/.
