How much does it cost to self-publish a book?
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Uploading a book to Amazon KDP is free, but a professionally finished book usually means paying for editing, a cover, interior layout and an ISBN. Harmony Publishing's all-in packages run from $699 to $9,999 and include cover design, layout, ISBN and distribution, with editing from the Premium package. Printing is priced per copy.
Harmony Publishing is a full-service self-publishing company that provides editing, cover design, interior layout, ISBN assignment, printing and distribution, with authors keeping 100% of their rights and royalties. Below are the cost of each piece on its own, our packages and what each one includes, and how printing is priced on top. For the wider question of what it costs to publish a book, see how much it costs to publish a book.
Self-publishing cost by service (Prices as of October 2026)
Prices as of October 2026: if you buy the pieces one at a time, this is what each costs at Harmony Publishing. A package bundles them.
| Piece of work | Price | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Cover design | $399 | A bespoke cover designed for your book, delivered as print-ready files with a full wrap (front, spine, back). |
| Interior formatting | $200 – $280 | Typesetting the pages, running heads and front matter: $200 up to 150 pages, $240 for 151–200 pages, $280 for 201–250 pages. Above 250 pages we quote it. |
| ISBN and barcode | $99 | Your own ISBN with the barcode block that goes on the back cover. |
| Printing | Priced per copy | Priced per copy and depends on page count, trim size, binding, interior colour and run size — so there is no single figure. Use our free printing calculator for your exact specification. |
Package prices (Prices as of October 2026)
Prices as of October 2026: 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 self-publish a book?
Uploading to Amazon KDP is free, but a professionally finished book usually means paying for editing, a cover, interior layout and an ISBN. Harmony Publishing's all-in packages run from $699 to $9,999: cover design, layout, ISBN and distribution are in every package, and editing starts with Premium. Printing is priced per copy on top and depends on page count, trim size, binding, interior colour and quantity.
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?
Turnaround is 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 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 $94.65 for a single copy, $10.81 a copy at 25 copies, $8.08 a copy at 100 copies and $7.21 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.