Do I Need $$$ to Get Published??
Wednesday Writing Weeklies #91 The Cost of Publishing A Book
Knowing what to pay for and how much publishing a book can cost is essential to plan whether you are planning to publish traditionally or independently. When this question comes up, I often see one broad answer in either direction, gathering every item into an incorrect “yes!” or “no!”
“You should not pay to have your book published.” In some cases, this is true!
“Publishing is expensive, not just anyone can do it.” Once again, sometimes true!
But what’s the real answer? Let’s see where, how, and when you should be putting money into your project and where it is not required.
The Cost of Preparing Your Book for Publication
While I am not going to break down how much each step may cost, I want you to walk away from today’s article understanding what are paid services in this field and what are not.
When it comes to preparing your book, whether you are preparing to publish on your own or you are readying your manuscript for querying, there is one thing you will always have to do: Edit! Whether querying or self-publishing, your book must be edited. Professional editing services have a plethora of options but here are some key takeaways here:
There are different levels: Developmental editing, story editing, line- or word-level edits, and proofreading are all important at different stages of editing a story. You will never edit your book only once. This is something you will do a few times—at least in three rounds!
Beta reading is great! But while you can have both paid and free beta readers, this does not replace professional editing. This is meant for catching glaring errors earlier in your process for story development (Or as a final check before finishing the manuscript!) These are usually from a readers’ perspective, rather than providing technical feedback. You will see beta reading used as a catchall term across social media and writing forums for story development checking, reading before an editor looks at the work, or as a last step. Be wary of that and learn more about the different kinds of editing in WWW: Working with an Editor.
You get what you pay for. Editing is expensive. Be sure to research industry standards and see what you can expect to pay per word. Remember, the longer your book, the more expensive the cost to edit. Prices vary on an editors’ background, education, experience, schedule, and availability.
Do I Need to Pay Someone to Publish My Book?
This is a common question. Have you ever come across a company claiming they will publish and market your book for an exorbitant amount? If anyone is promising you success or if it sounds too good to be true… that’s because it is.
Common Publication Pathways & Costs:
Traditional Publishing: You do not pay to query; you do not pay your literary agent upfront. Your literary agent will pitch your book to publishers. Once a publisher picks your book, there will be a contract including upfront (or staggered) payments for the manuscript directly to the author. A percentage of that amount (around 15-20% usually) will go to the literary agent. If your book is published and sales break even with the cost of development, marketing, and printing; then you will make royalties on all further sales.
Independent Publishing: This is a more “Do It Yourself” route. There are more upfront costs here out of your pocket such as paying for the cover art, cover designers, book formatting, ISBN numbers, marketing, and more. If you are selling through book distributors online that are print-on-demand (think Kindle Unlimited, Draft2Digital, or Amazon) you do not need to pay to list your book. You will share your profits with these distributors and will see royalties on your first sale.
Boutique Publishers, Small Presses, or Vanity Presses: There are many talented indie houses of marketing, editing, and writing masterminds who can help an author market, sell, and print out their book for a price. Some honestly are a huge help and offer legit services but some kinds of Vanity Presses (not all, but this term is usually used this way) focus on getting you to pay them a large upfront cost to “become a best seller!” Do not trust anyone promising you success. If you need help marketing and want to hire someone, great! But be sure to do your research and know exactly what you are paying for.
Vanity presses and independent services for authors are a tangled web of deciding who is trustworthy and who is a scam. While I am only touching on the idea of these companies here, I do want to focus on them alone in a future article. There are many wonderful services out there to help authors traipsing through the jungle that is self-publishing, and I want to help you learn how to vet them yourselves. Stay tuned!
Conclusion
Overall, the best book in the world does not beget free services on merit alone. No amount of money can make your book the best, no matter what a vanity press or a salesperson, trying to buy your hard work, might tell you. Writing and editing a book is hard and yes, it’s going to take some (or lots of) money as well. I know that is not possible for everyone so that is why I focus on providing a plethora of free articles here online to help you not only improve your writing but to help you grow as a writer! You can write a book and clean it up for querying. You can edit it and polish it for self-publishing too! There are many ways to go about these things and as always, I want to show you what you need to be aware of in the meantime.