Quick Links: What Should You Pay for When You Self-Publish a Novel?

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So you have decided to self-publish, but are wondering what services are necessary, which ones can be avoided, and most importantly how much is this going to cost?  Ali at Ali’s Adventures has some great advice for you.

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What Should You Pay for When You Self-Publish a Novel?

by Ali

One reader asked me to write about, “Self-publishing, whether to use editors, cover designers etc and how much is a reasonable amount to pay them.”

This is a big and important question, and one I wanted to tackle on the blog. (I normally run reader questions in the weekly newsletter – if you’re not already receiving that, and the various bonuses that go with it, get on board here.)

Here’s the quick answer to the question – one that virtually everyone writing about self-publishing will agree with:

If you’re going to self-publish, you should definitely use an editor.
If you’re going to self-publish, you should definitely use a cover designer.
Let’s dig a little deeper into that, though.

Your Plans and Hopes for Your Novel

Before you make any decision about what to pay, it’s important to think about what you want to achieve with your novel.

There are dozens of different reasons to write and publish a novel, such as:

• Having a book in your hands with your name on the cover.
• Being able to give your book to friends and family.
• Receiving the validation of “being published”. (If this is your main motivation/goal, then you might want to aim for traditional publication, with a publishing house.)
• Having your book on the shelves in major bookstore chains. (Again, you might want to aim for traditional publication here.)
• Getting your work in front of readers.
• Making money from your novel.

If you’d be happy to simply print a dozen copies of your novel to give to friends and family, then paying for editing or cover design is probably overkill.