What each part of a book costs.
Every cost a self-funded nonfiction author is likely to meet, grouped by stage, with a sourced range and a link to the guide that explains it. Per-word figures are multiplied out for a 50,000-word book so you can compare them. Checked October 20, 2026.
Two things to know before you read the numbers. First, the editing and design ranges are published medians and marketplace averages, not quotes: the Editorial Freelancers Association says plainly that it does not set rates, and individual rates vary with experience, turnaround and the state of the manuscript. Second, several of the most important lines can cost nothing. Those are marked.
If you are working from a fixed sum, the budget guide turns these rates into what to buy first at $500, $2,000 and $5,000. Publishing on Amazon? What it costs to publish on KDP separates what is free from what comes out of your royalties, and how much authors make per book shows what each copy earns back.
Editing
| Cost | Rate | 50,000 words | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial (manuscript) assessment | Reedsy average $2,000 for 80,000 words | Quoted per project | Reedsy |
| Developmental edit | 4.0 to 5.0 cents a word (business 4.5 to 6.0; memoir 3.5 to 4.5) | $2,000 to $2,500 | EFA 2026 |
| Line edit | 3.5 to 5.0 cents a word (business 3.2 to 5.0; memoir 3.0 to 4.0) | $1,750 to $2,500 | EFA 2026 |
| Copy edit | 3.0 to 4.0 cents a word (memoir 2.7 to 3.5) | $1,500 to $2,000 | EFA 2026 |
| Proofread | 2.0 to 3.0 cents a word (memoir 1.7 to 2.0) | $1,000 to $1,500 | EFA 2026 |
| Translation (into another language) | Reedsy $0.06 to $0.12 a word; EFA from English 12 to 19 cents | $3,000 to $9,500 | Reedsy, EFA 2026 |
| Index (if the book needs one) | 2.0 to 2.5 cents a word, or $5.00 to $6.25 a page; Reedsy average $1,030 | $1,000 to $1,250 | EFA 2026, Reedsy |
Deeper: book editing costs by type, and translation costs with editing, KDP's rules and a full edition budget.
Design
| Cost | Range | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover design | $350 to $1,200 | EFA per-project median $350; Reedsy median $930, half between $630 and $1,200; memoir $740, self-help $810 | Reedsy, EFA |
| Print interior layout | $0, or $5.00 to $7.50 a page | Free tools work for text-only books; Reedsy average $800, half between $475 and $1,275 | EFA 2026, Reedsy |
| Ebook formatting | $0, or $1.88 to $4.38 a page | Often included when the same designer does print | EFA 2026 |
| Interior illustrations and diagrams | $0 to $200 an image | Reedsy $60 to $200 a single-page illustration; Adobe Stock $29.99 a month for 10 images on an annual plan | Reedsy, Adobe Stock |
| Author photo | $0, or $216 to $427 for a headshot session | Thumbtack average $304; get usage rights in writing | Thumbtack |
| Formatting software (one time) | Atticus $147; Vellum $199.99 to $249.99 | Vellum is Mac only; Kindle Create, Draft2Digital and Reedsy Studio convert free | Atticus, Vellum |
Deeper: cover design cost, interior formatting cost, ebook conversion cost and author photo cost.
Registration
| Cost | Price | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISBN | Free, $125 for 1, $295 for 10, $575 for 100 | Free KDP ISBNs work only on KDP; one ISBN per format | Bowker, KDP |
| Barcode | $25 each | Bundles: 1 ISBN plus barcode $150 | Bowker |
| Copyright registration | $45 Single Application, $65 Standard, $125 on paper | Single: one author, one work, not for hire | US Copyright Office |
| Library of Congress PCN (gives the LCCN) | Free | You send one copy on publication; apply before publishing | Library of Congress |
| Mandatory deposit | Two copies | Within three months of US publication; registering with copies satisfies it | US Copyright Office |
Deeper: ISBN costs and copyright and LCCN costs. Revising the book later? A substantial revision needs a new ISBN; what a revised edition costs prices the rest.
