What does it cost to publish a book?
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Self-publishing a book costs $699 to $9,999 as an all-in package from Harmony Publishing, which bundles editing, cover design, interior layout, ISBN, printing and distribution. Publishing it yourself on Amazon KDP is free to upload, and you pay editors and designers separately. Below are our packages, what each one includes, and how printing is priced on top.
Package prices
Each package bundles the services most authors need at that stage. All prices are in US dollars. Every tier includes cover design, interior layout, ISBN and barcode, and distribution setup, and you keep 100% of your royalties.
Essentials
$699
Go for this if your book is already well-edited.
- Basic cover design
- Book interior design
- ISBN assignment
- Account setup and full publishing submission (KDP / IngramSpark)
- Distribution network worldwide
- 100% royalty to the author
Complete
$1,299
The essentials for a professional book release.
- 25 paperback books
- eBook conversion and distribution
- Print on demand distribution
- ISBN barcode
- Standard cover design
- Printed book and eBook interior formatting
- Book promotion
- 100% royalty to the author
PremiumMost popular
$2,499
The best way to print, publish and promote your book.
- Professional copyediting and proofreading (up to 60,000 words)
- 50 paperback books
- eBook conversion and distribution
- Print on demand distribution
- ISBN barcode
- Deluxe cover design
- Printed book and eBook interior formatting
- Creatives for social media
- Amazon listing SEO optimisation
- Facebook and Instagram advertising campaign development
- Media and press release placement
- AI visibility (Google AI, Copilot and ChatGPT)
- Book promotion
- 100% royalty to the author
Rockstar
$4,999
Position yourself as a thought leader in your niche.
- Comprehensive developmental and editorial review (up to 80,000 words)
- 100 paperback books (no hardcover)
- eBook conversion and distribution
- Print on demand distribution
- ISBN barcode
- Deluxe cover design
- Printed book and eBook interior formatting
- Creatives for social media
- Advanced Amazon listing SEO and A+ content strategy
- Facebook and Instagram advertising campaign development
- Custom author website (1-year hosting included)
- 30-day post-launch marketing management window
- Media and press release placement
- AI visibility (Google AI, Copilot and ChatGPT)
- Book promotion
- 100% royalty to the author
Legend
$9,999
Our most complete publishing programme.
- Full editorial development on your manuscript
- Hardcover and paperback books (mix and match)
- eBook conversion and distribution
- Print on demand distribution
- ISBN barcode
- Deluxe cover design
- Printed book and eBook interior formatting
- Creatives for social media
- Advanced Amazon listing SEO and A+ content strategy
- Advertising campaign development
- Custom author website
- Extended post-launch marketing management
- Media and press release placement
- AI visibility across major assistants
- Book promotion
- 100% royalty to the author
What drives the printing cost
Printing is the one line that changes most between books, because it is priced per copy and depends on the physical specification:
- Page count. More pages means more paper and more plates. A 60-page book and a 400-page book at the same quantity are different jobs.
- Trim size. A larger trim uses more paper per copy. Standard sizes such as 6x9 and 5.5x8.5 are the most economical.
- Binding. Perfect binding is standard for paperback. Case binding adds the hardcover board, cloth and case-making.
- Interior colour. Black-and-white interiors print on text stock. Colour interiors print on art paper with four-colour impressions, which costs more per page.
- Print quantity. Unit price falls as the run grows, because plates and setup are spread across more books. Offset becomes more economical than short-run digital from roughly 500 copies.
Estimate your print cost
Choose your trim size, page count, binding and quantity for an instant figure. The estimator uses the same rates we quote from.
How payment works
Pay in full online, or call us to discuss a deposit. You approve everything before anything is printed, and quotes are valid for seven days. Nothing is reprinted without your written authorisation, and every print run is separately documented.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to publish a book?
It depends on how much of the work you need done. Our packages run from $699 for an already-edited manuscript to $9,999 for a complete publishing programme with editorial development, hardcover and paperback books, and extended marketing. Printing is priced separately per copy, so you can start with a small run and reprint as you sell.
What is included in the package price?
Every package includes cover design, interior layout, ISBN and barcode, printing, and distribution setup. Higher tiers add editing, more printed copies, marketing, advertising, an author website, and AI visibility work. There are no separate charges for the services listed against your tier.
Do I need editing if my manuscript is already clean?
No. The Essentials package is designed for manuscripts that are already well-edited. If your manuscript needs work, editing starts with Premium (copyediting and proofreading, up to 60,000 words).
How much does printing cost?
Printing is priced per copy, based on page count, trim size, binding, whether the interior is black and white or colour, and your print quantity. The unit price falls as the run gets larger. Use the estimator on this page for an instant figure at your specification.
Do you charge a royalty or take a cut of my sales?
No. You keep 100% of your royalties and full rights to your book. We are paid for producing and publishing your book, and that is the whole of our interest in it.
How long does publishing take?
Most books go from a finalised manuscript to published in six to eight weeks, depending on the services in your package and how quickly proofs are approved.
How are payments structured?
Pay in full online, or call us to discuss a deposit. You approve everything before anything is printed. Quotes are valid for seven days.
Can I reprint more copies later?
Yes. Nothing is reprinted without your written authorisation, and every print run is separately documented. Reprints are priced on their own specifications.
How much does it cost to publish an eBook?
Publishing an eBook on the big stores costs the author nothing in listing fees, because the stores take their share from each sale. What you pay for is the work around it: editing, a cover and the conversion to EPUB and Kindle files. At Harmony, eBook conversion and distribution is included from the Complete package, and the full list of what each package includes is in the table on this page.
How much does Amazon print on demand cost?
Amazon deducts the printing cost from each sale, and it is set by the page count, the trim size and whether the interior is colour or black and white, so the exact figure comes from Amazon's own calculator. If you order printed copies from us instead, the price is per copy and falls as the run gets larger: see the printing prices below for a 200-page book.
How do I self-publish a book, step by step?
Finish and edit the manuscript, design the cover and the interior, get an ISBN for each print edition, convert the book to eBook files, upload everything to the retailers and print-on-demand services, and then promote it. You can do each step yourself or buy them together in a package. Our guide on how to self-publish a book walks through the steps in order.
How much does a 200 page book cost to print?
A 200-page paperback (6 x 9 in, black-and-white interior, 60lb natural paper, gloss cover) costs $98.15 for a single copy, $13.92 a copy at 25 copies, $8.70 a copy at 100 copies and $7.79 a copy at 500 copies. These are Harmony's printing prices from the calculator, before shipping and sales tax. A colour interior, a hardcover or a larger trim size costs more, so price your exact book in the calculator.