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How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book in 2026?
The cost to publish a book starts at $0: uploading to Amazon KDP (Amazon’s publishing platform) or IngramSpark (the service bookstores and libraries order from) is free. Getting the book ready is where the money goes. With us, a 60,000-word novel costs $1,557 for a proofread Kindle ebook and $5,499 for an edited ebook and paperback in five stores. A book written and published for you starts at $7,839.
- Every price published
- No email needed
- Checked October 2026
Three ways to publish a book, and what each costs
The cost of publishing a book depends mostly on how much of the work you hand over. On every route, you keep 100% of your rights and royalties.
| Compare | Route 1Do it yourself | Route 2Professionally produced | Route 3Written for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs | Free, or a few hundred dollars for your own ISBNs and printed proofs | From $537 if your manuscript is edited. From $2,659 with editing. | From $7,839 |
| What it covers | Free KDP upload, a free KDP ISBN (your book’s ID number) for print sold on Amazon, a template cover and your own editing. Optional: your own ISBNs ($125, or $295 for ten, as of October 2026) and printed proof copies at print cost plus shipping. | Cover design, formatting (the layout of your inside pages) and store setup, with editing in the Author-Polished bundles | Ghostwriting, editing, design and full publishing setup |
| Packages | None. You buy each piece or skip it. | Publish-Ready $537, $1,239 or $1,779 for an edited manuscript. Author-Polished from $2,659, $3,319 or $4,143 with editing. Prices for 20,000 words; Author-Polished shown for fiction. | Launch-Ready from $7,839: ghostwriting at your genre’s per-word rate, plus cover, formatting and publishing |
| Timeline | Your own pace | 2 to 6 weeks (Publish-Ready) or 4 to 8 weeks (Author-Polished) for shorter books | 10 to 29 weeks, depending on length |
| Time from you | High | Review and approval only | Interviews and reviews |
| Best for | A first title you are testing the market with | An author with a finished manuscript | An author with a story and no time to write |
Swipe the table sideways to compare all three routes.
How much does it cost to publish a book yourself?
Nothing to upload. Amazon KDP, IngramSpark and Draft2Digital are free to publish on, and KDP gives a free ISBN for print books sold through Amazon. Low cost book publishing means doing more of the work yourself. Our guide on how to self-publish a book shows which steps you can do for free.
How much does it cost to self publish a book?
It depends on the book. Pick yours to see the cost to self publish a book like it at our published prices, with ebook and paperback in five stores unless noted. Each total is one bundle price.
Novel
An Amazon hardcover is a $79 add-on, priced into your bundle on your quote.
Memoir
Business and non-fiction
Tables add $10 each and images $6 each to place in the layout. Footnotes or endnotes cost $75 up to 50, $150 for 51 to 200 and $250 for 201 or more.
Children’s
Illustration is usually the largest cost in a children’s book. Every type is priced in full on the children’s book page.
Book a Call With a Children’s Book SpecialistPoetry and specialty
Already edited
Other lengths in the calculator. Longer books take longer, and your exact date is in your quote.
Lean or professional: two budgets for the same book
Here is the estimated cost to self-publish a book two ways, at your word count. Pick a length to update both prices.
Lean
$1,55760,000 words$1,90780,000 words$2,08290,000 words
- EditingProofreading: final typo pass
- CoverEbook cover
- FormattingEbook
- PublishingKindle ebook on Amazon
- Built fromProofreading plus Publish-Ready Starter
- TimelineProofreading in 3 to 7 business days, then 2 to 3 weeks for design and setup
- Best forA first book, testing the market
- You give upDeeper editing, print, other stores
Professional
Recommended$5,49960,000 words$6,91980,000 words$7,62990,000 words
- EditingLine edit, copy edit and proofread
- CoverEbook, paperback and hardcover wrap
- FormattingAll three editions
- PublishingEbooks in five stores plus the Amazon paperback
- Built fromAuthor-Polished Starter, fiction rates
- Timeline4 to 6 weeks at 30,000 words. Longer books take longer, and your date is in your quote.
- Best forMany authors, and anyone who wants print
- You give upStory and structure feedback, which the Growth bundle adds
Line, copy and proofreading alone at EFA 2026 median rates costs $3,540 to $4,920 (ours: $4,260)60,000 words$4,720 to $6,560 (ours: $5,680)80,000 words$5,310 to $7,380 (ours: $6,390)90,000 words
Not sure which editing you need? A $49 sample edit tells you.
