In this article, I will examine the self-publishing process in detail. The goal is to explain all the important elements of getting your book published by the self-publishing route.
I have been a full-time professional developmental editor for most of my career. I have edited more than 1,000 books and helped thousands of authors. I have also been intimately involved in the process of self-publishing countless books.
How does self-publishing work?
I am going to delve into the self-publishing process in detail, but let’s start with a brief overview of the key steps.
The first thing to say—and the most important element of self-publishing—is that you, the author, are in control of every aspect of the publishing process. This gives you complete creative control, allows you to produce a book that fits your goals and lets you keep almost all of the profit.
The downside is that you are paying for the whole thing.
Once the book has been written, you will need to carry out the following steps:
- Editing
- Book creation
- Cover design
- Publishing
- Marketing
At each step, you will either need to learn new skills or hire freelance experts.
With this overview in mind, let’s delve into the nitty-gritty of self-publishing.
The self-publishing process
I am going to assume that you, the author, have a completed manuscript—something you are relatively happy with—and are now thinking about self-publishing your book. I would call this draft zero of your book.
I would suggest that this book needs to go through several steps, the first of which is to get editorial feedback. In the traditional publishing process, a manuscript will go through several rounds of editing. However, for self-publishing, this is often not possible because of a more restrictive budget.
This means that self-publishing authors have developed a best practice that provides the best possible editorial feedback at the lowest possible cost.
The first step is to get friends and family feedback. This is a vital initial step designed to find the most obvious problems with a manuscript. Give your novel to friends and family and ask them for feedback. You will quickly find that they may not be as critical as you need, but they will be able to spot any obvious issues or errors.
Once you have some feedback, assess whether there are any clear problems and fix them. You now have draft one.
Look at this article to learn how to [get effective friends and family feedback].
You can now move on to the second step, which is to get beta reader feedback. This is feedback from several readers who are prepared to offer more critical feedback. You may be able to find readers willing to do this for free, though there is a robust market for ‘professional’ beta readers.
Again, you will end up with feedback on your novel. You need to sift through this feedback, find what needs fixing and write the new draft of your novel. This is draft two.
Look at this article to learn how to get beta reader feedback.
The third step is to seek professional developmental editing for your book. It is very possible that this will be the first professional feedback you receive, and it will also be your first outlay. The cost of developmental editing varies, but you are typically looking at between $2,000 and $3,000 for a good editor. Ideally, try to find an editor who will also carry out line editing; this will save you money.
You are going to end up with A LOT of feedback. It should be presented in a way that is easy to understand and can be applied to your book. This will be draft three.
Look at this article to learn more about developmental editing.
At this point, you should have a manuscript that you are happy to push forward towards publication. This is your last chance to make major changes, and you should carry out at least one rewrite.
When you are happy, you can move on to the fourth step, which is copy editing. This is the stage where the copy editor will fix all the typos they can find and also add consistency to the book. This is a vital step and should not be skipped. Ideally, you should employ a professional. The cost of copy editing is normally lower than that of developmental editing.
Look at this article to understand the copy editing process in more detail.
At this point, you are going to need a book cover. My honest advice is to avoid an AI-generated cover and pay for a professional one. You should be able to get a good cover for between $100 and $300.
Look at this article to learn about [getting a book cover] for your book.
There are two more steps to consider.
The first is converting your word-processing file to a digital format such as EPUB or MOBI. You might also need a print-ready PDF if you are creating print books. There are several solutions to this problem, some as simple as uploading the file to Amazon. You might also consider hiring a professional book designer, but most authors skip this step and do it themselves or use software.
The second is proofreading. This is the step of checking that the converted file has not introduced errors. Honestly, you can probably skip this step. The return on investment for the money you pay is just not worth it.
If you want to learn more, here’s a detailed guide to proofreading.
And that is pretty much self-publishing in a nutshell. Once you have your digital files, it’s just a matter of uploading them to a platform like Amazon.
The expertise issue
One thing that traditional publishers offer is expertise. They employ people who are experts in each step of the publishing process, be they editors, designers or marketers.
Chances are you are not an expert in any of these fields. You are a writer, and that’s where your skill lies.
This presents you with a choice. You either become an expert or hire a freelancer.
