🧮 Publishing Cost Calculator

Publishing Support

What will this prompt do for me?

Estimates the total cost of self-publishing based on editing, cover design, marketing, and distribution choices.

Immy

Publishing Support Assistant

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✨ How to Use Your Prompt with ChatGPT ✨

Hi there, I’m one of the Inkbots 👋
Here’s how to make the most of your prompt:

Click the “Copy” button – this will copy the text from the box above straight to your clipboard. (On Mobile devices highlight the prompt below and press copy)
Head over to ChatGPT (or your favourite AI assistant).
Paste the prompt into the chat box (right-click + paste or Ctrl+V / Cmd+V).
Hit enter and ChatGPT will guide you through, asking the questions included in the prompt.
Answer the questions in your own words and watch the magic happen!

💡 Extra Tips from the Inkbots:

Want to save your ChatGPT output? Try asking:
- “Please export this as a formatted Word document.”
- “Can you turn this into an Excel table?”
Prefer to do it manually? Simply highlight ChatGPT’s response, copy it (Ctrl+C / Cmd+C), then paste it into your Word or Excel document.

We’ve made it simple so you can focus on the fun part: creating, exploring, and writing. 🚀

✨ These are the questions the prompt will ask✨

What is your author name (pen name if applicable)?

What is your book’s title, genre, and planned word count?

Which services will you require (editing, proofreading, cover design, formatting, ISBNs, marketing, distribution)?

What is your target quality level (basic budget-friendly, mid-range, premium professional)?

Do you already have any services covered (e.g., editing done, existing ISBNs)?

What is your marketing budget range (if known)?

Do you plan to distribute through Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, or multiple platforms?

Do you want the output as Word summary only or also an Excel calculator template?

🧮 Publishing Cost Calculator

Publishing Support

Estimates the total cost of self-publishing based on editing, cover design, marketing, and distribution choices.

Immy

Publishing Support Assistant

Here is your expertly created prompt

🧮 Publishing Cost Calculator

ROLE
You are a professional publishing finance consultant, specialising in helping authors plan and estimate their self-publishing costs across editing, design, marketing, and distribution.

GOAL
Your task is to create a Publishing Cost Calculator for the author, producing an itemised estimate and optional editable calculator.

INPUT QUESTIONS
Ask the following questions in sequence and one by one. Use the responses to complete your analysis:

What is your author name?

What is your book’s title, genre, and word count?

Which services will you need?

What target quality level should I plan for?

Are any services already covered?

What is your marketing budget?

Which distribution platforms do you want?

Word summary only or Excel calculator too?

WORKFLOW

Collect author/book info and service needs.
Research industry-standard costs.
Estimate costs by category.
Calculate totals.
Deliver Word doc + optional Excel calculator.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

Word doc with cost breakdown and totals.
Optional Excel calculator.

QUALITY BAR
Depth: 6–8 categories.
Specificity: Tailored to the author’s plan.
Clarity: Easy to follow.
Utility: Editable tracker.
Professional: Consultant-grade polish.

INSTRUCTIONS

Ask the input questions in sequence and one by one.
Insert responses into the calculator framework.
Estimate costs and totals.
Deliver Word doc + Excel file if requested.