Doing it Yourself Can Sometimes Save Self-Publishing Authors Serious Money

Self-publishing doesn’t have to drain your wallet. Rick Noble breaks down the surprisingly simple tasks authors can tackle on their own, from filing copyrights to entering award contests, and how skipping the middleman could save you hundreds.

It is estimated that well over two million books are self-published in the U.S. each year. While self-publishing has been derisively called “vanity publishing” by some, there are plenty of examples of works that were initially launched this way before going on to considerable fame and success. Examples of such include:

• Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. James self-published the first entry in 2011 as an e-book and print-on-demand paperback through The Writers’ Coffee Shop. Its popularity exploded, leading to a traditional publishing deal, 100 million+ copies sold, and a movie franchise.  
• The Martian by Andy Weir. Initially self-published as a serialized novel on his website and later as an e-book on Amazon, its strong science and compelling narrative garnered a large following, eventually leading to a traditional publishing deal and a successful Hollywood movie adaptation.
• Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki: Although later picked up by a traditional publisher, Kiyosaki initially self-published his personal finance book. It became a massive bestseller and has had a significant impact on how many people think about money and investing.  
• Wool by Hugh Howey: Howey began by self-publishing a short story that grew into the Wool series on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. This science fiction saga gained immense popularity, leading to a traditional publishing deal and a television adaptation.  
• Charles Dickens self-published A Christmas Carol after being unhappy with payouts from his publisher.
• Walt Whitman famously self-published and promoted his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was groundbreaking and controversial for its time and is now considered a seminal work of American literature.
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: Potter self-published 250 copies of her beloved children’s book after facing rejections, but its subsequent success led to a traditional publishing deal and enduring popularity.  

There are of course plenty of great reasons to self-publish, including maintaining full editorial control, retention of rights, faster time to market, and so on. But some of the services provided by reputable self-publishing companies might simply be too complicated to navigate for some (like me). For example, having a book listed on all of the important outlets, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Indigo, etc., not to mention having your book set up for e-reading, requires considerable expertise. Many of the companies that provide such services (see a list at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/best-self-publishing-services/) offer a menu of what they make available, from editing to proofreading to the aforementioned distribution.

But before you simply sign up for everything your self-publishing partner offers, you might want to consider some of the things you could do yourself at a fraction of the cost and with very little effort or knowledge required. The first example that comes to my mind is obtaining a copyright for your work. You can easily do that yourself by visiting the U.S. Copyright Office’s web site at https://www.copyright.gov/registration/. While the interface may not be state-of-the-art, it is fairly simple to apply for a copyright, and the cost is only $65. Once it’s accepted, you’ll receive a Certificate of Registration and a Registration Number proving that the work is yours.

Another DIY example is entering award contests. I’ve seen self-publishing companies mark this service up by as much as 300%. As long as you don’t mind filling out a form or two, emailing a PDF of your (hopefully copyrighted!) book, or visiting the post office to drop a couple of print editions in the mail, you can easily do this on your own. There are plenty of award options out there as well, including:

• The Foreward Indies (https://publishers.forewordreviews.com/awards/), which has an entry fee of $99 and discounts for multiple titles).
• The Writer’s Digest’s Self-Published Book Awards (www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards#pricing_and_deadlines), which you can enter for as little as $100, with discounts for multiple titles.
• The Kindle Book Review Awards (https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/%f0%9f%8f%862025-kbr-book-awards/), which has an entry fee of $35.
• Reader Views Literary Awards Program (https://readerviews.com/literaryawards), which you can enter for as little as $89.

Most of these contests offer awards in various categories (e.g. Mystery/Thriller, Romance, Sci-Fi, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Non-Fiction). Many also have modest cash prizes although, for me at least, the real prize is to be able to say that your book was a winner or a finalist! Tips on finding the contests that might be best suited for you and your works can be found at https://writingcooperative.com/legit-awards-for-indie-books-eec8a6f8ebc1.

Your mileage may vary, but there is no question that you can save yourself some money if you are willing to take on some of these relatively easy tasks yourself, especially obtaining copyrights or entering your book or books in contests.

A list of contests and awards can be seen at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/author-awards-contests-rated-reviewed/.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rick Noble has published a series of historical fiction novels that begin with the U.S. Civil War and go on to cover the Old West. The third book in the series, King Cotton III – Jack & the Ripper, won best historical fiction of 2025 from the Collective of Independent Publishers and Authors. In it, the main character finds himself an unwilling participant in Cuba’s Ten Years War, involved in the circus business, consulting on the Treaty of Washington, hosting Queen Victoria and the future King Edward VII at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and patrolling the squalid streets of Whitechapel in 1888, hot on the trail of Jack the Ripper.

Links to purchase, reviews and more can be found at www.kingcottonbooks.com A Reader’s View review of his third installment can be found at https://readerviews.com/reviews/king-cotton-iii-jack-amp-the-ripper-noble/

KING COTTON III

King Cotton III: Jack & the Ripper is the third entry in the series of historical fiction novels involving the exploits of Jack Bailey, the irresistible scoundrel that charmed his way through the Civil War, helped himself to a share of the Confederate Treasury, distilled bourbon with John Beam (Jim’s uncle), helped establish the Old Chisolm Trail, and witnessed some of the earliest gunfights and train robberies in the Old West. A friend to Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Allan Pinkerton, George Armstrong Custer, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody, and other famous figures of the era, Bailey is back and as is so often the case, he becomes embroiled in some of the most notable events of the late 1800’s.

Jack & the Ripper begins as Bailey reunites with Wild Bill Hickok, now a marshal in Kansas. He later finds himself an unwilling participant in Cuba’s Ten Years War for independence, involved in the circus business, consulting on the Treaty of Washington, hosting Queen Victoria and the future King Edward VII at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and patrolling the squalid streets of Whitechapel in 1888, hot on the trail of Jack the Ripper. Predictably, our hero never lacks for female companionship along the way, or for the occasional (and inadvertent) confrontation with deadly characters like Frank and Jesse James and John Wesley Hardin.