For some of these tasks, hiring makes sense. Developmental editing, for example, is a highly skilled trade that takes years to master. Other areas are less clear-cut. If you are looking to lay out your book and create a good-looking digital file, you can use paid software such as Atticus or free software such as Sigil.
How much you spend on freelancers and how much you do yourself will depend on your resources, your technical ability and your desire to get down and dirty in the weeds.
How much does it cost to self-publish?
At some point in your self-publishing journey, you are going to have to think about how much this is all going to cost.
It is difficult to give an exact figure since it will be based on several factors, such as book size, complexity and the quality of the freelancers you hire.
You could do it for free. However, this will probably mean skipping some vital steps, such as editing.
In reality, it is going to cost you a few thousand dollars to create a professional product.
Developmental editing is going to cost around $2,000. Copy editing is another $1,000. I’d then set aside about $500 for the cover and other expenses.
If you want a more accurate estimate of the cost of editing, check out this article about [the cost of developmental editing].
Oh… and we have not mentioned marketing. This is probably best considered separately since the cost will depend on you and how you want to approach your readers.
So, that is the bad news. Now for some good news.
The finances of self-publishing
If you follow the traditional publishing route, you are probably going to make about 10% of the cover price of each book sold. If you assume $1 a book, you will not be far off. A typical print run for a debut novel is around 3,000 copies, so let’s assume they sell in the first year. You will make $3,000. However, you’ll have to give your agent at least 10% of this, so you are down to $2,700.
Not bad.
Let us look at the figures for a self-published book. Let’s assume you publish on Amazon and sell the same number of books (3,000) at the same price ($10).
With these figures, you will make $30,000 ($10 × 3,000).
Under Amazon’s 70% ebook royalty option, Amazon is going to take roughly 30% of your revenue, plus delivery costs. Ignoring those delivery costs for this simplified example, that is $9,000 going to the big dog.
We are now down to $21,000.
This is a tasty figure, but it’s not quite that clear-cut. You still have to recoup your publication costs, so we can reduce this figure by $4,000.
That takes us down to $17,000, which is still not bad.
There are a couple of things I want you to consider when thinking about self-publishing profits. The first is that you are not factoring your time into the equation. The second is that marketing is hard.
This calculation assumes you can sell 3,000 copies of your book. That’s no easy task and is something that needs to be considered when you are thinking about self-publishing. The success of your book is going to be determined by your marketing strategy.
Oh… one final twist: selling an ebook for $10 is going to be a hard sell, so you are probably looking at half this figure.
Hybrid publishing
If you are thinking about the self-publishing route, it will not be long before you come across companies that will help you publish your book. These are known as hybrid publishers. The concept is simple: you give them money, and they carry out all the pre-publication work, such as editing. You will pay more than you would if you did this yourself or hired freelancers, but you are paying for convenience.
A little word of warning here: hybrid publishers get bad press from some writers. It is one area of the industry that seems to attract scammy operators, and plenty of writers have been scammed and lost money.
That said, if you are looking for help in the publishing process, this can be a viable option as long as you go in with your eyes open.
These five US-based hybrid publishers show credible indicators: selective acquisition, professional production, established distribution, transparent author investment, and recognizable catalogs.
- She Writes Press — Berkeley, California. Publishes women authors across fiction, memoir, and nonfiction. Distributed by Simon & Schuster. Its 2026 publishing package costs $12,000, with editing potentially additional.
- Köehler Books — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Publishes fiction and nonfiction through both traditional and author-funded arrangements. A particularly relevant option for novels.
- Torchflame Books — California-based. Publishes most fiction and nonfiction genres. It currently quotes $8,895 for its hybrid program, royalties of 60–75%, author-retained copyright, and distribution through IPG and Ingram.
- Amplify Publishing Group — Herndon, Virginia. Its imprints cover fiction, children’s books, business, memoir, politics, and general nonfiction. It retains authors’ rights and uses a selective submission process.
- Greenleaf Book Group — Austin, Texas. Best known for business, self-help, leadership, and expert-driven nonfiction, although it accepts selected fiction. It has operated since 1997, accepts fewer than 10% of submissions, provides bookstore distribution, and lets authors retain their intellectual property.
