How much out of pocket expenses do most new writers spend on a book?

[Guest]

How much out of pocket expenses do most new writers spend on a book?

[successful]

Next to none, and it shows---but only in snippets offered here, as this stuff never finds its way between covers.

Such is the merit of asking about "most." If you were to pin this down to "successful," then that number would plummet and the topic would be manageable.

"Successful" (this will bring grief) authors marketing their own work will spend thousands---and make many thousands in return.

"Most" blanch at this prospect and ask strangers here for validation.

[publishing]

It depends on how you hope to publish for a lot of it.

Self publishing is not free if you want a professional product, but the cost varies. It can be thousands, or it can be free if youre not concerned about a professional release. Traditional publishing does not cost, but you may need to invest in things like an editor or some marketing materials.

It also depends on what you already have. I've spent around 1.5k because I bought a new laptop and writing programs (Scrivener, Plottr), however these things aren't a per book expense.