Self-Publishing Software 2027: The Tools for Every Step, with Prices

What self-publishing software do you need? Six steps stand between a finished draft and a book in the store: writing, editing, the cover, formatting the print interior, the EPUB, and the store details such as blurb, keywords and categories. Bookfairy covers all six steps in one browser account and charges once per book. Most other programs handle one or two of them: Scrivener and Atticus for writing, Vellum and Atticus for formatting, Canva for covers, Publisher Rocket for keywords. Amazon's free Kindle Create and KDP Cover Creator work only for KDP. Below is every step with the common tools and their US prices, as of November 2026.

The six steps and what each needs

The upload itself happens on the platform: KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books or a distributor. Our guide How to publish a book walks through it.

Step by step: tools and prices

Prices from each maker's own site, checked November 8, 2026, in US dollars; tax status as stated there.

Writing and editing

If you write the book yourself, Scrivener keeps drafts, notes and research in one project and compiles the manuscript into Word, PDF or EPUB. Atticus combines writing and formatting for $147 once, and Reedsy Studio does both for free in the browser. Which writing app fits whom is in our guide Best book writing software.

For editing, style checkers such as ProWritingAid go through your text sentence by sentence. A full edit by a freelancer costs more: Reedsy puts the average for an 80,000-word book at $2,160 for a copy edit, as covered in our guide How much does it cost to edit a book. The Bookfairy editing tool checks the whole manuscript for spelling, grammar, style, logic, facts and sources, marks every change and edits the first 3,000 words for free; up to 60,000 words cost $82.80690 tokens.

Cover, formatting and EPUB

• Cover. Canva gives you layouts and an editor; for a paperback you build the wrap with spine and back yourself. KDP Cover Creator builds the whole wrap for free, but only for KDP. The Bookfairy cover tool builds front, spine and back as one print PDF, with the barcode and publisher logo on the back, for $12.00100 tokens, with three drafts free; later it translates the cover, same look in the other language ($4.8040 tokens), changes the trim size ($2.4020 tokens), makes an audiobook cover ($2.4020 tokens), swaps barcode or logo ($1.2010 tokens) or reworks it in your own words ($1.2010 tokens per change). Our guide Book cover maker compares the options.
• Formatting. Vellum sets up margins, page numbers and headers for you and exports PDF/X-1a, on a Mac only. Atticus runs on every system. Kindle Create prepares ebook and paperback from the same manuscript for publishing on KDP and suits text-heavy books with simple layouts. Bookfairy formatting turns your Word file into a print PDF in the browser for $18.00150 tokens, and you see the first 10 pages free. Printers that ask for PDF/X-1a get it through the PDF/X-1a converter.
• EPUB. Vellum, Atticus and Reedsy Studio export EPUB; Kindle Create saves KPF for KDP and can export an EPUB of reflowable books. The Bookfairy EPUB tool builds an EPUB 3 for $12.00100 tokens, or $26.40220 tokens together with the print PDF.

The full list of formatting programs is in our guide Book formatting software. Side by side with Bookfairy: Vellum vs. Bookfairy and Atticus vs. Bookfairy.

Store details: blurb, keywords and categories

Readers find books through the store search, so title, subtitle and the seven KDP keyword fields matter. Publisher Rocket searches keywords and categories for $199 once. In Bookfairy, keyword research gives you up to 100 keywords with search volume plus 10 title ideas for $7.2060 tokens, categories suggests Amazon categories with the current rank of the number 1 and 2 books for $4.2035 tokens, and the book description writes six versions of your blurb, from back cover to KDP HTML, for $4.8040 tokens.

One account instead of six programs: Bookfairy

With separate programs you move your book between tools at every step: the Word file to the formatter, the page count to the cover, the blurb to the back cover and into KDP. In Bookfairy it stays in one project in the browser:

1. Write a non-fiction or self-help book from your idea with the book writer, or upload your own manuscript.
2. Edit, design the cover, format the print PDF and build the EPUB in the same project.
3. Add blurb, keywords, categories and A+ Content, then upload everything to KDP, IngramSpark or another store.

Each tool is paid once per book, with no subscription needed, and every tool shows you a free preview first. The complete bundle for a book up to 60,000 words, writing included, costs $178.801,490 tokens; all prices are on the pricing page.