The Best Money I’ve Spent on My Writing (So Far)
When it comes to my advice to aspiring authors, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Writing is an art form, but publishing is a business, and the most significant shift in my mindset occurred when I started acting like it.
After tinkering on my first novel for years, I was sick and tired of not making real progress. It was May 2020, a few months into the pandemic, and even though I had more free time than ever as a social-distancing remote worker, I felt stuck. No matter how many revisions I made myself, I knew the only way I was going to move the needle was to put money where my mouth was and hire an editing professional.
That investment was worth every single penny, but it’s only a fraction of what I’ve spent on my craft in the past three years. So in this post, I’m diving into the real dollars and cents. What have I purchased in my pursuit of publication, how much did everything cost, and was it all worth it?
An Important Disclaimer
Nobody has specifically asked me about my finances, but money is a taboo subject. It’s always my intention to be as transparent as possible to check my privilege and set proper expectations. So before I whip out the receipts, here are a few caveats to keep in mind as you read:
These costs are NOT mandatory. It’s my personal opinion that regardless of whether you’re seeking traditional or self-publication, great books cost money, and you usually get what you pay for when hiring editors, designers, and the like. That said, you absolutely can write a book on the cheap. The only requirements you need to get started are a notebook and your writing utensil of choice. Everything else is icing on the cake.
Beware of scammers. Humanity can be truly wretched at times, especially when it comes to preying on innocent dreamers who only want to see their book babies on shelves. Before you pay a dime to anybody, do your research. Marketplace sites like Fiverr and Upwork are flooded with grifters without credentials, so I instead rely heavily on referrals and professional organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association.
I’m in an extremely fortunate position. I’m not going to pretend like the following dollar amounts aren’t out of reach for the vast majority of Americans. Spending this much with no guarantee I’ll ever break even boggles my mind, and I don’t expect anyone else to mirror my experience. For what it’s worth, I am in a high-earning childfree household, which allows me to live in the Bay Area and spend my disposable income on ridiculously indulgent toys like LEGO’s $500 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set. My point: Your writing journey is your own, and your mileage may greatly vary.
Alright, with that much-needed disclaimer out of the way, let’s jump in.
A Breakdown of What I’ve Spent on My Writing (So Far)
For each category, I’ll detail which were one-time purchases vs. annual subscriptions, as well as which I’d prioritize on a tighter budget. I’m not an affiliate or sponsor of any of these brands, so I get zero kickbacks if you decide to try them for yourself.
Keep reading for the itemized list, and let me know in the comments what other essentials were worth it!
Drafting
Plottr Pro ($99 one-time cost): As its name suggests, Plottr is great for plotting, especially for stories with multiple POVs and timelines. I like the big-picture view it gives my narrative arcs, and the story structure templates are super helpful to get started.
Scrivener ($60 one-time cost): I prefer to write my first drafts in Scrivener because it’s easier to collect my notes and keep track of my daily word count so that chapters are a consistent length.
Microsoft 365 Family ($100 annually): After my first draft is done, I export it from Scrivener to Microsoft Word for revisions. As much as I love using Google Docs for collaborating, Word outperforms at higher word counts and is the industry standard for publishing professionals.
Grammarly Premium ($144 annually): Even as an English major, a former journalist and a current content marketing consultant, I don’t leave proofreading to chance. I’ve been using Grammarly for years, but my only gripe is that, much like Google Docs, it’s not designed for novel-length fiction. As I near publication, I anticipate switching to ProWritingAid and hiring professional proofreaders to catch what the software and I miss.
Otter Pro ($100 annually): Last year, I experimented with voice transcription, and I really enjoyed Otter. It’s not as robust as other tools like Dragon, and it doesn’t recognize punctuation, but it’s easy to export my long-winded narrations as I’m on the move.
Total: $503 for the first year, $344 annually after that
Editing
Content editing ($1,680): This paid for developmental edits on my first manuscript, which included a massive storyboarding spreadsheet and a 14-page editorial letter that spotlighted areas of improvement. No matter how experienced of a writer you are or how many beta readers you enlist, if you’re going to invest in any professional editorial feedback, let this be your priority.
Sensitivity reading ($445): Because my first manuscript originally had several marginalized characters and dual POVs with a Japanese male protagonist, my editor recommended I also work with a professional sensitivity reader. That experience proved invaluable as it helped me confront my own unconscious biases and encouraged me to pursue a single POV featuring women who share my racial identity.
Copyediting ($2,075): Once you’ve gone through developmental edits, copyediting refines your prose on the sentence-level. This cost is for three completed manuscripts that I’ve queried, and if I end up self-publishing, I will also pay for additional rounds of proofreading.
Query package reviews ($360): I’m one of the few writers who enjoy pitching my work, but I always appreciate more eyes on my query packages before I submit them to literary agents. This pays for detailed feedback on my query letters, book synopses, and the first fifty pages of each manuscript.
Book coaching ($1,610): Writing a book is a solitary activity that takes months or years, and it’s important to have a cheerleader rooting for you along the way. My editor’s coaching services include regular client calls and accountability check-ins on our shared Trello board. She shares relevant resources, recommends books on craft, offers insightful advice, and—most importantly— keeps me from getting stuck in anxiety spirals. All of this is proof of our collaborative partnership, and I’m lightyears ahead from where I started because of it.
