How To Write A Book - Part 4: How Much Will It Cost?

I have just written my first book (non-fiction) titled "Unmet Needs of Entrepreneurship - Why Entrepreneurs Do What They Do" that was published by Rupa Publications in Feb 2018. This post is part of a series of articles on the journey of writing a book. I hope aspiring authors will find this useful.

You wish to share the wonderful ideas you have in your head with people around you. After many months of hard work, and after overcoming many stages of the writer’s block, you are ready with the manuscript. Your next step is to find a publisher who is interested in publishing your work. Else, you begin to explore self-publishing. How much will it cost to get your book published? The costs associated with publishing a book can be broadly placed into the following buckets -

1. Copy editing the manuscript (MS)
2. Cost of illustrations, if any
3. Cover design
4. Publishing costs (print costs, further proof reading, typesetting, etc.)
5. Marketing and Distribution Costs

A: It is highly recommended that you get your MS copy edited before sending it to publishers or literary agents. In fact, there are authors who get it copy edited by two different editors to ensure that the MS gets refined to standards set by leading publishing houses. An editor will charge you based on the number of words in the MS. A 60K words document would cost you around Rs 12-15 K for each round of editing.

B: Illustrators are expensive and if you have any illustrations in your book, it is a good idea to hire an illustrator. Based on the complexity of the illustrations, the cost could vary substantially – ranging from Rs 1k to 5k per illustration. If it is in color, costs will add up further.

C: A professional looking cover design could be an expensive proposition. Costs could range from 5k to 25k for the front and back page. You can also use free cover design templates but it is recommended that you hire a designer for a customized and unique cover design. Be careful about copyrights on images.

If you are fortunate to sign up with a traditional publisher, the publisher will get this done for you – for FREE. They have professional cover designers who will help you out.

D: If you sign up with a traditional publishing house, you do not have to pay anything towards publishing. In fact, the publishing house will pay you an advance against royalty (advance will get adjusted against future income from royalties) and they will take on the minimum risk of sales of the book. Based on the advance paid by the publishing house to the author, the publishing house will decide on the print run (number of copies to be printed) and the pricing of the book. Typesetting is done for free, cover design is taken care of, the MS will go through copy editing and multiple proof readings – all at no cost to the author. Also, the publishing house will ensure that the books get distributed widely and are available at all bookstores. The author need not bother about distribution.

However, in case the author opts for self-publishing, there are many costs that the author will have to incur. Most self-publishing houses offer multiple plans based on your budget and the services that you require. Copy editing, cover design, etc., are services offered at additional costs. Self-publishing houses offer print on demand and will ensure that your book is available on Amazon, Flipkart, etc. They get digital printouts and would have a typical print run of 300 books. Since the print runs are small, the cost of printing is usually much higher than traditional publishers. Also, most physical stores avoid stocking self-published books and most self-publishing houses do not guarantee the display of these books in physical stores. Almost all of the sales of self-published books are through e-commerce websites. The average cost of self-publishing would be around Rs 60-70K for around 300 copies in the first print run. If your books sell very well, the self-publishing house may be willing to publish more copies in the next print run. The author royalties on self-published books are higher than through traditional publishing houses. In both traditional and self-publishing, authors can purchase additional books at a discount to the list price.

The author royalty is usually between 7-10% for first-time authors and 12-15% for established authors.

E: Most of the marketing costs towards book release functions are borne by the author. If you are an established and popular author, the publishing house will fund part of the marketing costs. Authors are expected to be pro-active in marketing their books. They are expected to have an active social media footprint, a personal website, and blog, etc. I was lucky to get my first book published by a Rupa Publications, a reputed traditional publisher. One great help that traditional publishing houses offer is onsite support. If you wish to display your books at an event, a traditional publishing house would send a person along with the books to sit at the table to sell the books. That is great help! In self-publishing, the author lugs around his own books and has to sit at the table to sell his books. Books hardly sell at events esp if you are a first-time author. Stalls at events are more for building visibility. Sales of more than 20-25 books at an event is considered above average!!

#UnmetNeedsOfEntrepreneurship 

Order your copy now: https://bit.ly/Unmet_Needs

Also read:

Part 1:How to write a book - How to get started?

Part 2: How to write a book - How to draw the attention of a publisher?

Part 3: How to write a book - Self publishing vs Traditional publishing

Part 4: How to write a book - How much will it cost?