Publishing a Book Is Like Buying a House: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Publish Until You’re Ready
When I work with authors, especially first-timers, I often hear a mix of excitement and urgency:
“I’ve written the book. I’m ready to publish it right now!”
“How soon can I get it on Amazon?”
“What’s the fastest way to get it into readers’ hands?”
And I get it. Finishing a manuscript is a huge milestone, and the natural instinct is to share it as soon as possible. But here’s what I gently remind every author who’s about to publish for the first time:
Publishing a book is a lot like buying a house.
It’s not just a transaction—it’s a commitment.
You’re not just hitting publish and walking away. You’re taking on the responsibility of supporting and sustaining your book through marketing, engagement, and reinvestment. And just like you wouldn’t buy a house without a financial plan or the ability to pay the mortgage, you shouldn’t publish a book unless you have a strategy in place to help it thrive long-term.
Let’s walk through what that actually means.
The Down Payment: What It Takes to Get to Publication
When you publish a book—especially as an indie author—you’re putting down a serious investment. That doesn’t just mean money (although we’ll get to that), but also time, energy, and emotional capacity.
Here’s what your “down payment” might include:
Editing (developmental, line, copy, proofreading): $500–$2,000+
Cover design: $200–$1,000 for a custom cover
Formatting (print + ebook): $100–$800
ISBNs + Copyright Registration (if applicable): $125–$500
Marketing assets (ARC copies, ads, graphics, etc.): $200–$1,000+
That’s not including the time it takes to find service providers, coordinate timelines, and manage revisions.
You don’t have to spend thousands, but you do need a budget.
And more importantly, you need to understand that this upfront cost is just the beginning.
The Mortgage Payment: Ongoing Visibility and Marketing
Publishing the book isn’t the end of the journey—it’s the start of your career as an author. And to sustain that career, you need ongoing visibility, which usually means consistent marketing efforts.
This is your metaphorical “mortgage payment.” It’s the monthly (or weekly) effort that keeps your book relevant, discoverable, and selling.
Marketing as an author might include:
Running Facebook, Instagram, or Amazon ads
Sending out regular emails to your list
Creating top-of-funnel content (social media, podcasts, blog posts)
Managing ARC teams and planning promotions
Booking author events, podcasts, or newsletter swaps
Even if you do everything yourself, it still costs time—and often, some money. You don’t need to market like a big publishing house. But you do need a plan that fits your budget, your energy, and your season of life.
What Happens When You Don’t Plan Ahead
Let’s go back to our house analogy.
If you buy a home with no inspection, no budget for repairs, and no idea how to pay the mortgage, you might live there for a while—but eventually, things will start falling apart.
The same goes for publishing a book with no plan.
You might sell a few copies to friends and family.
You might post on Instagram and see a short-lived spike.
But if you haven’t built an audience—or worse, don’t know who your audience is—your sales will slow. Fast.
And then comes the spiral: self-doubt, burnout, and wondering if you were ever meant to be a “real” author.
This is one of the biggest reasons I recommend that authors build their audience and marketing foundation before they publish.
If you’re looking for a starting point, my Self-Publishing Starter Kit walks you through what to focus on first so you’re not flying blind.
Publishing a book isn’t a one-time decision—it’s a long-term investment, and like buying a house, it requires a down payment, maintenance, and a plan to sustain success.
You Need More Than a Launch Plan—You Need a Sales System
A book launch is important, yes. But sustainable sales come from systems, not spikes.
Think of your marketing like:
Top of funnel: How readers find you (social media, content, promos)
Middle of funnel: How they get to know you (email list, newsletters, freebies)
Bottom of funnel: How they buy your book (sales page, Amazon, backlist)
If you want consistent income from your books—whether your goal is a few hundred a month or full-time author income—you need a sales system that moves readers through each of these steps consistently, not just during launch week.
To learn how to set up your funnel, grab my free guide to Build Your Author Funnel.
When You’re Ready, Publishing Is a Beautiful Investment
Now, all of this isn’t to scare you off.
Publishing a book is absolutely worth it—when you’re prepared.
If you know:
Who you’re writing for
What you want your author career to look like
How you’ll keep visibility going after your launch
How much time, energy, and money you’re realistically able to commit
Then YES, hit publish. You’re setting yourself up not just to release a book—but to build a legacy.
If you’re not sure yet? That’s okay too. Permit yourself to slow down, learn the industry, and build a foundation. Publishing isn’t going anywhere. Your book deserves a plan.
Build a Career, Not Just a Moment
You don’t need to become a New York Times bestseller overnight.
What you do need is the patience and structure to grow something sustainable. Something joyful. Something that will still be there months or years from now—because you treated it with the same respect, planning, and care that you would give a house.
You wouldn’t build a house on a sinkhole.
Don’t build your author career without a plan.
If you need help building that plan, my membership community, the Story Flow Collective, is here to guide you every step of the way—from audience growth to publishing timelines to post-launch visibility.
Let’s make this career work for you, not the other way around.
P.S. Letters From Story Flow is your bi-weekly resource for authors who are ready to grow their careers with clarity and ease—without relying on hustle-heavy strategies that don’t feel like you.
If you're ready to build a sustainable author business, connect with readers, and get expert guidance that actually meets you where you are, click here to join me!