Do you know why Amazon is one of the famous
platforms to publish a book online? Amazon provides authors of all levels to
start their publishing career with no upfront fee and ownership of their work.
However, as the bestselling author Joanna Penn highlights that although Amazon
book publishing services Amazon book publishing services let you publish for
free, the caliber of your book can have a big impact on how many copies it
sells. Your brand can be developed with a modest investment in design and
editing.
Let’s discuss the actual cost of publishing a
book on Amazon in this guide. Is it similar to how John L. Monk invested $500
in editing and cover design before self publishing his first book or is it
something more expensive?
Things to Know About Amazon Book Publishing
Now, you must be thinking about how Amazon
helps in book publishing. Amazon has a self publishing platform known as
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). In this platform, authors can upload
their manuscripts and book covers by logging on to KDP, setting prices, and selling
their books in different versions like eBooks or paperback.
Since there are no upfront publishing costs,
KDP is a popular option for debut authors or writers on a budget. However, it
is not true that Amazon self publishing is absolutely free. Your overall
spending is on book marketing, design, proofreading, and editing.
But don’t worry, as we talked about John L.
Monk’s investment before publishing his first book. However, within months he
recovered his costs and developed a devoted readership. His publishing story
demonstrates how writers can balance price and quality.
Is Amazon Book Publishing Really Free?
Indeed, it is technically free to publish a
book on Amazon. But if you want a book that looks professional, then the
procedure is not completely free. The prospective sales of your book are
greatly influenced by its quality, and spending money on specific services can
have a large impact.
Cost Break Down of Different Services of Amazon Publishing
As the saying goes, put your resources where
they matter most. Although Amazon KDP service is free of cost, your book
requires several other services to be ready to publish as we have discussed in
this section:
1. Proofreading and editing ($200–$3,000+)
Editing is one of the most important investments for any book. Even the most gifted authors require the assistance of a skilled editor to improve their writing. Editing also has three main levels. One is developmental, which means the story and plot are on the track, and nothing is boring or extra in the book. It costs from 0.04 to 0.10
dollars.
Next is copyediting, which makes sure there
are no grammatical errors, the book has clarity and consistency, all the facts
in the book are correct, and the book is up to the style guide. It costs almost
0.02 to 0.05 dollars per word. Last is proofreading. It is the final overview
of the book to see if anything is wrong. It costs 0.01 to 0.03 per word. A
famous novelist once said, “Editing was the most expensive, but it was well
worth the money.
2. Cover Design (from $50 to $500+)
A well-designed book cover has the power to
make or ruin your sales. A lot of writers use websites like Fiverr or Upwork to
find independent designers. But if you want some free resources then go for
Amazon’s “Cover Creator” tool. But remember, free tools can help in designing,
however, it might not be as good as a personalized design. Author Joanna Penn
asserts that “people definitely judge a book by its cover. It will be
worthwhile to hire a professional designer.
Pro Tip: Hire Ace Book Publishers Services,
which is an Amazon publishing company and an all-in-one package. Ghostwriting,
editing, designing, marketing, Amazon publishing, formatting, and more. So what
are you waiting for?
3. Formatting ($50–$300)
Your book’s layout shows how professional you
are as an author. Your book will appear flawless on eBook and in print form if
it is formatted correctly. Getting professional services from companies like
Ace Book Publishers will ensure that your book satisfies Amazon’s requirements.
You can learn formatting on your own with tools like Kindle Create. Remember,
bad formatting can distract readers from your story.
4. ISBN ($125–$295 or free)
If you want to release a paperback for your
book, for that Amazon gives a free ISBN which is a number that acts like
a fingerprint of your book. It is a 13-digit number consisting of the book’s
country, publisher, title, and edition. However, Amazon’s provided ISBN number
does not belong to the author. If you want the freedom to publish your book on
other sites you can buy it. It costs from 125 to 295 dollars.
5. Marketing and Advertising ($50–$500+)
Your book will go unnoticed without good
marketing and advertising. For this, Amazon also offers the best services like
Amazon Advertising. It’s simply Amazon’s way of letting authors market their
books to readers searching for the same genre. The cost of sponsored
advertisements can vary based on your approach and budget, but they usually
start at $0.02 per click. Additional marketing initiatives, like book launch
campaigns or social media advertisements, may cost 100 to 1,000 dollars or
more. As Mark Dawson once said, “Amazon Advertising has been a
game-changer for reaching readers, but it’s important to start small and experiment.
6. On-Demand Printing (Cost Per Copy)
If you’re publishing a paperback book then
Amazon supports a print-on-demand business strategy for readers to get a
printed version of your book. Don’t worry, you don’t have to pay in advance for
this service. The cost of production for each book is subtracted from your
earnings. Its price depends on many things like the number of pages, size, and
color choices. Let’s say you are printing a 200-page book then each copy of a
200-page black-and-white paperback costs roughly 3.85 dollars.
Examples of Amazon Publishing Services Costs
In this part of the guide, we’ll talk about three strategies for book publishing on
Amazon. A budget friendly, mid-range and top tier approach.
1. A Budget-Friendly Approach
For
this approach, you can edit your book using free tools like Grammarly, design a
book cover with Amazon’s free Cover Creator, and format it independently with
Kindle Create. Then the total Cost will be $0. This approach doesn’t require
any big investment.
2. A Mid-Range Investment
If
you want your book to look a little more professional, then get an expert
editor for 1,000 dollars, design a cover by a freelancer for 200 dollars, and
market your book for the cost of 100 dollars on social media sites. Then the
total cost will be 1,300 dollars.
3. High-End Approach
Now,
if you want a top tier book and have a large amount to invest in the quality of
the book then go for this high-end strategy. Get a full editing package for
2,500 dollars, custom build your book cover for 500 dollars, use paid ads, and
go for promotional campaigns for 1,000 dollars. Then the total cost will be
4,000 dollars.
What are Royalties and How They Work on Amazon
In simple words, you earn money in the form
of royalty on Amazon. The more your book sales boost, the more you earn
royalty. There are two eBook royalty choices available through Amazon KDP: A
35% royalty is available for books that cost less than $2.99 or more than
$9.99. The royalty is 70%. Accessible for books that range in price from $2.99
to $9.99. Authors receive 60% of the book’s list price minusing printing
expenses for paperbacks. This is a good cost as compared to publishing through
traditional ways as they only give you 5 to 15% of royalty.
How You Can Reduce Publishing Cost
If you are still going back and forth because
of the cost of releasing your book. Then you can follow the below tricks:
Learn DIY Skills
The best way to reduce costs is to do it
yourself. Learn editing, designing, and other skills from free resources like
Kindle Create for formatting and Canva for cover design.
Start little
To test the waters before ramping up, invest
a little amount of money in your first book. Best way to do it is releasing
short stories or novelettes. This will save you time and effort and let you
know how Amazon publishing works.
Market Using Free
Resources
Make use of free marketing techniques like
email newsletters and social media. They cost nothing and are good for new
writers.
Write, Publish, and Inspire with Amazon
Every writer can now self publish thanks to Amazon
book publishing services’s flexible options, clear pricing, and worldwide
reach. Whether you have a tight budget or are making significant investments in
quality, Amazon provides the resources and platform to make your story come to
life. Take the risk, begin the publishing process, and let folks all around the
world hear your tale!