What each publishing service costs
Buy only the steps your book still needs, or combine them in a bundle. Every service comes with rounds of changes set out in your agreement.
Self-publishing bundles
Pick the bundle that matches where your book is today. A bundle is one price, one contract, one team and one timeline.
- Publish-Ready Starter: an ebook on Amazon, fast$537up to 20,000 words
- Publish-Ready Growth: ebook and paperback in every major store$1,239up to 20,000 words
- Publish-Ready Authority: adds bookstores, libraries and hardcover$1,779up to 20,000 words
- Author-Polished Starter: for a finished draft that needs cleaner writing$2,659fiction, 20,000 words
- Author-Polished Growth: for a draft that needs help with the story itself$3,319fiction, 20,000 words
- Author-Polished Authority: full editing, custom cover art, every store$4,143fiction, 20,000 words
- Launch-Ready Starter: short books and guides, written for you$7,839fiction, 20,000 words
- Launch-Ready Growth: memoirs and full-length nonfiction$18,144fiction, 50,000 words
- Launch-Ready Authority: novels and in-depth memoirs$32,017fiction, 90,000 words
Author-Polished and Launch-Ready are shown for fiction; nonfiction and memoir use their own rates. Add your author website and newsletter to any bundle, from $499. Longer books take longer. Timelines depend on quick feedback from you. Your exact date is in your quote.
See every package →Ghostwriting cost
Your book written from interviews, priced per word by genre. Includes all four EFA editing levels. Every word written by a human writer.
- Fiction33¢ a wordfrom $6,600
- Nonfiction55¢ a wordfrom $11,000
- Memoir68¢ a wordfrom $13,600
20,000-word minimum; over 120,000 words is quoted on your call. Timelines: 8 to 12 weeks up to 30,000 words, 12 to 18 up to 50,000, 18 to 27 up to 120,000. Need it sooner? Rush delivery is +25%, subject to writer approval and confirmed on your call.
See ghostwriting rates →Editing cost
Priced by the word, by level and genre. Fiction rates shown; nonfiction and memoir rates are on the editing page.
- Proofreading$160first 10,000 words, then $0.016
- Copy edit$240first 10,000 words, then $0.024
- Line edit$310first 10,000 words, then $0.031
- Developmental edit$330first 10,000 words, then $0.033
- Editorial assessment, written notes only$180first 10,000 words, then $0.018
Proofreading takes 3 to 7 business days, copy editing 5 to 10, line editing 7 to 12 and developmental editing 15 to 25. All four levels at EFA 2026 fiction medians come to $0.089 to $0.117 a word; ours come to $0.104. Sample edit: $49 for up to 1,000 words, taken off your edit if you book within 60 days.
See editing rates →Cover design cost
A cover designed for your genre, with rounds of changes in every tier.
- Ebook$1992 rounds of changes
- Ebook, paperback and hardcover wrap$3993 rounds of changes
- With a custom illustration$9995 rounds of changes
Ebook and print covers take 7 to 10 business days, illustrated covers 10 to 14.
See cover designs →Formatting cost
Formatting is the layout of your inside pages, for ebook and print. Prices rise with length.
- Ebook, up to 20,000 words$89then $15 per 10,000
- Print, up to 20,000 words$199then $25 per 10,000
- All three editions: ebook, paperback, hardcover$429then $35 per 10,000
- Picture book, 32 pages: ebook, print, all three$249, $299, $499
- Photo and diagram layout, 100 pages: ebook, print, all three$799, $999, $1,495then $8, $10, $15 a page
Up to 50,000 words: 3 to 5 business days for an ebook, 7 to 10 for all three editions.
See formatting options →Illustration cost
Human illustrators matched to your genre and age group.
- Spot$99
- Half page$149
- Full page$199
- 16 illustrations, picture book formatting included$2,595
- 24 illustrations, formatting included$3,495
- Comic and graphic novel pages$199 black and white, $249 color$169 and $219 from 24 pages
Publishing cost
Store setup, with every account in your name.
