Self-Publishing on a Budget

In a perfect world, self-publishers are flush with capital. They invest in professional editing, copyediting, layout, cover design, websites, book trailers, and a publicists from people they know or through a company like Cunning Relations. They pay for a reasonable print run and plenty of promotional materials. After all is said and done, they have a high quality book with an aggressive promotional campaign. As a result of this, their books will sell very well.

Of course, we don't live in a perfect world. Although self-publishing is like any other business that requires investment to produce a quality product, not all self-publishers have extra funds or access to loans. However, with a bit of effort and ingenuity, you can still produce an excellent book. This is what we recommend:

Editing/Copyediting

1. Join and participate in writer's groups. They will help you polish your book to a point.
2. Enlist help from an editor friend. As a writer, there's a good chance you'll know someone with experience in editing who may be willing to help.
3. Although not the same as professional copyediting, anyone with a good sense of grammar can give your manuscript a good once over. A different set of eyes, untrained or not, can be hugely beneficial.

Publicity/Marketing

1. Research, research, research. Becoming an expert book promoter takes experience and training, but the benefit of the internet is that you can gain access to the same resources professional publicists use. Subscribe to sites like PR Daily and book industry newspapers (Galley Cat, Publishers Weekly) to keep updated on current promotional trends.
2. Emulate similar authors. Not sure how to structure your marketing plan? Find an author with a similar target market and do what worked for them.
3. Social network. Seriously! This is one of the best forms of marketing. It's cheap and easy. Yes, it's time consuming, but it's the best way to build your fanbase.

Design/Layout

Cover design, layout, and eBook conversion are a few items you simply cannot skimp on when publishing. If you are a professional designer or know someone who will give you excellent design services for free/cheap, then this is not a problem. Most people, unfortunately, do not know design or many designers. 

Of course, there are still ways to save on design without sacrificing quality:

1. Throw your ellaborate cover ideas out the window. Those will cost you thousands. Instead, think of simple designs. You'll pay less and, right now, simple is in.
2. Find individuals or companies who create quality covers, but don't charge too high of a price. You should expect to pay between $499 and $899, which is right in the range of our designers. You can see some examples of what our team has worked on here.
3. Keep your layout simple. If you have illustrations, complex maps, spot art, or special characters, it will make it a bit more expensive. You can expect to pay $199 to $499 for a good layout and around $299 for quality eBook conversions.

Quality books take more than writing. If you're self-publishing, you cannot even begin to compete with traditionally published authors unless you invest in your book. Whether you pay for it or reach out to your connections and pull in all your favors, your book needs the full suite: editing, publicity/marketing, design/layout, and more. Once you've done that, you're on the right path to become the next bestseller.

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—Kirk Cunningham, principal consultant at Cunning Relations 

& head publicist at Jolly Fish Press.