What does it cost to publish a book? Prices and calculation examples
What does it cost to publish a book? The answer can be anything from zero kronor to several tens of thousands, depending on how you publish, which formats you choose and how much of the work you do yourself. That makes the question hard to give a straight answer to.
In this guide we go through what costs are involved in publishing a book, what differs between publishers, hybrid publishers and self-publishing, and exactly what it costs to publish a printed book, e-book and audiobook with GoRead. You get calculation examples for different setups, so that you can make a budget for your own book.
The short answer
With a traditional publisher you pay nothing, but you have to be accepted and you receive a smaller share of the revenue.
With a hybrid publisher you buy a package. The price depends on what is included and can become high.
As a self-publisher you only pay for the parts you choose. With GoRead you can publish an e-book free of charge, a printed book in bookstores for SEK 999 and an AI-narrated audiobook from a few hundred kronor.
What costs are involved in publishing a book?
Regardless of who pays, a publication consists of the same parts. What differs is who does the work and who bears the cost.
Editing and proofreading
An editor goes through structure, content and language. A proofreader corrects spelling and grammar at the final stage. If you hire professionals, this is often the largest item for a self-publisher. Many solve it with beta readers and their own thoroughness.
Layout of the interior
The text should be typeset into a print-ready interior with correct margins, fonts, page numbers and a copyright page. Traditionally this is done by a designer.
Cover
A cover can be bought from a designer, made yourself or created with AI. A printed book needs a front, spine and back. An audiobook needs a square cover.
ISBN
Each format needs its own ISBN in order to be sold in stores.
E-book
The manuscript should be converted to EPUB format.
Printing
Here is the biggest difference between different setups. A print run is paid in advance, and you bear the risk for what isn't sold. With print on demand the book is only printed when someone orders it, and you only pay for the copies you yourself want delivered.
Audiobook
A studio recording requires a narrator, studio time, a sound engineer and post-processing, and is therefore expensive. An AI-narrated audiobook costs a fraction of that.
Distribution
For a printed book to be orderable by booksellers it needs to be registered in Bokinfo, and a legal deposit copy must be sent to the National Library. E-books and audiobooks should be delivered to online bookstores and streaming services.
Marketing
Ads, review copies, book launches and travel. Here you decide entirely yourself how much you want to spend.
Publisher, hybrid publisher or self-publishing – who pays what?
Traditional publisher
The publisher covers all costs and takes the financial risk. You pay with something else: you need to be accepted, the wait is often long, and you receive royalties that are a smaller share of the revenue. The publisher also gets rights to the book according to the contract.
Hybrid publisher
You pay the publisher for a package that may include editing, layout, printing and distribution. Compare carefully what is included. Check in particular whether you have to buy a print run, whether there are annual fees, who owns the rights and what it costs to leave.
Self-publishing
You are the publisher yourself and only pay for what you choose. You keep the rights and a larger share of the revenue, but are responsible for making sure the manuscript is edited and proofread.
What does it cost to publish a book with GoRead?
GoRead is a service for self-publishing. A large part of the work is done automatically, and therefore much of it is free of charge.
This is free
creating an account
spell check and content review of the manuscript
suggestions for back cover text, subject categories and keywords
three AI-generated cover suggestions, or uploading your own cover
finished interior and complete print cover with spine and back
e-book in EPUB format
ISBN for each format
distribution of the e-book to streaming services and online bookstores
distribution of the audiobook to streaming services
preview of the book and sample listening of AI voices with your own text
This is what you pay for
AI-narrated audiobook: SEK 249 start fee plus SEK 300 per hour of finished audiobook. One hour corresponds to roughly 45,000–50,000 characters including spaces. The price includes VAT.
Printed book in bookstores: SEK 999 as a one-time fee. It covers the legal deposit copy to the National Library and registration in Bokinfo.
Your own printed copies: at cost price. The base cost is SEK 22 for paperback or SEK 75 for hardback, plus SEK 0.22 per black-and-white page and SEK 0.95 per color page. On top of that comes 6% VAT and shipping.
Translation: SEK 249 start fee plus SEK 300 per 45,000 characters including spaces.
Distribution of your own studio-recorded audiobook: SEK 999.
You always see the exact price before you pay.
Calculation example: what does your book cost?
The examples are based on a novel of about 350,000 characters including spaces. That corresponds to approximately 7 hours of audiobook.
E-book only: SEK 0
You upload the manuscript, choose an AI-generated cover and publish the e-book to streaming services and online bookstores.
E-book and printed book in bookstores: SEK 999
The one-time fee makes the printed book orderable in online bookstores and for physical booksellers. The book is printed when someone orders it.
E-book and audiobook: about SEK 2,350
SEK 249 start fee plus 7 hours at SEK 300. The audiobook is distributed to Storytel, BookBeat, Nextory and Audible at no extra cost.