- Amazon: Kindle ebook, Author Central, 3 categories$2495 to 10 business days
- Online Stores: ebooks in five stores plus the Amazon paperback$54910 to 15 business days, plus proof shipping
- Global: adds IngramSpark paperback and hardcover, Amazon hardcover, libraries, your own ISBNs$99915 to 30 business days
Print books need an ISBN. Amazon gives a free one for its paperback. For other print books, use your own ISBN ($30 plus the agency fee). Some ebook stores ask for one too, and we confirm it on your call. The EFA 2026 rate chart shows a mean of $840 for self-publishing assistance.
See publishing tiers →Marketing cost
Marketing assets you own: a website and newsletter, your Amazon page, a launch plan and press. Ads optional, in your name.
- Author Page: 1 page, newsletter and 3 welcome emails, year 1 hosting$4992 to 3 weeks
- Author Website: 5 pages, blog, ebook sales, newsletter, year 1 hosting$1,4993 to 4 weeks
- Amazon page and author profilesfrom $399
- Launch planfrom $299
- Press releasefrom $199
- Popular combinations$1,197, $2,897, $4,245
Translation cost
Your book translated into another language, priced per word.
- Spanish, German, Italianfrom $0.09 a word$7,200 for 80,000 words
- French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabicquoted on the manuscript
EFA 2026 median for translation from English: $0.12 to $0.19 a word.
See translation services →Audiobook cost
Narrated audiobook production.
- Production$0.045 a word$899 minimum
- A 70,000-word book$3,150
Need it sooner? Rush delivery is +15%, subject to availability.
Costs outside your quote
These are paid to the platforms and agencies, not to us, as of October 2026. ISBN agency fees, printed proofs and Copyright Office fees are paid by you directly, with no markup.
| Cost | What to budget | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Paperback printing | Black and white: $2.30 a copy up to 108 pages, then $1.00 plus $0.012 a page. A 300-page paperback costs $4.60. Color costs more. | Amazon KDP or IngramSpark, taken from each sale |
| Hardcover printing | $5.65 plus $0.012 a page on KDP. A 300-page hardcover costs $9.25. | Amazon KDP or IngramSpark, taken from each sale |
| Ebook delivery fee | $0.15 per MB on the 70% royalty option. A $4.99 ebook earns $3.28 (2 MB file), as of October 2026. | Amazon, taken from each ebook sale |
| IngramSpark distribution | Title setup and revisions are free. A 1.875% market access fee applies to distribution sales. | IngramSpark, taken from each sale |
| Proof copies | Printing cost plus shipping | Amazon KDP or IngramSpark |
| ISBNs | $125 for one or $295 for ten. One per format. KDP gives a free ISBN for print sold through Amazon. | Bowker |
| Copyright registration | $45 for one work by one author filed online, $65 standard. A fee schedule sent to Congress in July 2026 would raise these to $55 and $85 in late 2026. | US Copyright Office |
| Ad spend | Whatever you set, if you choose to run ads. We can set up or manage your ads; ad spend is always billed to you. | Amazon or Meta, billed to your card |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
What changes the price, and where to save
Four things move the total. Four choices bring it down without cutting what readers notice.
What changes the price
- Word count and editing depth. Editing is priced per word, so length and depth move the total most. On a 60,000-word novel, a proofread is $960, line, copy and proofreading $4,260, and all four levels $6,240.
- Illustration. It is why a 1,000-word picture book can cost more than a 40,000-word business book.
- Formats and stores. An ebook on Amazon only is the floor. Paperback, hardcover and bookstore distribution each add a step.
- Marketing. Marketing assets such as an author website are paid once, with hosting from year 2. Ad spend is never part of our price; if you run ads, you pay each platform directly.
Where to save
- Publish on Amazon first with a free KDP ISBN, then add other stores later.
- Start with the ebook and add print once the book is selling.
- Buy only the editing level your manuscript needs. A $49 sample edit tells you which.
- Buy ten ISBNs at $295 once you need three or more. Three singles cost $375.
Do not cut: a copy edit and a proofread, the cover, and a printed proof copy.
Optional add-ons and what they cost
Everything here is optional and priced up front. Filter by stage.
