DIGITAL MEDIA GHOST
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About
Search

Budgeting Your Self-Published Book

12/6/2016

0 Comments

 
by Will Viharo

​If you’re a writer, you’re probably broke. It’s part of the job description.
 
Of course, the big dream is to sell your manuscript to the highest bidder and never have to worry about money again.
 
Good luck with that.
 
Meantime, those of us who would rather produce good work on the marketplace without wasting out precious time waiting for a break that may never come are better served by a more realistic option: investing your own funds into your own career.

Most writers work a variety of jobs to survive, stringing together various freelance gigs (from blogging to PR work to non-writing jobs) in order to pay the bills.
 
If only a tiny fraction of your income comes from those meager monthly Amazon sales reports, don’t fret. You’re comfortably (at least statistically speaking) in the majority of “working” authors.

Finances are tight for most people, in any field, especially around the holidays. It may not be the best time to publish a book. But then Life often doesn't accommodate anyone's ideal schedule.

Best to plan ahead, and be prepared for the expenses of running a small business, including self-publishing, before counting on nay profits.
 
Below are some very round, rough figures to consider when budgeting four major aspects of the publishing process. I won’t mention any names since many subcontractors have “sliding scales” depending on the scope of the project and their experience with you as a collaborator. But this will give you a general idea of how many pennies you need to have stocked up in that jar on the shelf, at least if you want to be considered a professional writer/publisher, not an opportunistic hack.
 
Book Cover (Front, Back, Spine)
 
CreateSpace provides a wide variety of free public domain images you can download for your book. I see these all the time. Lots of flowers and empty alleys and such. I just can’t see anyone browsing online for a good book by an unknown author and being seduced by these innocuous graphics.
 
Naturally they also offer their own cover design services, starting at $399.00, and actually, this is what I’ve paid freelance artists in the past for at least two of my covers. It’s pretty much industry standard.
 
But there are always exceptions to the norm, and that’s where you cut your costs, if you do your due diligence in advance.
 
I prefer contracting freelance artists to both illustrate and design my full covers (some of whom also created event posters for me back in the day), and it pays off in terms of both pleasing aesthetics and generating attention.
 
Again, I won’t reveal my personal sources out of respect for our longstanding relationships, but if you scout around, I bet you can find just the right artist to produce just the right cover for your book.
 
I recommend going online to chat rooms for specific genres (horror, fantasy, romance, etc.) – especially on GoodReads, the Web’s #1 literary social hub – so you can virtually meet up with an experienced illustrator that shares your sensibilities.
 
If you two hit off, it’ll be like a computer dating fairy tale. Common interests are always a good starting point, along with mutual trust, which can only be shored up over time.

And first impressions always count, especially when it comes to covers, because yes, readers often judge a book that way if they never heard of the author.
 
Suggested Budget: $100.00-$400.00
 
Interior Design
 
Via networking with a fellow author, I hooked up with a professional book designer with decades of experience. His rates are very reasonable and his services are top notch.
 
CreateSpace charges $349.00 to professionally format your book per your specifications (costs for existing templates run $100-$200 less).
 
But if you search hard enough, and ask around your literary social circles, you can find someone who will do the job just as well for half as much, like I did.
 
Suggested Budget: $150
 
Editorial
 
Since I normally ask friends to look over my rough drafts – known in the biz as “beta readers” – free of charge, I never budget any money in for this. But you should, just in case you don’t know anyone you really trust to catch all those bothersome (and potentially deal-breaking) typos.
 
But this is generally the most expensive job you’ll outsource for your project. Generally, freelance editors charge an average of $30/$40 an hour for their time and notes.
 
CreateSpace charges flat rates for their in-house editorial services, anywhere between $160.00 and $470.00, depending on your needs.
 
This is why I make friends with folks that like to read.
 
Suggested Budget: Varies depending on book length and sheer luck
 
Marketing
 
Don’t fall for these scams, whether it’s Amazon trying to pitch yet another pricey “package deal” or some huckster you never heard of. Rather than sinking cash into this crucial aspect of the process, spend your time and energy building your own social media networks and platforms, slowly but surely developing your own unique brand name.
 
Nobody knows your work and its target audience better than you do (at least, if you’ve done your own research). With Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, YouTube etc. all at your disposal, creating a personalized publishing “empire” has never been a more accessible task.
 
Suggested Budget: None

Bottom line: promotions aside, when it comes to the technical stuff, never skimp. Even if you have to go into debt to ensure a perfectly realized product. After all, the cachet of your literary reputation is ultimately priceless. In that way, regardless of profit margins, these investments will always be cost-effective.
 
After all, you get what you pay for. Unless you’re the reader suckered into downloading a poorly produced book by an author they will never, ever read again.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Become a Ghostwriter!
    Picture
    Contribute to DMG
    Picture
    BECOME A GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
    Picture
    PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS BY GUEST POSTING
    Picture
    ARE YOU A GHOSTWRITER? WE WANT TO KNOW!
    Picture
    DO YOU HAVE A GHOSTWRITING BUSINESS?

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Agency Spotlight
    Business
    Digital Marketing
    Ghost In A Flash
    Ghostwriting
    Media Relations
    Privacy Concerns
    Social Sabotage
    Technology
    Writer Spotlight
    Writing

    Advertising Disclaimer

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

Find your domain and create your site at Weebly.com!
Digital Media Strategy
Content Marketing
Law Firm Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Social Media Marketing
eBooks
Writing
Becoming a Ghostwriter
Blogging
Content Marketing
Ghostwriting Services
Guest Post Guidelines
Media Relations
Online Crisis Management
Personal Brand
Public Relations
Reputation Management
About
Our Team
Our Results
Testimonials
Contact Us
Locations:
New Orleans, LA
Nashville, TN

DMG University
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookie Policy
Digital Media Ghost  @2020
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About