Printing and copies
| Cost | Price | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| KDP setup | Free | Printing is deducted from royalties per sale | KDP |
| Paperback print cost (black ink, regular trim) | $2.30 up to 110 pages; $1.00 + $0.012 a page above that | 200 pages: $3.40 | KDP |
| Hardcover print cost (black ink, regular trim) | $6.80 for 75 to 108 pages; $5.65 + $0.012 a page above that | 300 pages: $9.25; a dust jacket (IngramSpark only) adds about $2.75 to $2.90 at 200 to 300 pages | KDP, IngramSpark |
| Author copies | Print cost per copy, plus shipping | "We can't offer additional discounts" | KDP |
| IngramSpark setup and revisions | Free since February 1, 2026 | 1.875% market access fee on distributed books; returns cost the wholesale price (every IngramSpark fee) | IngramSpark |
| Offset (bulk) printing | About $2 to $5 a paperback | Depends on volume and specs; you pay upfront and store the books | Reedsy |
| Proof copies | $10 to $100 | Depends on page count, quantity and shipping | Reedsy |
| Workbook, 8.5 x 11, 100 pages, black ink | $2.84 KDP; $3.51 IngramSpark; $10.80 coil bound on Lulu | KDP does not print spiral bound books; coil binding on Lulu cannot go to retail | KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu |
Deeper: printing costs and author copies, and the same book priced on KDP, IngramSpark and Lulu.
Audiobook
| Cost | Price | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | About 9,300 words per finished hour | 50,000 words is about 5.4 hours | ACX |
| Paid narrator | $200 to $400 per finished hour | 50,000 words: about $1,075 to $2,151 | Reedsy |
| Royalty share | $0 upfront | Royalties split equally with the narrator for 7 years; ACX exclusive | ACX |
Deeper: audiobook production cost.
Marketing
| Cost | Price | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author website and newsletter | $60 to $500 a year | Domain, site builder, email service; free plans exist, priced in the guide | Reedsy |
| BookBub Featured Deal, Business | $304 (free) to $1,435 ($3+) | Price depends on the deal price; 400,000+ subscribers | BookBub |
| BookBub Featured Deal, Advice and How-To | $629 to $2,958 | 650,000+ subscribers | BookBub |
| BookBub Featured Deal, Biographies and Memoirs | $708 to $3,552 | 1,410,000+ subscribers | BookBub |
| NetGalley listing | $575 for 6 months | IBPA members: $499 for 6 months, $299 for 3 | NetGalley, IBPA |
| Book award entry | $60 to $234 per award and category | Hoffer $60 early; IBPA $234 for nonmembers with membership; plus copies and postage | Each award's own page |
| Book marketer services | $570 to $910 each | Strategy $910, advertising $780, metadata and blurb $570, email $910 (averages) | Reedsy |
Funding fees
| Platform | Fees | On $10,000 raised | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kickstarter (US) | 5% plus 3% + $0.30 per pledge; nothing if unfunded | $830 with 100 pledges | Kickstarter |
| Indiegogo | 5% plus 3% + $0.20 per payment; nothing if the goal is missed | $820 with 100 payments | Indiegogo |
Deeper: how to pay for a book, a full campaign budget in Kickstarter for books, and what the IRS says about deducting book costs.
Writing help (reference)
| Service | Rate | 50,000 words | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghostwriter, full-length nonfiction | 33 to 50 cents a word | $16,500 to $25,000 | EFA 2026 |
| Ghostwriter, memoir or business | 50 cents to $1.00 a word | $25,000 to $50,000 | EFA 2026 |
| Ghostwriter, Reedsy marketplace | $450 per 1,000 words average (2025) | $22,500 | Reedsy |
| Book coach | $125 to $275 a session | Per hour-long session | Reedsy |
| Full service (Scribe Media, which makes this site) | $29,000 to publish your manuscript; $56,000 or $135,000 to write and publish | Monthly plans; see pricing | scribemedia.com |
Deeper: ghostwriter rates, and what a memoir costs, with the lines only memoirs carry. Then put your own numbers together in the calculator, or see how many copies it takes to break even.