How do you budget for a book launch?
- Typical indie launch cost: $1,500-$8,000.
- Editing: $2,000-$5,000 (the largest line item).
- Design: $500-$2,000.
- Promo and ads: $500-$3,000.
- Contingency: 10-20% of total.
Most indie book launches cost $1,500-$8,000 total, split across editing ($2,000-$5,000 if professionally done), design ($500-$2,000), promo and ads ($500-$3,000), and contingency (10-20%). The right total depends on genre, sales expectations, and whether you outsource editing and design. Romance budgets often run higher; literary fiction lower.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Authors who launch without a budget either overspend (and lose money on the book) or underspend on the wrong line items (typically editing, which determines the next several books’ reception). A budget forces decisions upfront, prevents impulse spending during launch week, and lets you measure ROAS afterward.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Editing line items: developmental, line, copy, proofread.
- Design line items: cover, interior, ebook conversion.
- Metadata and setup: ISBNs, KDP/IngramSpark fees.
- Promo services: BookBub, Freebooksy, Reedsy Discovery.
- Ads: Amazon, Facebook, BookBub Ads.
- Contingency: 10-20% for unexpected costs.
Chapter iii·Example
A second-time indie author budgets her romance launch at $4,200: $1,800 editing (line + copy + proof), $700 cover, $1,200 promo ($600 BookBub + $600 BookTok creator), $200 ads, $300 contingency. She hits the budget within $150 and the book earns out in week six. Books three and four use the same template with minor reallocation.
In WriteLoom
A launch plan, not a launch day
WriteLoom’s Market studio tracks budget by line item against actual spend, so you can see ROAS by channel and budget book over book.
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