The Independent Book Publishers Association specifically lists Amplify, She Writes Press, and Torchflame among its examples of hybrid publishers; its 11-point criteria are a useful standard for evaluating any offer.
If you are thinking about going down this route, check out this article about [publishing with hybrid publishers].
Self-publishing scams
The self-publishing industry has long been a target for scammers. They tend to prey on authors who lack knowledge and wish to give their newly written book the best chance of success.
Common self-publishing scams include:
- Vanity presses disguised as selective hybrid publishers
They praise nearly every manuscript, charge thousands upfront, and provide little more than basic formatting and print-on-demand uploading. A genuine hybrid publisher should vet submissions, produce professional books, offer meaningful distribution, and pay higher-than-standard royalties under the IBPA criteria. - Fake agents and major-publisher representatives
Someone claims a Big Five publisher is interested in your self-published book—but first you must pay for an evaluation, editing, registration, or “processing.” Legitimate literary agents earn commission after making a sale; they do not charge authors to secure a publishing deal. - Publisher and Amazon impersonation
Scammers copy company logos, employee names, addresses, and similar-looking domains. Verify the person by contacting the organization through the contact information on its official website—not by replying to the original message. - Hollywood adaptation offers
A supposed producer or film agent says your novel has been selected for adaptation, then requests payment for a screenplay, coverage report, representation, or legal processing. Real agents normally work on commission rather than charging advance representation fees. - Guaranteed bestseller packages
Services promise an Amazon bestseller badge, a particular ranking, or thousands of sales. They may briefly manipulate rankings by concentrating discounted purchases or placing the book in an irrelevant category. A temporary ranking does not signify sustainable sales. - Worthless marketing packages
These include expensive press releases, social-media posts to fake followers, generic email blasts, poorly targeted advertising, and listings on websites nobody visits. The activity may technically occur but have virtually no commercial value. - Fake book reviews and reader communities
The seller promises hundreds of “verified” reviews or access to a private community of eager readers. Purchased and coordinated reviews may violate retailer rules and can result in deleted reviews or account penalties. - Fake book-club, podcast, radio, and interview invitations
The author is “specially selected” but must pay an appearance, registration, promotion, or production fee. The program, audience, or host may be fabricated or impersonated. These approaches have become particularly common, according to Writer Beware. - Guaranteed bookstore placement
A company charges for placement in Barnes & Noble or independent bookstores. Often the book is merely entered into a distributor’s catalog, meaning a store can order it—not that stores will stock it. Actual trade distribution requires sales representation, suitable discounts, and returnability. - Book-fair display schemes
Authors pay hundreds or thousands for their book to be “represented” at Frankfurt, London, or another major fair. The book may simply sit unattended on a crowded shelf, with no genuine rights-selling activity. - Republishing and “book rescue” scams
A caller claims your current publisher mishandled your book and offers to republish, relaunch, or recover your rights. After an initial payment, further charges appear for editing, ISBNs, marketing, or supposed acquisition opportunities. - Fake copyright, ISBN, or trademark emergencies
An alarming message claims your copyright is expiring, another person is registering your title, or Amazon requires immediate payment. Copyright does not need annual renewal, and US ISBNs should be obtained directly through Bowker when required. - Contractual rights grabs
A service takes broad print, digital, audio, translation, merchandising, or film rights—sometimes indefinitely—despite the author financing publication. Watch for automatic renewal, difficult termination provisions, and vague rights-reversion language. - Royalty and account-control scams
The company publishes the book through an account it controls, refuses to provide transparent statements, withholds royalties, or makes transferring the files and ISBN difficult. Ideally, authors should retain access to their publishing accounts or have strong contractual accounting and audit rights. - Endless upselling
After collecting the initial fee, the company insists that additional editing, publicity, bookstore placement, awards, or legal documents are essential. Each payment supposedly unlocks the promised opportunity, but the opportunity never arrives.
The strongest warning signs are unsolicited contact, extravagant praise, guaranteed sales, urgency, payment by wire or cryptocurrency, refusal to provide an itemized proposal, unverifiable staff, and an email domain that differs from the organization’s genuine domain.
The Authors Guild maintains a useful, regularly updated collection of publishing scam alerts and an overview of how to avoid publishing scams.
Here’s an article if you want to learn more about [common self-publishing scams].