All three formats: about SEK 3,350
SEK 999 for the printed book's distribution plus about SEK 2,350 for the audiobook. The e-book is free.
All three formats and 20 of your own copies: about SEK 4,750 plus shipping
A 200-page book in paperback costs about SEK 66 to print. 20 copies becomes SEK 1,320, or about SEK 1,400 with 6% VAT. On top of that comes shipping.
Shorter books
A short story of about 50,000 characters becomes roughly one hour of audiobook and costs about SEK 550 to produce. A shorter novel of about 150,000 characters becomes roughly three hours and costs about SEK 1,150.
What does it cost to print a book?
The print cost per copy depends on the binding, number of pages and whether the book has color pages. Example for a black-and-white book, excluding VAT and shipping:
100 pages: about SEK 44 in paperback or SEK 97 in hardback.
200 pages: about SEK 66 in paperback or SEK 119 in hardback.
300 pages: about SEK 88 in paperback or SEK 141 in hardback.
As a rule of thumb, 100 pages corresponds to roughly 20,000 words. You can order a single proof copy or a hundred books for a signing. You see the exact price on the order page. Read more in our guide on publishing a book with print on demand.
What does an audiobook cost?
An AI-narrated audiobook costs SEK 249 start fee plus SEK 300 per hour of finished audiobook. The price includes a review of the pronunciation of names, numbers, abbreviations and unusual words before production starts. You can listen to a sample of your own text before you pay, and if you are not satisfied with the quality, a money-back guarantee applies.
Read more in our guide on producing an AI audiobook.
Costs you decide on yourself
In addition to the publication itself, there are costs that don't depend on which service you use:
Editor or manuscript reviewer. Worth considering if you don't have experienced beta readers.
Proofreader. A spell check finds a lot, but not everything.
Cover designer. If you want a cover made exclusively for your book.
Author portrait. Useful on the back cover, in press material and on social media.
Book launch. Venue, refreshments and books to sell.
Advertising. Entirely optional, and hard to make pay off for a first book.
None of this is necessary in order to publish a book. Start with what makes the biggest difference for your particular book.
How to keep the cost down
Don't print a run in advance. With print on demand you only pay for the books you actually need.
Use beta readers. Three thorough readers find much of what an editor would find.
Take advantage of the spell check. It's free and is done when you upload the manuscript.
Order a proof copy first. It's cheaper to discover an error in one book than in fifty.
Start with the e-book. It costs nothing and shows how the book is received.
Try one language at a time. If you want to translate, start with the language where you think the audience is largest.
What do you get back?
A budget has two sides. With GoRead you get 70% of the sales revenue from streaming services and online bookstores, and you keep all rights. Payment is made monthly within 60 days after the end of each month.
For printed books that you sell yourself, the calculation is simple. A 200-page book in paperback costs about SEK 66 to print, plus VAT and shipping. If you sell it for SEK 200 at a signing, you keep the difference.
In bookstores you set the price to the bookseller, who then adds their margin. As a rule of thumb you can count on a markup of around 50%, but it varies.
We make no tax deduction on the payment. You declare the income yourself. If your company is VAT-registered, 6% VAT is paid out on top of the amount.
Questions to ask before you pay for a publication
Regardless of which service or which publisher you choose, you should get answers to the following:
Who owns the rights to the book and to the finished files?
Must I buy a print run or a minimum number of books?
Are there recurring fees, for example per year?
How large a share of the revenue do I get, and when is it paid out?
Which channels is the book distributed to?
Can I terminate and take the book with me, and what does it cost?
Do I see the exact price before I pay?
With GoRead you keep all rights, don't need to buy any print run, see the price before you pay and can unpublish the book and download your files at any time.
Common questions about what it costs to publish a book
Can you publish a book for free?
Yes. With GoRead it costs nothing to create and distribute an e-book, including cover and ISBN.
What does it cost to publish a printed book?
SEK 999 as a one-time fee to make the book orderable in bookstores. You buy your own copies at cost price.
What does it cost to make an audiobook?
SEK 249 start fee plus SEK 300 per hour of finished audiobook. A seven-hour novel costs about SEK 2,350.
Do I have to pay for an ISBN?
No. You get ISBNs from us free of charge, one for each format.
Do I have to print a run?
No. The book is printed when someone orders it.
What does it cost to order a proof copy?
The print cost for one copy, plus VAT and shipping. The price is shown on the order page.
Is VAT added?
The price for audiobook production includes VAT. For printed books, 6% VAT is added.
How much do I earn per book sold?
You get 70% of the sales revenue from streaming services and online bookstores. How much it becomes per book depends on the channel, format and price.
What happens if I'm not satisfied with the audiobook?
Then our money-back guarantee applies.
Calculate on your own book
Upload your manuscript on GoRead, and you'll see the price for your particular book before you decide. It costs nothing to create an e-book, interior and cover. You'll find more answers in our frequently asked questions.