In theory, by doing it all yourself, you could get your children’s book self-published by spending next to nothing. But look at it realistically. You do want a professional looking book that has been illustrated, edited and formatted properly and will reach out to the maximum number of potential readers. If you do want your book to be competitive in the marketplace, you will need to get some professional help and allocate at least a few thousand dollars to the venture.
Reasons to Spend on Self-Publishing
The average earnings of self-published authors are $10,000 a year (according to a recent survey). However, it is also true that at least half of the self-publishers earn $500 or less.
The difference clearly lies in the quality of the product on sale. So, while the writers are getting more proficient at getting books out in the markets, the readers are becoming equally savvy at gauging the quality of the book. So, writers have to focus on visibility and quality of the product they are offering their readers. For a book’s success, get experts and services to bring out a splendid product which is backed by good marketing. To get this done, you don’t need to spend big, just spend smart. Make sure that you get the bang for your buck.
Budgets for Self-Publishing
The most wonderful thing about self-publishing is that you are in charge. Do your research, check out all the options available to you and make your choices. Decide on the bits that you can do yourself and the parts for which you need professional services. Get an estimate on how much it will cost to avail of services like editing, book cover, layouts and marketing. After that determine the cost of self-publishing and decide on the budget for your children’s book.
- The DIY Self-Publisher : $ 0 to $ 500
This is a strictly amateur production and will probably appear so. But it will fulfill your goal of being in print and giving your book a chance in the marketplace.
Children’s Writers: DIY Self-publication budget
- The Highly Competitive Self-Publisher: $ 15,000 and above
This is a self-publisher who is aiming for a professionally produced book that and is willing to spend resources to give his book every chance of success.
Children’s Writers: Aggressive Self-publication budget
- The Smart Self-Publisher: $2000 to $5000
This self-publishing route is the happy middle ground between the above-mentioned options, where the author buys only what she needs and exercises smart choices while going through the entire self-publishing process.
Smart Self-Publication Budget
With so many options available to the self-publisher, it is possible to get your children’s book out there without going broke. Just make sure your goals and your budget are in sync. A little aside – check out the crowdsourcing way to financing your self-publication venture by clicking onto the link given below.
