Self-publishing guides, without the sales pitch
What things really cost, and the rules that change depending on where you live — ISBNs, legal deposit, library payments and tax. Checked against official sources and updated regularly.
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What It Costs to Self-Publish
Real 2026 budget ranges
Read the guideSelf-Publishing in the US
Bowker ISBNs, LCCN, copyright, sales tax
Read the guideSelf-Publishing in the UK
Nielsen ISBNs, legal deposit, PLR, W-8BEN
Read the guideSelf-Publishing in Canada
Free ISBNs, LAC, BAnQ, PLR
Read the guideSelf-Publishing in Australia
Thorpe-Bowker, state legal deposit, ELR/PLR
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Yes. Which agency sells ISBNs, where you must send legal deposit copies, library payments and how US royalties are taxed all depend on your country — and sometimes your state or province.
Yes. KDP and IngramSpark sell internationally from a single setup. Your local rules apply mainly to ISBNs, deposit, tax and lending payments.
Spending on the wrong things in the wrong order — for example, formatting before editing is finished, or paying for ads before the cover and description are ready.