Publishing Costs
How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Christian Book?
The short answer: anywhere from nothing to several thousand dollars, depending on the route you take. Here is what each option actually costs, and where MakorBooks fits.
In a hurry? With MakorBooks, turning a sermon into a finished, formatted book is a one-time payment from $20. No subscription. See every plan on the pricing page.
Three ways to publish, side by side
Every route does the same underlying work. What changes is who does it, how much it costs, and how much control you keep.
Traditional Publisher
$0 upfront
but rarely an option
- Publisher covers editing, design, and printing
- Accepts only a small number of manuscripts
- Keeps most of the royalties and rights
- Timeline: months of querying, then a long production wait
DIY with Freelancers
$1,500–$5,000+
for a 60,000-word book
- You find, brief, and manage every specialist
- Full rights and royalties stay with you
- No doctrinal review built into the process
- Timeline: weeks to months, depending on you
MakorBooks
From $20
one-time, no subscription
- Transcription, editing, design, doctrinal review, all in one plan
- You keep full copyright
- No subscription, ever
- Timeline: your book takes shape in days, not months
The full comparison
| Traditional | DIY Freelance | MakorBooks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $0 | $1,500–$5,000+ | From $20 |
| Ongoing fees | Royalty share, usually 70–90% | None | 8% per sale, you keep 92% |
| You keep full rights | |||
| Doctrinal review included | |||
| Acceptance | Very selective | Guaranteed (self-directed) | Guaranteed |
| Typical timeline | Months to years | Weeks to months | Days |
What MakorBooks includes
One paid plan covers the whole production line: transcription of your sermon (or a guided interview if you are starting from an idea), a chapter-by-chapter blueprint, developmental editing for coherence and tone, automated doctrinal screening, professional formatting, and export to PDF and DOCX. You review and approve every chapter, and you keep full copyright.
| Plan | Sermon to Book | Idea to Book | Sermon to Devotional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $20 | $25 | $7 |
| Professional | $35 | $45 | $12 |
| Signature | $50 | $60 | $20 |
Each plan is a one-time payment, shown in your local currency at checkout. The only ongoing cost is a flat 8% platform fee on copies your book sells in the MakorBooks store; you keep 92% and are paid every Friday. Full details are on the pricing page.
What actually drives the cost
Whichever route you choose, the price reflects a fixed set of jobs: getting your words into a clean draft, shaping them into a book, editing for clarity and accuracy, designing a cover, formatting the interior, and getting it distributed. The routes differ in who does that work, how much control you keep, and how the money flows, not in whether the work is needed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to publish a Christian book?
It depends on the route. A traditional Christian publisher charges you nothing up front but accepts very few manuscripts and takes most of the royalties. Doing it yourself with freelancers (editor, cover designer, formatter, proofreader) typically runs from about $1,500 to $5,000 or more. With MakorBooks, turning a sermon into a finished, formatted book is a one-time payment starting at $20, with no subscription.
How much does Christian book publishing cost with MakorBooks?
Sermon-to-Book plans are $20 (Essential), $35 (Professional), and $50 (Signature), paid once. Starting from an idea instead of a recording is $25 to $60. A sermon-to-devotional is $7 to $20. Every plan includes transcription or a guided interview, structuring, developmental editing, doctrinal review, formatting, and export to PDF and DOCX. Prices are shown in your local currency at checkout.
Are there subscription fees or monthly charges?
No. Every MakorBooks plan is a single one-time payment. The only ongoing cost is a flat 8% platform fee on each copy your book sells in the MakorBooks store; you keep 92%. There are no listing fees and no monthly charges.
What does MakorBooks charge when my book sells?
8% of each sale, with 92% paid to you. Payouts run every Friday once your balance reaches the minimum. There are no hidden charges.
Can I publish a Christian book for free?
Creating an account, browsing the store, and reading are free. Producing a manuscript is a paid one-time plan because it covers real work: transcription, structuring, editing, doctrinal review, and formatting. There is no free tier for book production.
Why is traditional Christian publishing so hard to get into?
Traditional houses invest their own money in each book, so they accept only a small number of manuscripts, usually through a literary agent, and often want an established platform first. That is why many pastors and ministry leaders now publish independently.
Ready to see the numbers for your country?
Every plan, priced in your local currency, with no subscription.