Information about Pricing

Every book has different needs and complexities, and as such, I custom-quote all of my projects. I know it's hard to budget for your book when cost is a question mark, so I've included some information here about what to expect, including factors that impact pricing and range estimates.

Editorial

I base my rates on the Editorial Freelancers Association's Rate Chart, which is a trusted standard for fair pricing when it comes to editorial services. Every manuscript needs a different level of work, so I do not use the same rate for every project. Since I primarily work on narrative fiction and nonfiction, the estimates below are for those categories. Please note that if your book is more technical or complex than a standard novel, memoir, or collection, your rate may fall outside of these ranges.

Service	Rate Range Estimate
Proofreading	1 – 2 cents /word
Copy Editing	2 – 4 cents/word
Line Editing	2.5 – 4 cents/word
Developmental Editing	3 – 5 cents/word
Manuscript Assessment	1 – 2 cents/word

Print Interiors

Print Interior Pricing

Before I can quote a project, it is imperative that I understand all of the elements involved in your book (which is why I need to see the full manuscript). Generally, the more elements that appear in a book, the more strategy the design will require, and the longer the project will take. Below is a list of common elements and factors I consider when designing books. This list is non-exhaustive, as it would be impossible to list them all.

Quantity of divider levels (Ex. part, section, chapter)
Heading content (i.e. average character count)
Quantity of subheading levels/styles and their frequency
Presence and quantity of non-textual elements such as images, tables, charts, maps, etc.
Bullets and ordered lists (basic or multi-level)
Callout boxes
Specially formatted text
Dingbats (custom or sourced)
Context breaks
Average length of paragraphs/lines of poetry
Whether the interior will be printed in black and white or color ink
Table of contents (and heading/level complexity)
Footnotes and endnotes
Appendices and other back matter (index, glossary, bibliography, etc.)
Extraneous front matter (family tree, foreword, author's note, etc.)
Foreign language that requires uncommon glyphs
Ornaments

The length of your book will impact the time it will take to lay out and typeset as well.

So you know what you can expect when you receive your quote, the chart below contains estimates for varying levels of complexity.

Level	Description	Flat Rate Range Estimate
Low	mostly text, simple headings, minimal front and back matter (novels and memoirs without images, some poetry)	$1,000 – $3,000
Medium	contains multiple subheadings, non-text elements, or extensive front/back matter (ex. nonfiction, some poetry, simple technical manual, picture books)	$2,500 – $5,000
High	many non-text elements, scholarly elements such as index or extensive endnotes, or complex layout needs (ex. textbooks, cookbooks, heavy technical manuals)	$5,000 – $8,000+

Book Covers and Jackets

Book covers range in complexity, and thus require different skill applications and timelines. Below is a list of factors that may impact the cost of your cover:

Imagery: Do you have images (photographs, graphics, art, etc.) already selected for your cover? Will I be sourcing images?
Illustration: Do you want custom artwork for your cover?
How many files types do you need? (Ex. paperback, hardcover, dust jacket, audiobook)
How many elements need to fit on your front or back cover? (Ex. subtitle, logo, blurbs, award recognition, etc.)

My covers usually fall between $700 and $1,500, but each project is custom-quoted.

eBooks

eBook conversion is a process that involves HTML coding to ensure functionality across platforms and proper accessibility features. If I designed your print book, the eBook will likely fall between $1.50 and $3 per print page. If I'm working from a Word document or inheriting an InDesign file from another designer, the estimated rate range is $3 – $6 to include design time or work necessary to adapt existing source files. eBooks with complex elements may fall above this range. See the Print Interiors section for a list of elements that impact eBook pricing.

Graphic Design

Since this range is too broad, please contact me if you're interested in graphic design services.