How Much I Spent Publishing My Romance Novel — What Was Worth It

I spent $3,628 publishing my romance novel, A New Chapter by the Canal—but not every expense was necessary. In this video, I break down exactly what I spent on editing, proofreading, cover design, formatting, audiobook production, special editions, and admin costs. I’ll also share what was worth paying for, what I’d DIY again, and where I think first-time indie authors can save money. If you’re planning to self-publish your first book, I hope this helps you build a smarter publishing budget. #selfpublishing #indieauthor #authortube 🚀 Publisher Rocket – My favorite keyword research tool for authors (affiliate): https://publisherrocket.cartknox.com/... ______ FOLLOW ME ON SUBSTACK: https://diaryofanauthor.substack.com MY BOOKS: 📙 A New Chapter by the Canal   / a-new-chapter-by-the-canal   📓 Library of Eternity   / library-of-eternity   📘 The 66-Day Writing Challenge: Build a Sustainable Writing Habit with Daily Prompts https://a.co/d/8rAAeng 🎧 Flykten - ljudbok https://www.storytel.com/se/books/fly... 📔 Essäer om skrivande och vardagsflykt https://amzn.eu/d/0eUeZSLT My name is Natalie Forslind, I am a writing coach, author, and Growth Markter who teaches writers how to become more productive and market themselves online. Some of the links in this description are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the channel! ✨Timestamps ✨ 00:00 Intro 01:22 What I published 02:42 Developmental editing 06:23 Copy editing 09:45 Proofreading 10:50 Cover design 13:50 Translations 16:50 Formatting 17:43 Audiobook 20:41 Print run 22:28 Admin 23:10 Total spend 24:47 What I’d spend money on again 26:46 Three budget examples