Formatting
- Hardcover interior with print formatting$150included with all three editions
- Custom ornament set with print formatting$99included with all three editions
- Art style kit$499 with print, $399 with all three editions
- Extra illustrationsfrom $99
- Images or photos placed in the layout$6 each
- Tables and charts$10 each
- Footnotes or endnotes$75 up to 5051 to 200 $150; 201 or more $250
- Index typesetting, you supply the terms$150
- Extra round of changes$75
Publishing
- Your own ISBN on the Amazon tier$30plus the Bowker fee
- Amazon hardcover, at or after launch$79
- Copyright registration filing$199plus the Copyright Office fee
- Series setup on Amazon$99
- Amazon book description rewrite$150
- Audiobook production$0.045 a word$899 minimum
- Translationfrom $0.09 a word
Editing
- Beta reader coordination (test readers), 5 readers$599
- Beta reader coordination, 8 readers$849
- Editorial assessment, written notes onlyfrom $180
Cover
- Paperback wrap on the ebook cover$149
- Audiobook cover, 3000 by 3000 pixels$149
- Marketing graphics package$299included with the illustrated cover
Marketing
Website-led book marketing from $199: an author website and newsletter, your Amazon page, a launch plan and press. Popular combinations cost $1,197, $2,897 and $4,245. Ads optional, in your name.
See book marketing packages →Need it sooner? Rush delivery is +15%, subject to availability.
What every quote includes, and what to avoid in any quote
Your written quote is built from the rates on this page, your word count and the add-ons you choose. Use the right-hand list on any publishing quote you receive, ours included.
Included with every AuthorWings quote
- A free 30-minute call and a written quote within 48 hours.
- Your estimate lands within 10% to 15% of your written quote.
- Rounds of changes set out in your agreement.
- Every source file at handoff.
- Store accounts in your name, with 100% of your rights and royalties.
- Flexible, milestone-based payments, set out in your agreement before work starts.
ISBN agency fees, printed proofs, Copyright Office fees, press release distribution, editorial review fees, award entry fees and delivery tool fees are paid by you directly, with no markup.
Red flags in any publishing quote
- A share of your royalties, for any length of time.
- Store accounts opened in the company’s name.
- No source files at handoff.
- Author copies sold above printing cost.
- Free items sold as package features, such as the KDP upload or a free ISBN.
- A low starting price for a junior editor, with a senior upgrade offered at contract stage.
- A price that only appears after a sales call.
Will you make your money back?
Copies to break even equal what you spent divided by what you keep per copy. Here is the $5,499 professional budget for a 60,000-word novel, using royalties before Amazon’s ebook delivery fee.
sales of a $4.99 ebook
sales of a $12.99 ebook
sales of a 250-page paperback at $14.99
Amazon pays 70% on ebooks priced $2.99 to $12.99; the top of the band rose from $9.99 on July 7, 2026. Above $12.99 it pays 35%, so a $13.00 ebook earns about half as much per sale and needs 1,209 sales to cover the same budget. After the delivery fee, a $4.99 ebook earns $3.28 (2 MB file), as of October 2026.
Self-publishing, hybrid or traditional publishing?
Who pays for production decides who keeps the rights and most of the royalties.
Traditional
$0 upfront
The publisher pays for production and an advance; literary agent Kate McKean estimates $5,000 to $25,000 for a typical debut. You earn 10% to 15% on hardcovers and 7.5% on paperbacks, pay an agent 15%, and license your rights.
Hybrid
$3,000 to $25,000+
You pay for production up front, and the hybrid publisher also takes a share of every sale, commonly 30% to 50% of royalties, for the life of the book. Some also keep part of your rights.
Self-publishing
From $249
You pay for production, from $249 to publish finished files to $5,499 for a professional 60,000-word book. You keep every right and earn up to 70% on ebooks priced $2.99 to $12.99 and 60% on paperbacks priced $9.99 or more, less printing.
Book publishing cost questions authors ask
Straight answers on what publishing a book costs, where the money goes, and what you can skip.
Does it cost money to publish a book?
No, uploading a book to Amazon KDP, IngramSpark or Draft2Digital is free. What costs money is preparing it: editing, a cover, formatting and store setup. With us, a 60,000-word novel costs $1,557 for a proofread Kindle ebook and $5,499 for an edited ebook and paperback in five stores. Printing is taken from each sale, so nothing is paid upfront for copies.
What is the average cost to self publish a book?
There is no reliable single average, because the cost depends on length and how much you hire out. Doing most of the work yourself can cost nothing, or a few hundred dollars for your own ISBNs and printed proofs. With us, a 60,000-word novel costs $1,557 to $5,499. Line, copy and proofreading alone on 60,000 words runs $3,540 to $4,920 at EFA 2026 median rates; ours is $4,260.
How much does it cost to publish a book on Amazon?
