To self publish a book, you finish and edit your manuscript, prepare a cover and interior files, decide how you will handle ISBNs, and upload your book to platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press, or Google Play Books. Uploading is free on most of these platforms, and each one pays you a share of every sale. Your main costs are usually editing, cover design, and any ISBNs you choose to buy.
One note before we start: platform terms change often. Every figure below was checked in October 2026, but please confirm it on each platform's own help pages before you publish.
A first draft is a starting point, not a finished book. Before you spend money on anything else, revise.
Let the draft rest for a few weeks, then read it fresh.
Fix big problems first: plot holes, slow chapters, missing sections.
Ask two or three trusted readers for honest feedback.
Read the book out loud. Clunky sentences are easy to hear.
Editing is where cutting corners shows the most. Readers notice typos, and reviewers mention them.
Most books move through these stages, from big picture to small details:
Developmental editing: structure, plot, pacing, and argument.
Line editing: the flow and style of each sentence.
Copyediting: grammar, spelling, consistency, and facts.
Proofreading: a final check for small errors after layout.
The EFA publishes median rates from a survey of its members. Its 2026 chart, based on more than 1,100 responses collected from November 2025 to mid-January 2026, lists these median ranges for fiction:
Developmental editing: 3.0 to 3.5 cents per word
Copyediting: 2.0 to 2.7 cents per word
Proofreading: about 1.2 to 2.0 cents per word
For an 80,000-word novel, that works out to roughly $2,400 to $2,800 for a developmental edit, $1,600 to $2,160 for a copyedit, and $960 to $1,600 for a proofread. Nonfiction usually costs more. The same chart lists 4.0 to 5.0 cents per word for nonfiction developmental editing.
Rates vary by editor, genre, and how much work your manuscript needs. Use these numbers for planning, not as fixed prices.
Your cover is a sales tool. At thumbnail size, it should look like it belongs in your genre. Study the covers of recent popular books in your category and note the fonts, colors, and images they share.
The EFA 2026 chart lists a median book cover design price of $350 per project, with a mean of about $431. Illustrated or custom work can cost much more.
Interior formatting means laying out the text for print and ebook. Ebooks use reflowable text, so the reader's device controls the font size. Print books need fixed pages with margins, page numbers, and running headers.
Trim size is the final size of your printed book. Common choices for adult paperbacks include:
5 x 8 inches
5.5 x 8.5 inches
6 x 9 inches (very common for nonfiction and many novels)
Pick the size most common in your genre, and check that your printer supports it. A larger trim size means fewer pages, which can lower your print cost.
An ISBN is a 13-digit number that identifies one edition of one book. Each format, such as paperback and hardcover, needs its own ISBN.
In the United States, Bowker is the official ISBN agency, and it sells through its MyIdentifiers site. Current Bowker pricing is:
1 ISBN: $125
10 ISBNs: $295 ($29.50 each)
100 ISBNs: $575
If you plan more than one format or more than one book, the 10-pack usually costs less over time. Owning your ISBN lets you list your own imprint name as the publisher.
KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, and Draft2Digital offer free ISBNs. These are a fine choice if your budget is tight. The catch is that a free platform ISBN usually ties that edition to that platform, so you cannot reuse it elsewhere. Many ebook stores do not require an ISBN at all.
In the US, your work is protected by copyright as soon as you write it down. You do not need to register to own it. Registration with the US Copyright Office creates a public record, and you generally need a registration (or at least an application) before you can sue for infringement in federal court.
Current US Copyright Office fees, from Circular 4, are:
Single Application: $45 (one work, one author who is also the claimant, not made for hire)
Standard Application: $65 (most other online filings)
Paper filing: $125
Fees are generally nonrefundable and can change, so check copyright.gov before you file.
You can publish with one platform or several. Here are the main options and their terms as of October 2026.
KDP is free to use and covers ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers.
Ebooks: you choose a 35% or 70% royalty. Since July 7, 2026, the 70% option on Amazon.com applies to ebooks priced from $2.99 to $12.99. Before that, the ceiling was $9.99, a limit that had not moved since 2007. The 70% option also deducts a small delivery fee based on file size.
Existing ebooks do not switch on their own. If your ebook is priced between $10 and $12.99, you must select the 70% option yourself.
Print: since June 10, 2025, paperbacks and hardcovers priced at $9.99 or more earn 60% of list price minus printing cost. Books priced below $9.99 earn 50% minus printing cost.
KDP Select is optional. You agree to sell your ebook only through the Kindle store for 90 days at a time. In return, your ebook joins Kindle Unlimited, where you are paid for pages read, and you can run either up to five free promotion days or a Kindle Countdown Deal in each 90-day term. The exclusivity covers the ebook, not your print edition.
IngramSpark is a print and ebook distributor that reaches bookstores and libraries. Title setup is free. Since February 1, 2026, a market access fee of 1.875% of list price applies to books sold through its distribution network. You also set a wholesale discount, commonly between 40% and 55%, which affects what you keep.
Revision fees have been in flux. Several 2026 reports said revisions became free on February 1, 2026, but a later IngramSpark user guide describes a $25 charge for revisions after you approve your eproof. Check the current pricing guide before you upload.
Draft2Digital is an aggregator. You upload once and it sends your ebook to many stores and library services. Draft2Digital's own FAQ says its commission equals approximately 10% of the retail price of every book sale. Since April 14, 2026, new accounts pay a one-time $20 activation fee when they turn on distribution, and accounts earning under $100 over 12 months pay a $12 yearly maintenance fee.
Going direct to each store skips the aggregator's cut.
Apple Books for Authors: 70% on ebooks at any price, with no file delivery fees.
Kobo Writing Life: 70% on ebooks priced at $2.99 or more, and 45% below that.
Barnes & Noble Press: 70% on ebooks priced at $0.99 or more. Print earns 55% of list price minus printing cost. Payments start once you have at least $25 in royalties.
Google Play Books: 70% of list price in more than 60 countries for partners who accepted its updated terms, and 52% otherwise.
"Wide" means selling on many stores. "Exclusive" means using KDP Select. Neither is right for everyone. Kindle Unlimited suits fast readers of series fiction. Going wide reaches readers on other stores and in libraries. Because Select runs in 90-day terms, you can try one path and switch later.
Your book's details, often called metadata, help readers find it.
Title and subtitle: clear and searchable. Nonfiction subtitles should say what the reader will learn.
Description: a hook in the first two lines, then the stakes or the benefit.
Keywords and categories: choose the ones readers actually browse.
Price: look at similar books in your genre, and keep KDP's royalty bands in mind.
Always order a printed proof before you release a print edition. Check the cover colors, margins, and spine text. Read a few pages on paper. Then publish, and keep a copy of every final file.
Uploading is free on KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play Books. Draft2Digital now charges new accounts $20. Editing, design, and ISBNs are the costs most authors pay.
Print books need one. You can buy your own from Bowker ($125 for one or $295 for ten) or use a free platform ISBN. Many ebook stores do not require one.
Either 35% or 70% of list price. Since July 7, 2026, the 70% option applies to ebooks priced from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com, minus a delivery fee.
You own the copyright as soon as you write the work. Registration costs $45 or $65 online and gives you a public record and the ability to sue for infringement.
Your idea is unique, and you need a company that will take it from start to finish. We are here for all the steps, so your legacy can live in words.