Total: $6,170 (so far) for four manuscripts
Querying and Market Research
Publishers Marketplace ($280 annually): PM is the single source of truth for literary agent sales and book deals. Not only is it crucial for doing due diligence in the querying stage, but it’s also a fantastic resource for learning what kinds of stories the publishing industry is acquiring. I’m not saying you should write to market, but you absolutely should know what the market cares about.
QueryTracker ($25 annually). I’ve queried three manuscripts, and it’s a long, arduous ordeal every time. I’d lose my mind if I didn’t have QT to track my submissions. At a quick glance, you can see how responsive literary agents are and where your query sits in their queue. You’ll be waiting for months to hear back from agents, however, so be sure not to refresh obsessively in the meantime.
The Hot Sheet ($59 annually). As the former publisher of Writer’s Digest with over 15 years of traditional publishing experience, Jane Friedman is one of the industry’s most renowned experts. The Hot Sheet, the biweekly newsletter she founded, has the pulse on top news and trends, from the rise of AI to TikTok’s influence on book sales. An indispensable resource for career authors!
Total: $364 annually
Marketing
VSCO ($30 annually). I’m a Millennial with a deep-rooted fear of making video content, so Instagram is my social media poison of choice (follow me @alyjarrett). I may not be a professional photographer, but I know that IG’s editing tools leave much to be desired. VSCO allows me to maintain some semblance of an “aesthetic” with hundreds of presets at my disposal.
Canva ($120 annually). Thanks to Canva, this week I made my first book trope graphic with squiggly arrows (please clap), and I’ve been enjoying my weekly bookish memes featuring my favorite celebrity eye candy every Thirsty Thursday. None of my graphics will make me go viral anytime soon, but my brother approves as a pro designer, so I call that a win.
Squarespace ($404 annually). This takes the lion’s share of my marketing expenses, because Squarespace is an all-in-one-suite. It hosts my website and domain, as well as provides a Google Workspace and basic email marketing capabilities for my monthly newsletter. I spent about half a decade in the email industry, so I look forward to having a subscriber list large enough to do some fancy segmentation and automation. Sure, I want to see my books in stores, but evolving beyond entry-level ESPs is truly #AuthorGoals.
Total: $554 annually
Education
Writing Mastery Academy ($160 for one year). Any writer worth their salt is already aware of the “Save the Cat” plotting method, adapted for fiction by Jessica Brody. But last year, I went one step further and purchased a subscription to Brody’s collection of online courses, known as Writing Mastery Academy. While I don’t think it’s necessary to pay in perpetuity, I found a lot of value in the courses on fast drafting and novel revision. They’ll definitely help you get out of your head and words onto the page.
Books on craft (approx. $100). I don’t believe any books on writing and craft will ever replace the tangible, personalized feedback of an experienced editor or critique partner, but naturally, I’ve dropped a few dimes on written resources. I usually find more value in books that blur the line between nonfiction and memoir, so the ones that have made the biggest impact on me so far are Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic and Stephen King’s classic On Writing.
Total: approx. $260
Splurges
Oahu Writers Retreat ($3,108). A 6-day writing retreat on the North Shore is the epitome of splurge, but considering that this amount covered the retreat itself ($1,300), plus food and hotel for the night before ($538), and round-trip flights with WiFi, checked bags and upgraded seats during the Easter holiday ($1,270), it could have cost much more. It’s not likely something I’d do every single year, but I managed to make valuable connections, write 6,000 words, and brainstorm the finale of my second novel in paradise, so I’d say it was well worth it. If you’re interested in booking a retreat of your own, check out my top tips for maximizing your trip.
2018 San Francisco Writers Conference ($870 employer-sponsored). Technically, this is the only expense I’m including pre-2020, because it was too important to my writing journey not to include. Attending a writer’s conference is another splurge I found valuable, but it’s not at all a requirement for aspiring authors. Fortunately, my past employer offered a learning & development stipend that paid for this in full. I’m so glad I signed up for speed dating with literary agents so I could practice my pitch. They educated me on genre and target audience and gave me the confidence I needed to jump into the query trenches years later.
Total: $3,978 ($3,108 out of pocket)
Drumroll, Please: The Grand Total
After adding up all the annual subscriptions and out-of-pocket costs, I calculated that I’ve spent $12,075 in the three years since I started treating my books like a business. And that doesn’t even count the advertising I’ll do once they’re finally available for purchase!
Not to mention, because I haven’t yet published and started generating income from my series of four Silicon Valley rom-coms, most of these expenses are not considered tax-deductible, or so my CPA says (womp womp).
But when I consider all the other frivolities I spend money on—I’m looking at you, Sephora Rouge membership and twice-weekly DoorDash delivery—investing in the one thing I love most in the world is immensely more fulfilling.
If you’ve scrolled all the way to the end, congrats and thank you! I hope this breakdown illuminated all the dollars that go into building an author career. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as I inevitably incur more costs on the path to publication.
For now, please jump into the comments, and let me know what you think! What surprised you most about these figures, and what other expenses are you curious about? If money was no object, what would you buy to improve as an artist?
I’d love to get your two cents! :)