All you truly need to self-publish is Microsoft Word and a formatting tool such as Scrivener, Lacuna, Vellum (Mac only), Reedsy, or Atticus. Of these, Atticus is my favorite. Lacuna is a close second. Remember that the entire publishing world revolves around Microsoft Word. You need to use it. Their free online version is fine.

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The learning curve for formatting a manuscript and publishing it on Amazon is only a few days. For fast learners, it can be done in a single long day with coffee.

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What you must spend: nothing.

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Word is free.

Reedsy is free.

Amazon KDP is free.

KDP’s basic cover creator is free.

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​What you should spend:

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1. An editor. No one, not even great writers, should edit or proofread their own work. Don't recruit a friend—unless they are an English teacher. Light editing includes clarity, flow, and readability guidance. This typically can run between $300–$600. "Line editing" is deep sentence‑level refinement, and can run easily between $1,200–$3,000, or more, depending upon the manuscript.

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2. A proofreader, who will run through your manuscript and correct grammar, punctuation, and typos. They typically charge $500–$1,000, depending on length and manuscript quality.

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​3. A good cover. Amazon has a rudimentary (I say clunky) free cover creator. But don't do that. People really do judge a book by its cover. A freelance cover designer runs $200–$500. There is good inexpensive software out there if you want to DIY, including Affinity (heavy learning curve, but free), and BookBrush, a turnkey cover creator, with much less of a learning curve, priced at $149/year. Unlimited covers. Amazon will provide you a downloadable template for your specific book once you have uploaded the manuscript. You'll need to import that into either of these platforms.

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4. Your own ISBN number. Not required if you are only going to publish on Amazon. Amazon provides them free. But if you ever publish outside of Amazon, you'll need two ISBNs, one each for paperback and hardcover. Bowker is the only authorized provider for these. They are $125 each.

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5. A book formatting tool. Again, Atticus is my favorite, has the fastest learning curve, and is a one-time payment of only $147. A close second, and offers more design layout freedom, as well as better image handling, is Lacuna, also a one-time payment. It's just $139, and you can use it all you want for free until you are ready to publish. Both of these companies allow you to use their tools for an unlimited number of books.

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The short version:

You can self‑publish for free. It will cost you some hours. That's it. If you have almost no money, but you have time, and really want to "be in print," you can do this.

 

But unless you’re a design professional with skilled editing friends willing to work for free, your book will show its seams. To produce a book that doesn’t look amateur, you’re looking at $1,000-$2500.

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Why do so many authors self-publish?

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Simple.

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Even small publishers (often called "indie publishers") typically won't publish your book unless they expect at least 3,000 or more copies sold. New authors are usually ignored.

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Also, a true publisher makes their money from royalties from book sales. So, even though they don't charge you anything up front, they split royalties with you on each book sold. It's smart to consider the pros and cons before deciding. I offer Traditional Publishing with no upfront fees. I evaluate each book carefully before accepting it into our catalogue.