Each cost of a book, in depth.
Ten guides, one per cost line or money question, each with sourced 2026 numbers, worked examples and the mistakes that cost authors most.
Making the book
Book editing costs by type
Developmental, line, copy and proofreading rates per word, per page and per hour, from the EFA's 2026 chart, with a second source to check them.
Read the guide → 6 minute readBook cover design cost
Why covers run $350 to $1,200, what moves the price, and what a cover fee should include.
Read the guide → 6 minute readInterior formatting and typesetting cost
Per-page layout rates, how to estimate your page count, and when a free tool is enough.
Read the guide → 6 minute readAudiobook production cost
Words to finished hours, narrator fees, royalty share, and Audible's 2026 royalty change.
Read the guide → 6 minute readGhostwriter rates
Per-word ranges from two data sets, what moves a quote, and what the fee leaves out.
Read the guide →Registering and printing
ISBNs: what they cost and when free is fine
$125, $295 or nothing, how many you need, and what a free platform ISBN gives up.
Read the guide → 6 minute readCopyright registration and LCCN costs
The $45 and $65 filings, the free Library of Congress number, deposit copies and deadlines.
Read the guide → 7 minute readPrinting costs and author copies
Print-on-demand cost by page count, author copy math, and when an offset run pays off.
Read the guide →Paying for it and earning it back
How to pay for a book
Phased spending, presale margins, Kickstarter and Indiegogo fees, and company bulk orders.
Read the guide → 7 minute readBreak-even: copies to earn it back
KDP royalty math for paperback and ebook, worked tables, and returns that are not royalties.
Read the guide →Want the numbers for your own book? Use the cost calculator, or scan every line on the costs page.