Writing a book is no easy task, but if you have done it then congratulations! Writing a book and having it ready to put out into the world is a huge accomplishment, but there are a few more steps you need to take. 

One of the biggest steps you need to take next is actually publishing your book. It can be a bit daunting if you have never done it before, but once you have, it gets easier.

The biggest question people have about publishing is how much does it cost? 

If this is your question, then you have come to the right place. We have put together everything you need to know about how much it costs to publish a book, as well as some other information you should be aware of. 

How Much Does It Cost To Publish A Book? 

The cost of publishing a book really depends on how you publish it. You can either get it published through a publishing company, or you can self-publish it. 

Self-publishing a book that is high quality can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000. It isn’t cheap to self-publish and this price range might be a bit out of your budget.

But lots of successful writers have got their success from self-publishing. 

The more traditional way of getting your book published through a publishing company is a lot cheaper.

It can actually cost next to nothing at first because the publisher takes care of things like editing, formatting, cover design, and proofreading. 

But marketing is where a lot of your money goes when you go down this method. Once you factor the marketing costs in, you will be looking to spend around $500 to $10,000.

The average cost of publishing a book is usually about $3,000. 

It really depends on how much marketing you want to invest in, but remember, a well-marketed book can make all the difference in terms of its success. 

Cost Of Publishing By Genre 

Another thing you have to take into consideration is that different genres cost different amounts of money to publish.

A fantasy book is going to cost a lot more than say historical fiction for example. Let’s have a brief look at some popular genres and how much they will cost to publish. 

As previously mentioned, the average cost of publishing a book is usually around $3,000, so with these genres, you can use this price as a base and add the extra to get your rough total. 

Science Fiction/Fantasy

These genres of books are widely considered to be the most popular genre.

They are usually double the amount of words in comparison to other genres, which means the cost to publish is going to be higher. 

The publisher also covers things like editing, formatting, and proofreading, and these will be factored into the overall price. Typically, you can expect to pay an extra $1,000 for science fiction/fantasy books. 

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction books require a lot more fact-checking than fiction books and contribute to the overall cost to publish this genre of book.

Also, indexing and editing fees are a lot higher, so you can expect to pay around $1,000 on top of the average fee. 

Historical Fiction

Like non-fiction books, historical fiction books also require more fact-checking than science fiction.

Even though it is fiction, it still borrows from a factual genre, and this means the costs will be higher. 

This means that editing rates will increase, and you can expect to pay between $300-$500 more than other books. 

Steps In Publishing A Book

There are quite a few steps that you have to go through in order before publishing your book.

It can feel overwhelming at first, but we are going to make it simple and easy for you here. Follow the steps below to publish your book. 

Step 1: Edit Your Book

Even if you have already proofread and edited your book countless times, you need to go over it once more and make sure everything is in order.

Once you are happy with how it is, you can move on to the next step. 

Step 2: Beta Readers

With your manuscript finished, you then need to send it to beta readers. They will give you constructive feedback and criticism which you can use for the next edit.

Be open to what they say and be prepared to make some changes once you have received their notes. 

Step 3: Hire A Professional Editor

Once you have made the edits, you then need to hire a professional editor to edit your book. This can cost anywhere from $1,000-$2,000.

It really depends on the length of your book. 

Step 4: If Your Book Is Non-Fiction, Index It 

This step only applies if you have written a non-fiction book. Book indexing can cost anywhere between $70-$500. You can also hire a book formatter to do this, but that will cost between $50-$1,000. 

Step 5: Sort Out Your Book Cover

You can do this yourself if you want to save money, but it’s in your best interest to hire a book cover designer to do this instead.

This usually costs around $299-$2,000. You usually have to hire a cover designer after you have formatted your book. 

Step 6: Market Your Book

Marketing needs to start before you publish your book and well after it has been published too! It can cost anywhere between $200-$2,000 to market your book properly. 

Step 7: Hire A Proofreader & Then Publish

Finally, hire a proofreader to make sure that your book is completely in order. Once proofreading is done, you shouldn’t make any more edits. This can cost anywhere from $500-$1,000. 

After you have done this, your book will be ready for publishing in whichever way you choose to do it! 

Conclusion

On average, publishing a book can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000, but remember that there are lots of other factors too!