The Cover-to-Cover
Self-Publishing Budget Kit

Plan your self-publishing costs before you start spending

How much should you budget for editing?
What’s included in a hybrid publisher’s package?
And which expenses are easy to overlook until the bill comes due?

I created the Cover-to-Cover Self-Publishing Budget Kit to help you answer these questions and more. It gives you one place to organize estimates, compare quotes, and see how your choices add up, so that you can thoughtfully plan out your self-publishing budget before you get in over your head with the money. Whether you’re doing it yourself, hiring freelancers, or considering the help of a hybrid publisher, you can build a budget around the work you actually need to get your book published.

Introductory price of $29. One-time purchase.

Buy the budget kit - $29

Microsoft Excel is required for the Book Budget Calculator.

What’s Included in the Kit

  • START HERE — A short guide that introduces all the components of the kit and tells how to use them.

  • Book Budget Calculator — An Excel workbook with a completed sample budget and a blank master sheet that you can copy for each book you self-publish (now or in the future). Simply enter estimates (or hard costs) and let the spreadsheet do the math for you.

  • Step-by-Step Video Walkthrough — Follow along as I personally show you how to use the Book Budget Calculator, including how to copy the master sheet, enter your expenses, and read your totals.

  • The Memoir Midwife’s BEFORE-YOU-PAY CHECKLIST — This checklist shows you what to ask when interviewing specialists and publishing partners, so that you know exactly what you’re getting when you hire or partner with someone.

  • Bonus PDF — The Self-Publishing Questions You Didn’t Know You Needed to Ask — A practical guide that answers self-publishing questions authors often overlook—from ISBNs, barcodes, copyright and BISAC codes to book design, hiring professionals, print-on-demand, and who actually ends up publishing your book.

When is the Best Time to Start Your Self-Publishing Budget?

Start while you’re still writing, or use the kit to sort through quotes you’ve already received.
Enter the costs you know, flag what you still need to research, and update your budget as new quotes come in.

Get the Budget Kit for $29

The $29 introductory price is a one-time payment with no upsells. After your purchase, you’ll receive an email with a link to download all five kit files in one ZIP file.

To get started, simply unzip the zip file and open 1-Start Here.pdf first. This document explains everything you need to know to get started working on your budget immediately.

Microsoft Excel is required for the Book Budget Calculator.

Buy the Budget Kit - $29