The end of the year: Counting costs
I'm going to have to do this for my accountant anyway, so I figured I'd present the amount I've spent on book production for all of 2011. For your edification and enjoyment (especially if you're prone to schadenfreude):
Spent on creating marysisson.com:
$67.50 for 5 yrs....Cost of domain name
$226.79 for 2 yrs.....Cost of Web host *
$294.29.....TOTAL
Spent on copy editing Trang:
$280.00
Spent on creating e-books:
$0
Spent on creating hard copies:
$355.00.....Purchase Adobe Acrobat
$46.73.....Purchase proofs of Trang (I wound up revising it four times)
$16.24.....Purchase large-print Trang proof
$78.00....Fee for improved price/distribution (both editions)
$495.97.....TOTAL
Spent on marketing:
$100.00....Advertisement at sci-fi convention
$22.51....Copies to give reviewers
$49.00....BookRooster
$66.91....Copies for GoodReads giveaway
$238.42....TOTAL
GRAND TOTAL: $1,308.68
Obviously getting the book copy edited and revising it added to the cost, but I think that was worth it. I also think it was worth it to send hard copies to reviewers, but the advertisement did nothing for me, and it seems to me that I get a lot more bang for the buck by doing a Library Thing giveaway than by paying BookRooster (I haven't done the GoodReads giveaway yet--postage will be added to that cost--so I don't know how that will shake out).
* Edited March 30, 2012, to reflect rate change.