top of page

The True Cost of Self Publishing

  • Writer: Kristina Wildes
    Kristina Wildes
  • Jun 13
  • 3 min read

Self publishing is often marketed as the accessible, empowering alternative to traditional publishing and in many ways, it is. You control the timeline, the story, the branding, and the final product. But what no one warns you about is how fast the expenses stack up.


Spoiler alert: it's not cheap.


Let’s break it down, using real numbers from my journey publishing Forged in Blood.


Cover Design

Carlos Quevedo, the same genius behind the Crescent City covers, created my book's cover. His work is extraordinary, and it shows in the price: $2,000 for the main cover. Carlos is, quite literally, a saint. He even helped me finalize the text layout for the cover at no extra charge when I couldn’t find anyone else who wouldn’t tack on an additional fee. I also commissioned him to do a second piece for under the dust jacket. Another $2,000.


Total: $4,000


Editing

My editor is my best friend and also owns and operates Chaos Goblin Editing, which meant communication was seamless. But he also charged his standard rate: $40/hour. We clocked over 100 hours revising, restructuring, slicing, and polishing.


Total: $4,000+


Formatting

  • Atticus (lifetime license): $147

  • Adobe Acrobat (used for 3 months to refine formatting): $59.97


Total: $206.97


Website & Visuals

From copywriting for the website and blurb to SEO services, project management, design, and graphics, creating a cohesive author platform added up fast. These were spread across platforms like Fiverr:

  • Website: $1,049.73

  • First set of coat of arms: $316.50

  • Website renovation for the Fire & Brimstone Ball: $284.85

  • Copywriting: $422

  • Project partner fee: $391.41

  • Second set of coat of arms: $210.26

  • Book blurb: $84.40

  • Marketing video: $131.86

  • Website bug fix: $8.28

  • Art of Aven: $211

  • Art of Kieran: $211

  • Art of Verena: $158.25

  • Logo design: $474.75


Total: $4,754.59


Advertising

No matter how amazing your book is, people can’t buy what they don’t know exists. I spent over $2,500 on advertising and I'm still spending to this day.


Total: $2,500+


Character Art & Digital Visuals

I commissioned over 30 pieces from Ivorie_Arts on Instagram, including the beginning of a custom Tarot set. Priced in AUD as she is an Australian artist. I have included the converted cost in the total.


Total: $1,561.51 USD


PC

I was previously using my iMac, but I invested in a serious upgrade to support my workflow. Here's what I added to my setup:

  • Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35k Optical Gaming Mouse with HyperScroll Tilt Wheel (Wireless, Black): $159.99

  • Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro Full Size Wired Mechanical Green Clicky Switch Gaming Keyboard with Chroma RGB Backlighting (Black): $229.99

  • 49" Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SD) Gaming Monitor with 4TB 990 Pro SSD: $1,614.98

  • ROG Strix G16CHR Desktop: $2,199.00

  • Secretlab Gaming Chair: (price not listed, but essential to the setup)

  • Large desk pad

  • Draco Malfoy wand with Slytherin stand

  • Dice coffin (yes, literally a glass coffin filled with dice, courtesy of my best friend)

  • 10ft+ custom-built desk we handcrafted ourselves

This setup has allowed me to write three books at once, monitor the stock market, and manage my full-time job without switching tabs like a gremlin on caffeine.


Total: ~$5,222.96 USD


I also wasted $1,495.79 on a service package from BookBaby, which they refuse to refund, despite their so-called satisfaction guarantee" plastered all over their website. If you're curious (or just enjoy watching a publishing trainwreck), readers can refer to my separate blog post on BookBaby, where I detail the absolute hell I went through with them.

Grand Total: $23,931.82

That’s not even including the cost of my time, emotional bandwidth, or caffeine.


Let’s pause on that number for a second.


$23,931.82.


That’s a down payment on a house. A new car. A year of tuition. It’s an entire salary in some places. And I spent it to publish one book. Not a series. Not a trilogy. One. Damn. Book. It’s insane. And yet, I would do it again. Because that’s what it takes to make something beautiful, something lasting, something mine.


So, Is It Worth It?

Yes. And no. If you're doing it for fame or fast money, the sticker shock alone might make you rethink your life choices. But if you're building something bigger, a brand, a series, a legacy, then every penny is part of that foundation.


Self publishing is easy to begin, but finishing well? That takes grit, cash, and a whole lot of stubborn magic.


Want to publish your own book? Just know: the hustle is real, and so is the bill.


Stay wild,


Kristina Wildes

Comments

bottom of page