Publishing on Amazon KDP is free, and KDP gives you a free ISBN for print books sold on Amazon. Amazon takes printing from each paperback sale, from $2.30 a copy, and a delivery fee from each ebook sale. A $4.99 ebook earns $3.28 (2 MB file), as of October 2026. Our Amazon tier is $249 for the Kindle ebook. See the full Amazon cost breakdown.
How much does an ISBN cost?
An ISBN (your book’s ID number) from Bowker costs $125 for one or $295 for ten in the US, as of October 2026. Each format needs its own, so an ebook, paperback and hardcover need three. KDP gives a free ISBN for print sold on Amazon, and Kindle ebooks do not need one. We can register yours for $30 plus the Bowker fee.
How much does a book editor cost?
A book editor charges by the word. At EFA 2026 median rates, fiction editing runs $0.012 to $0.020 a word for proofreading and $0.030 to $0.035 for developmental editing. Our fiction rates run from $0.016 a word for proofreading to $0.033 for developmental editing, single edits start at $160, and line, copy and proofreading on a 60,000-word novel is $4,260. See editing rates.
How much does it cost to publish a hardcover book?
Designing a hardcover adds nothing beyond our $399 cover and all-three-editions formatting from $429, which include the hardcover wrap and interior. An Amazon hardcover adds $79 to the $549 Online Stores tier, and IngramSpark hardcover comes with the $999 Global tier. KDP printing is $5.65 plus $0.012 a page, so a 300-page hardcover costs $9.25 a copy, as of October 2026.
How much does it cost to publish a book traditionally?
Nothing upfront. The publisher pays every production cost and pays you an advance; literary agent Kate McKean estimates $5,000 to $25,000 for a typical debut. You pay later through lower royalties, typically 10% to 15% on hardcovers, 7.5% on paperbacks and 25% of net on ebooks, plus 15% to your agent.
How much does it cost to write and publish a book?
Ghostwriting is priced per word by genre: 33¢ for fiction, 55¢ for nonfiction and 68¢ for memoir, from $6,600 for 20,000 words, with all four editing levels included. A Launch-Ready bundle adds cover design, formatting and publishing, from $7,839 in total. If you write it yourself, a 60,000-word novel costs $1,557 to $5,499 to edit, design and publish. See ghostwriting.
How much does it cost to publish a children’s book?
A 32-page picture book costs $1,542 to $4,493 with us: $1,542 with your own art, $3,593 with 16 illustrations and $4,493 with 24. Written and illustrated for you, it is $4,947. Publishing alone starts at $249 if your files are finished. Chapter books start at $2,019 and middle grade at $4,079. See children’s book costs.
How much does it cost to independently publish a book in a series?
Each book costs about the same to produce as the first, around $1,557 to $5,499 for a 60,000-word title, plus a one-time $99 to link the series on Amazon. A ten-pack of ISBNs at $295 covers several books. Each new title can send readers back to the earlier ones, so the return can grow with the series.
How much does audiobook production cost?
Our audiobook production is $0.045 a word with an $899 minimum, which is $3,150 for a 70,000-word book. You can also produce through ACX with no upfront cost by sharing royalties equally with the narrator for seven years. Since May 26, 2026, ACX pays 50% on exclusive titles and 30% on non-exclusive ones.
How much does it cost to translate a book?
Book translation starts at $0.09 a word per language with us, or $7,200 for an 80,000-word novel into Spanish, German or Italian. Other languages are quoted on the manuscript. The EFA 2026 median for translation from English is $0.12 to $0.19 a word. See book translation.
See your book’s price, then get it in writing
Build your estimate in the calculator in about a minute, or book a free 30-minute call with a publishing specialist. Your estimate lands within 10% to 15% of your written quote, which arrives within 48 hours of the call. Nothing is signed until you decide.
Four things, in writing, before you pay anything
- ScopeEvery service your book needs, and nothing it does not
- PriceBuilt from the rates on this page and your word count
- TimelineDates for each stage, from edit to live listing
- PaymentsFlexible, milestone-based payments, set out in your agreement before work starts.
You pay nothing until you approve it.
You keep 100% of your rights and royalties, every store account is in your name, and nothing is signed until you decide.
Benchmarks: EFA 2026 Rate Chart. Platform fees: Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, ACX, Bowker and the US Copyright Office. Checked October 2026 by the AuthorWings publishing team.
