How Much Does it Cost to Self-Publish?

Nothing. Create Space is Amazon’s online self-publishing platform that’s available – free of charge – to anyone who wants to self-publish their book. Create Space provides:

1.  Downloadable interior and cover templates you can use to get your book into the print-friendly format they require.

2.  A free ISBN (as long as you don’t mind Create Space being listed as your publisher).

3.  A listing for your book on what is arguably the world’s first choice platform when it comes to shopping for books.

Again, all at no cost to you. 

This is a valuable piece of information for every expert thinking about writing a book. It’s also part of the answer to a question I get asked all the time: “How much will it cost me to get my book published?” No doubt your eagle-eyes caught the words “part of the answer.” It’s true that there’s no charge to upload and list your book on Amazon, but listing it for sale and selling it aren’t the same thing. If you want people to actually buy your book, you have to provide them with a book worth buying.

Perhaps the biggest misconception experts have about writing a book is that they have to write every single word of it or else it isn’t theirs. If they get help from someone like a content editor, they feel like that’s cheating, or that they’re compromising their integrity, or that they can’t claim the book as theirs. Bull#&(%! That’s just not the case.

How many years has it taken you to gain the knowledge you’re ready to share in a book? Are you willing to devote the same amount of time to becoming a professional writer just so you can claim ownership of every word? You could, but that would be time wasted – time you could have spent reaching new levels of knowledge and expertise in your chosen field – time you could have spent using your expertise to help others.

Working with someone to get your expertise out of your head and onto the page isn’t selling out. Being attached to your words is about ego. People don’t remember the words. They remember the ideas, knowledge, information, strategies, and insights you shared with them. Which is more important? Your words or your message? Would it really be such a bad thing if someone helped you craft your words into chapters that could change people’s lives?

Having an ego is a good thing. Your ego helped you claim your expertise, but keep your ego in check when it comes to getting your book in print. Before you even start writing, commit to making your book the best book it can be. Commit to finding the right editor to work with. Yes, editors cost money, but if you aren’t a professional writer, and you want to produce a quality book, sooner or later you’re going to want an editor on your team.

Ultimately, an editor is an investment in your future that your readers will truly appreciate.