How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book on Amazon?
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
If you’ve decided to jump into the world of self-publishing, you might be worried about the financial cost. How much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon or another platform? While it is possible to self-publish for absolutely free, you will want to make sure that your project has a fighting chance by either training yourself in various skills or hiring out freelance providers. Hiring a content editor, a line editor, a freelance proofreader, a formatter, a cover designer, and a marketing copywriter—that adds up, even before you consider a marketing budget or doing paid ads for writers. You might also be wondering: How much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon?
How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book on Amazon?
Technically, nothing. In fact, you could make money doing it. Self-publishing a book on Amazon can be a great way for authors to get their work out into the world. Amazon offers two different royalty plans for ebooks, the 70% option and the 35% option. The 70% option is available for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, while the 35% option applies to books priced at $0.01-2.98 or any book over $9.99. You can also add a paperback or hardcover version of your project, as well as worldwide distribution. You only pay a fee to Amazon for any of this when you sell a copy of your book. Setting everything up is free.
Most of the answer to how much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon involves the cost of hiring an editor and other dedicated service providers to help you prepare a book for publication. The average cost to publish a book falls within the $200-$10,000 range and includes paying an editor for hire, and publishing costs such as cover design, formatting, and an ISBN number or barcode (though the latter two can be sourced for free).
How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book on Amazon Considering Marketing?
Once the book is published, authors need to think about how to promote it. Posting occasional teasers or updates about your writing and publishing process on any social media platform for writers is a great way to market your book without annoying your audience. But this also doesn’t tend to move the needle on sales that much. You should also make sure to get reviews on Amazon, as people associate both the number and quality of reviews with the quality of the book itself. You can ask your friends, family, and networks to leave a review once the book is out, or you can peruse other book listings in your genre and find people that Amazon ranks as top reviewers. You can then reach out to them and ask them to review your book, or run an advance reader copy campaign to send a preview of your book to interested readers in exchange for an honest review. Some of these techniques are free, while others, like doing a BookBub promotion, cost money.
Finally, authors can also try Amazon ads to generate more book sales. Amazon ads can be a great way to get your book into the hands of readers who might never have otherwise found it. The beauty of Amazon ads is that you can run a campaign based on search terms (what users type into the Amazon search bar), and/or you can run ads focused on similar books to yours, also called comp titles in the publishing industry. How much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon? That depends on whether you have a budget to spend on Amazon ads and other promotional materials.
Overall, self-publishing a book on Amazon can be a great way for you to get your work out into the world. With the right strategies, you can make the most of Amazon's self-publishing platform and use it to reach new readers and make sales. How much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon? Anywhere from zero to thousands of dollars.
For those eagle-eyed readers who are wondering just what kind of editor or publishing professional would have an article with the clunky phrasing of “how much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon” over and over on their website, I applaud you for noticing that this reads awkwardly. Please note that I picked this keyword phrase on purpose, as part of my SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. If you’re curious about writer marketing techniques, check out Good Story Marketing.
Customized Book Marketing Solutions
Marketing services for writers are essential if you’re looking to reach audiences and stand out on shelves. Whether you’re looking to build your platform ahead of publication or already have a book out, we can help with marketing strategy and even do the heavy lifting. Reach more readers, build an audience, and increase your visibility. Good Story Marketing plans and services can help you achieve your goals and tell your story to the world!