What Will Self-Publishing Your Book Really Cost?

Put your numbers in, and watch the math work itself out. Built on Amazon KDP’s current 2026 print pricing.

Your Book

Page count How many pages your finished book has.

Interior ink Black & white is cheapest. Color costs more per page.

Trim size “Regular” covers most novels (up to 6×9 in).

Sale price What a reader pays for one copy.

How many copies do you expect to sell?

Up-Front Investment

What you spend before the first copy sells. Typical 2026 ranges are shown — edit any figure to match your plan, or set it to 0 if you’ll do it yourself.

Editing Proofread ~$300 · copyedit ~$1,000 · developmental $2,000+

Cover design Budget ~$150 · custom $500–$1,200

Interior formatting DIY tools ~$150 · pro up to $500

ISBN Free on Amazon · your own $125

Marketing & launch Ads, review copies, mailing list…

Anything else Copyright, proof copies, website…

Total up-front investment$0

If You Sell on Amazon

Want A Hand With The Parts in Between?

Marque Publishing helps independent authors with editing, cover design, formatting, and getting a book onto Amazon. Get in touch →

Estimates only, for the U.S. Amazon.com marketplace. Printing rates and the 60% paperback royalty are from KDP’s published 2026 figures; service costs are typical market ranges and will vary by provider. Your actual costs and royalty rate may vary by marketplace, distribution choice, and discounts. Source: KDP Paperback Printing Cost.