Book Marketing

How Much Does Self Publishing School Cost?

Chris Baird smiling, with the words Self Publishing School?

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Self-Publishing School, now trading as selfpublishing.com, costs thousands of dollars. Its program pages show $6,000 to $9,000 for most programs and $16,000 to $28,000 for the top ones, and ghostwriting starts at $60,000. I made my first video on this when it was $3,997, so prices have moved a lot. Cheaper courses teach nearly the same material. The rest of this post covers what the price buys and the cheaper ways to learn.

How much does Self-Publishing School cost now?

The company has no single price list, but each program page shows a price. These are the US prices on those pages in October 2026. The fiction and memoir prices come from a 6-Aug-26 review on publishing.co.uk, which read them from the same pages (its publisher sells a competing course).

ProgramPrice (USD)
Children’s Book School$6,000
Become a Bestseller$9,000
Market Your Book$9,000
Fundamentals of Fiction, Memoir (per the review)$9,000 each
Author Advantage Accelerator$16,000
Author Accelerator Elite$28,000
Ghostwritingfrom $60,000 (premium from $120,000)

The Write Life’s review (8-Nov-23, written when the site was part of the company) put most products at $8,000 at the time. Every program page says payment plans are available, but the terms are not published. Ask the company for the price on the day you buy.

What do you get for the money?

The Become a Bestseller page lists six private coaching sessions, daily office hours and group coaching calls for a year, ebook and print formatting, a custom cover, distribution, an ISBN and a six-week launch plan. The publishing.co.uk review notes there is no editing at that tier. In 2023 The Write Life counted more than 2,500 members in the community, but said some technical parts are glossed over in the lessons.

What does the page for the $9,000 program say about the terms?

On 30-Oct-26 the Become a Bestseller page shows the price as “$9K” and says payment plans are available, with no details of the plans. Its FAQ says the coaching, daily office hours and mastermind access run for one year, while the online training platform and the publishing and launch deliverables never expire. The page lists a custom six-week launch plan, launch team support and an SEO package, and says the program can take you to launch in as little as 90 days. That is the fastest case, not a promise for your book. If you would rather have readers fund your launch up front, read should I launch my book on Kickstarter?

The page does not mention a money-back policy. If a refund matters to you, ask in writing before you pay and get the answer in writing. For comparison, my own coaching has a 7-day money-back guarantee. Whatever you pick, add up what you will pay in total, including the payment plan, and compare it with how many books you plan to publish. Before you pay anyone thousands, ask four questions. What exactly is done for me, and what do I still do myself? How long does the coaching last? Is there a refund, in writing? What would the same help cost me piece by piece, such as a cover and formatting? If you cannot get clear answers, wait. A good program will answer these easily, and a hard sell is a sign to slow down. That is my advice, not a rule.

Why do expensive and cheap courses teach almost the same thing?

That is my answer after buying several. I started with a free ebook, then bought another, followed the instructions and got my first ebook onto the market. When my sales were poor, I took more courses, from $30 to hundreds of dollars. Each added a piece to the puzzle, but they used much of the same material, and many courses do not update it. In forums you will find different strategies that never made it into the courses.

A higher price may motivate you more, because you want to follow through when you have spent a lot. It mostly buys more done-for-you work and coaching. You will eventually need to learn the steps yourself anyway. I want to keep it simple and low-cost, because I want to put out a lot of books, not a few. I have put out 230, and I do not want to pay thousands for each.

What are cheaper ways to learn?

  1. Start with my free 12-step self-publishing checklist.
  2. Use KDP’s help pages and IngramSpark’s free Academy courses.
  3. Watch YouTube, though there is so much advice it gets confusing and often conflicts.
  4. Pick a cheaper, well-reviewed course. See my list of the best self publishing courses.
  5. Get coaching on your own book. Group coaching is $47 a month and 1-on-1 coaching is from $147 a month, with one, two or three 55-minute Zoom calls a month. You can cancel either any time, and both have a 7-day money-back guarantee.

If you want help choosing, book a free 25-minute discovery call. If you are still deciding whether to self-publish at all, start with the self-publishing pros and cons.

Has the price changed since you looked? Tell me in the comments.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Self-Publishing School cost?

Most programs are $6,000 to $9,000 on the company's own pages, the top ones $16,000 to $28,000, and ghostwriting starts at $60,000. Payment plans are available, but their terms are not published.

Does Self-Publishing School offer refunds?

The Become a Bestseller page does not mention a money-back policy. If a refund matters to you, ask in writing before you pay and get the answer in writing.

What does the $9,000 program include?

Six private coaching sessions, a year of daily office hours and group calls, ebook and print formatting, a custom cover, distribution, an ISBN and a six-week launch plan. The publishing.co.uk review notes there is no editing at that tier.

Is there a cheaper way to learn self-publishing?

Yes. Start with a free checklist and KDP's help pages, then a cheaper, well-reviewed course, or coaching on your own book from $47 a month.

Chris Baird

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