Recently, someone asked me a really thoughtful question:

“How much does it cost to publish a short book?”

Instead of giving you a generic answer, I want to show you what I actually use.

Not theory.
Not estimates.

My real setup.

Because publishing can be as simple or as complicated as you make it.

And I’ve chosen to keep mine simple.

Let’s break it down into three parts:

Writing
Publishing
Marketing

1. Writing: What I Use

Google Docs (Free)

I write all of my books inside Google Docs.

I already use Gmail and Google Drive, so it just makes sense. I create a folder and keep all my book drafts organized there.

Simple.

Turning Videos Into Books

I’ve been online since 2014. I have a lot of video content.

So instead of starting from scratch, I:

Record videos (using Loom or YouTube)
Download the transcript
Use AI to help format it into book form

I use Loom for recording and transcripts. I pay $15/month for Loom, but it serves multiple purposes in my business.

If I take a transcript, I’ll use:

ChatGPT ($20/month for me)
Gemini
Claude

AI does not write my books.

It formats my voice.

I speak.
It organizes.
Then I edit.

I’m not anti-AI. I use tools that help me move faster in this season.

And yes my voice stays my voice.

2. Publishing: Where the Real Costs Happen

I publish primarily through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

It’s free to upload your book.

Amazon takes a percentage when your book sells.

You can publish up to three books per day (based on recent updates).

Book Cover

Right now, I publish mostly ebooks.

So I only need a front cover.

I design mine in Canva Pro.

Canva Pro: About $100/year (I use it for my whole business)

If I want a professional cover made, I use GetCovers.com

Around $25–$30
That includes ebook + print version

Because I write short books, I usually don’t need a spine design.

Formatting (This Is Important)

Formatting means:

Proper spacing
Chapter layout
Page breaks
Clean ebook or print structure

I do NOT format my own books.

I hire this out on Fiverr.

$15–$25 per book

I’ve built relationships with 2–3 formatters who know my brand.

You either:

Learn to format yourself
or
Pay someone else

That’s the trade-off in online business.

3. Marketing: How I Actually Sell My Books

I keep marketing simple.

I do not do:

Big book launches
Massive campaigns
Fancy rollout strategies

Here’s what I use:

YouTube

I talk about my books naturally on my channel.

That’s my main marketing engine.

Amazon Author Page (Free)

Amazon lets you create an Author Page.

Readers can follow you there.

When you publish a new book, they get notified.

That alone has brought me consistent sales.

Amazon Ads

I’m testing simple Amazon ads.

Nothing complicated.

Low-budget, basic campaigns to drive visibility.

Inside-the-Book Marketing (Real Estate Strategy)

This is powerful.

Inside every book, I:

Promote my other books
Add links
Add a short bio
Invite readers to my website or email list

Your book pages are real estate.

Use them.

So What Does It Actually Cost Me?

Here’s a realistic breakdown per short ebook:

Writing

Google Docs – Free
Loom – $15/month (optional)
ChatGPT – $20/month (optional but useful)

Publishing

Cover – Free (Canva) or $25–$30
Formatting – $15–$25
Upload to Amazon – Free

Marketing

YouTube – Free
Amazon Author Page – Free
Ads – Optional (small budget)

My Average Cost Per Short Ebook

If I outsource formatting and cover:

Around $20–$50 per book

If I design my own cover:

Closer to $15–$25 per book

That’s it.

No thousands of dollars.

No publishing company.

No middleman.

Why I Keep It Economical

Because I publish multiple books.

If I’m rapidly publishing, I can’t afford to spend hundreds per book.

So I:

Start with ebooks
Test the market
Watch sales
Then consider print

Simple.

You Get to Choose Your Path

You can:

Make it complicated
Or keep it lean

You can:

Invest time
Or invest money

There’s no wrong way.

Just what fits your goals.

If you want to see my books, blogs, and tools, you can visit:

Both go to the same place.

And if you have more questions like this?

Ask.

I’ll turn it into a blog post or video.