Publishing costs
How much does publishing a book cost?
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How much will it cost to publish my book?
Publishing a book costs whatever the help you buy costs, plus nothing per copy until it sells; Defining Moments Press lists its do-it-yourself Author Blueprint program at one payment of $1,997.
The Worldwide Shelf, published by Defining Moments Press, gathers the numbers below as of November 2026. Done-with-you and done-for-you packages are quoted on a free discovery call, and Defining Moments Press states there are no hidden fees and authors keep all royalties.
What does each Defining Moments Press package cost?
Only one price is published. The rest depend on your book and goals, which is why Defining Moments Press quotes them after a discovery call.
| Package | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Author Blueprint (DIY) | $1,997 one payment | Listed on the Defining Moments Press checkout page |
| Author Launch (DFY) | Quoted on a call | For authors who have already written a book |
| Author Training (DWY) | Quoted on a call | Includes 1 year of book coaching |
| Author Premium (DFY) | Quoted on a call | Includes ghostwriting |
Defining Moments Press also offers a free one-hour course on writing, publishing, and monetizing a book, which it lists at a $997 retail price. Financing options are available for some programs; ask on your discovery call.
What raises or lowers the cost of publishing a book
Who writes the book. Writing it yourself with a course costs least. Ghostwriting, included in Author Premium, costs most because a professional writer does the work.
Who produces it. Formatting, interior design, and cover design are included in Author Launch, Author Training, and Author Premium. Doing them yourself saves money but takes skill.
How it launches. Marketing, a launch aimed at bestseller status, media and podcast lists, and funnels add cost and add reach. Professionals who use the book to win clients often weigh this part most heavily.
What does each copy earn after it sells?
Per-copy earnings are the price minus the retailer's share and the print cost. BookSpace's example: if a book retails for $20, the store pays $9 to $12; after Ingram's share, $8.99 remains; a 200 page print cost of about $5.24 and payment processing of about $0.89 come out of that (BookSpace, 2026). These are market figures, not Defining Moments Press terms.
Ebooks change the math: there is no print cost, and Writer Cosmos notes self-publishers keep up to 70% royalties on ebooks (Writer Cosmos, 2026).
How many books do I need to sell to make $100,000?
Divide your goal by what each copy earns. Enter your own price, discount, and print cost below. The starting values use the BookSpace $20 example with a 45% discount; change any of them.
You earn per copy
$5.76
Copies to reach your goal
17,362
Assumptions
Earnings per copy equal list price, minus the retailer discount, minus print cost. Distributor shares, payment fees, taxes, and currency conversion are not included. This is an estimate for planning, not a financial decision or a promise of sales.
Many nonfiction authors earn more from what the book leads to than from the book itself. Defining Moments Press's published case study describes a client who sold over 10,000 books and built 7 streams of income from her book. Results are not guaranteed or typical.
Common questions
Short answers here. All 47 questions live on the international publishing FAQ.
How much will it cost to publish my book?
The cost depends on how much help you want. Defining Moments Press lists its Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge, a do-it-yourself course to write, publish, and launch, at one payment of $1,997 on its checkout page as of November 2026. Done-with-you and done-for-you packages are discussed on a free discovery call, so confirm current pricing there.
See this answer on the FAQ pageHow much does publishing a book cost with Defining Moments Press?
Defining Moments Press charges a fee for its service, and you keep all rights and royalties. The only price it publishes is the Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge at one payment of $1,997, as of November 2026. Other packages, including Author Launch, Author Training, and Author Premium, are quoted after a discovery call. The company states there are no hidden fees.
See this answer on the FAQ pageHow much does a book writing coach cost?
Book coaching prices vary widely by coach and by how long the support lasts. At Defining Moments Press, one year of book coaching is part of the Author Training done-with-you package, which also includes the 8 week writing course, formatting, design, marketing, and a full launch. Its price is not published, so ask for a quote on a discovery call.
See this answer on the FAQ pageHow much does an author make on a $25 book?
It depends on the publishing path. Traditional hardcover royalties are commonly cited at 10 to 15 percent of list price, which is roughly $2.50 to $3.75 on a $25 book, though every contract differs. A self-published author earns the price minus the retailer discount and print cost. Our costs page has a worksheet that does that subtraction for your numbers.
See this answer on the FAQ pageHow many books do I need to sell to make $100,000?
Divide $100,000 by what you earn per copy. At $4 per copy you would need 25,000 sales; at $8 per copy, 12,500. Many nonfiction authors also earn from coaching, speaking, or services the book leads to, which is the model Defining Moments Press teaches. Use the worksheet on our costs page to run your own per-copy numbers.
See this answer on the FAQ pageAre there hidden fees when I publish with Defining Moments Press?
Defining Moments Press states that there are no hidden fees. It is paid a fee for its service, and authors keep all rights and royalties from book sales. Authors can also order copies of their own book at cost directly from the print provider, so buying stock for events or clients does not add a markup from the company.
See this answer on the FAQ pageHow much does a bookstore pay for a $20 book?
According to BookSpace, if your book retails for $20, the store pays $9 to $12. The gap between list price and what the store pays is the retailer discount, which covers the store margin. The distributor and print cost then come out of what the store pays, and the rest goes to the publisher or self-published author.
See this answer on the FAQ page
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