Self-Publishing Cost Calculator
Type your quotes for editing, cover, formatting, ISBNs and marketing to get the total budget, the cost per planned copy and how many copies you must sell to break even.
How to use the Self-Publishing Cost Calculator
- In “Currency (label only)”, type a label such as USD. Nothing is converted.
- Enter the “Manuscript length (words)”.
- Enter the price per word for “Developmental edit”, “Copyedit” and “Proofread”. Each line is words multiplied by the price per word.
- Enter “Cover design” and “Interior formatting”. Enter 0 for a DIY cover.
- Enter “ISBNs needed” and “Price per ISBN”. Enter 0 for an ISBN supplied by the printer.
- Enter “Marketing and advertising” and “Other costs”.
- Enter “Print copies for yourself” and the “Cost per print copy”.
- Enter “Copies you plan to sell” and “Royalty per copy sold”. For KDP, you can work out the royalty with the KDP royalty calculator on this site and type the result here.
- Read “Total budget”, then check the table “Where the money goes”, which lists each cost line, its amount and its share of the total.
- Check “Cost per planned copy” and “Break-even”, then read any warnings.
The three presets set the example rates or costs to 0 for no developmental edit, a DIY cover and formatting, or a free ISBN. An empty cost field counts as zero. If “Copies you plan to sell” or “Royalty per copy sold” is empty, the cost per copy or the break-even is not shown. Everything stays in your browser and is not uploaded.
What is the cost of self publishing made of?
The cost of self publishing is made of separate cost lines that you add together. Each line is either a price you type in directly or a value the tool multiplies from your inputs. The lines cover editing, cover design, formatting, ISBNs, marketing, printed copies for yourself and any other costs you add.
How is each editing line calculated?
Each editing line is the manuscript length in words multiplied by the price per word for that service. The tool uses this method for the developmental edit, the copyedit and the proofread. With the example values of 60,000 words at 0.03, 0.02 and 0.01 per word, the three lines are 1,800, 1,200 and 600.
How is the total worked out?
The total is the sum of all cost lines. The ISBN line is the number of ISBNs multiplied by the price per ISBN. The author-copy line is the number of print copies multiplied by their unit cost. Using the example values, the cover at 300, formatting at 150, three ISBNs at 50, marketing at 200 and 20 author copies at 5 give a total of 4,500.00 once the editing lines are included.
How is cost per planned copy calculated?
Cost per planned copy is the total divided by the number of copies you plan to sell. In the example, 4,500.00 divided by 500 planned copies gives 9.00 per copy. This figure shows how much of the total each copy has to carry, so it changes as you change the planned copies.
How is break-even copies calculated?
Break-even copies is the total divided by the royalty per copy, rounded up to a whole copy. In the example, 4,500.00 divided by a royalty of 2.50 gives 1,800 copies. The rounding always goes up, so you never see a fraction of a copy.
A second case shows how the numbers change. At 90,000 words with no developmental edit, one ISBN at 125, marketing at 500, 1,000 copies planned and a royalty of 3 per copy, the total is 3,875 and break-even is 1,292 copies. The other values stay as in the examples.
Why do the results depend on your own numbers?
The tool does not know typical prices, so every result is only as accurate as the figures you enter. The example values are there to show the method, and the page does not state any average for editing, covers, formatting, ISBNs or marketing. Warnings appear when planned copies are below the break-even count, when the royalty is 0, when a per-word rate is set but the word count is 0, and as a reminder that the starting values are examples.
Worked examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 60,000 words, 500 copies planned | total 4,500.00 USD, 9.00 USD per copy |
| 90,000 words, 1,000 copies planned | total 3,875.00 USD, 3.88 USD per copy |
| 30,000 words, 200 copies planned | total 450.00 USD, 2.25 USD per copy |
Calculated by the tool above; open it with the same values to see each step.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tool show typical prices for editing or covers?
No. The page does not state any typical or average price for editing, covers, formatting, ISBNs or marketing. Every price is one you type in.
Can I use a currency other than USD?
Yes, you can type any currency label in the currency field. The label is only a label, and the tool does not convert between currencies.
What should I enter if I do not need an ISBN or a cover designer?
Enter 0 for the ISBN count if the printer supplies one, or enter 0 for the cover design if you make your own. Entering 0 skips that step in the total.
Why does the tool warn that planned copies are below break-even?
The warning means that the number of copies you plan to sell is lower than the break-even count, so the royalty from those sales would not cover the total. Check your planned copies and royalty per copy against the figures shown.
Is my manuscript or my text uploaded?
No. The tool needs only a word count, runs in your browser, and nothing you type is uploaded.
Why do I see an error instead of a result?
An error appears if every cost is zero, if a number is negative or not a number, or if “Copies you plan to sell” is zero. Enter at least one cost above zero and use positive numbers.
Related tools
- ISBN Cost Calculator: use it when you want to work out the cost of ISBNs before you enter them here.
- KDP Print Cost Calculator: use it when you are checking print costs for a book sold through KDP.
- KDP Cover Calculator: use it when you need to work out cover dimensions for a print book.
- ISBN Converter: use it when you have an ISBN in one format and need it in another.
- ISBN-13 Check Digit Calculator: use it when you want to check or work out the final digit of an ISBN-13.
- KDP Royalty Calculator: use it to work out the royalty per copy that you type in here.