Self-publishing can either be costly or surprisingly affordable. The good news is that you can choose the services you want and not necessarily complete the full self-publishing package in one go – you can take your time, paying for one service at a time. Another great thing is that with a number of freelancers to choose from, you have a choice on which rates will work best for you.
The rates we use are determined using the rates report issued by the South African Freelancers Association (safrea). Safrea issues a rates report compiled from the questionnaire sent out to freelancers across Southern Africa to confirm the rates they charge for their services. These are rates charged per word, per hour, or per A4; and in terms of which rate will be used, that depends on the freelancer. Every freelancer would know, from experience, how much time it would take for them to effectively complete the services required of them. Other factors that affect the final rate include: number of words/ pages, the quality of the writing, the complexity of the outcome required as it determines how much time is needed.
Let’s look into the different services within the self-publishing process and how their rates are determined:
Editing
Editing is the most costly publishing service, mainly because of the amount of time spent on it. The cost varies depending on the genre: cookbooks and children’s books may not be as costly to edit as a biography or a memoir. The amount of time spent is also dependent on the quality of the manuscript: are all levels of editing satisfied? (see blogpost on the different types of editing). The only way one can reduce the editing cost is if they are competent language practitioners themselves or are knowledgeable of the principles in editing, and merely need a proofread. But it is always a good idea to have a different eye work on your book project, someone who might see what you may have overlooked because of your familiarity with the manuscript.
Proofreading
Proofreading is a service needed for final checks: to note any mistakes, any minor errors. At this stage, all levels of editing should have been considered, or the applicable ones if not all were applied. A common mistake writers make is requesting for a proofread when the manuscript needs a thorough edit. Proofreading and editing are 2 different things; and a language practitioner will not complete an editing job when a proofread was requested of them. Proofreading takes much less time than editing; and no language practitioner will accept such exploitation. Proofreading is also charged at a per word, per hour, or per A4 rate.
P.S: All our language practitioners are strictly from the Professional Editors’ Guild (PEG).
Typesetting
Typesetting refers to the design/layout of the book on the inside. It is charged depending on the genre: children’s books with illustrations, cookbooks with pictures and recipes, and a memoir with just text all demand different designs and lengths of time spent. There is an A4 rate, an hourly rate, and an overall charge for the typesetting of the whole book.
Illustrations
With illustrations, it’s not just about making the sketch but also coming up with a concept for the design. The illustrator has to be creative, create an image from scratch – a skill that is learnt and perfected over time. Illustrations are charged at an hourly rate or per illustration.
Book cover design
Book covers can be as basic as using a photograph (which would be the case for a memoir, a biography, an autobiography, a cookbook); or a little more complex (in the case of an illustration for a fiction book). The cost for a cover design is dependent on whether you want to use a basic or complex design. Book designing is charged per book cover, and should include making the book cover printer-ready. There’s also an alternative of having the illustration for your book cover designed or a photograph taken by one designer, then have a different designer prepare the book cover to be printer-ready with the barcode and spine.
Proofbook and book printing
A proofbook is a printout of how your final book will look like. The cost of printing depends on the number of pages your final book has – it depends on the thickness, and the type of cover you will use: hardback (hard cover) or paperback (soft cover). Generally, the more books you need to print, the lesser the cost per book is.
There are also options of audio books and e-books, the latter probably being the most affordable as there are no printing and courier costs, and the former being costly because of the time that needs to be spent reading out the book (or in the case of the author being the narrator, hiring the necessary equipment). Audios are charged at an hourly rate. There’s also an audio editing fee, charged hourly.
Marketing
It’s a no-brainer that people must know your book exists, and marketing it in whichever way is what will get it out there, otherwise how would your intended reader know about it?
Marketing can take in many forms: social media, book reviews, interviews, book reads, book launches, book clubs. The advantage with the self-publishing route is that there are many creative ideas to use. The disadvantage is when you’re not well-known or connected to a well-known publishing company and bookstore. You may need to work harder to get your book out there. Book stores don’t readily accept self-published books, subject to relevant rules within their industry; but there are independent (indie) bookstores that accept self-published books.
When it comes to the cost of marketing, every freelancer has their own determined rate, again guided by the safrea rates report. The rate always depends on the service: it can be per social media post, per word or per hour of social media content creation, per word or per hour for a book review, per social media poster, a complete book launch organising cost. Other marketing costs can be free, such as word-of-mouth or others sharing your social media posts. Live videos where you speak about your book may also be another less costly way of marketing.
Here at Mpilo Publishing, we do provide a variety of marketing services depending on your budget.
If you’d like a detail of all the rates for each self-publishing service, you can simply send us an email to info@mpilopublishing.co.za. For a more thorough cost for your specific book project, we can also provide a quotation.
Blogger:
Simthandile Mhlambiso – Founder and Managing Director of Mpilo Publishing (Pty) Ltd; Member of the South African Freelancers’ Association (safrea); Member of Professional Editors‘ Guild (PEG), Branch Secretary of PEG Committee – Western Cape.
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