How Much Does It Cost?

Ahhh! One of the most frequently asked questions about Self-Publishing is "How Much Does It Cost?" And the answer is... it depends on what your trying to do. It can range from as little as $6,000 to as much as $30,000. Do you just want to see your book in print, or do you want the whole world to see it. If you want everyone to see it, then that costs a lot! Seriously. One thing I always do is give aspiring authors the real deal about publishing, and having a career as an author. Self-Publishing is a business. To become a self-published author, many people think it's just a matter of writing the book, getting someone to edit it, (some people don't even think about that) finding a cover designer, someone to bind it, and BAM! You've got a book ready to show and sale to the world. Not so. First of all, after you finish writing,you have to create a marketing plan. Once you spend all of this money having the book made, who's gonna buy it? And how are they gonna buy it? On Amazon? In the bookstores? Or, are you going to sell direct? Once you create a plan then there's the following:

Where to get the money

Setting up the company

Getting your ISBN #

Finding a distributor or wholesaler

Contacting the bookstores

Promoting

This list doesn't cover everything. There's a lot of work to do! My point is, Self-Publishing is not to be taken lightly. In fact having a career as an author is something that everyone who's considering it needs to think about seriously. Will you have the time to devote to it? It's a full time job. Are you willing to sacrifice a comfortable 9-5 job in exchange for making very little money? The big bucks don't roll in over night. Just something to think about.