How I Published 10 Books Without a Publisher (And What It Really Cost Me)

No publisher. No big team. Just me, my laptop, and a few tools I’ve learned to trust.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve published 10 books from Bigfoot theories to survival tactics and not one of them cost me anything to publish. That’s right… the publishing part was 100% free.

But let’s be real. While the process is accessible, there’s still time, tools, and lessons that come with it. And honestly, I wish someone had laid it all out when I first started.

So that’s what this blog is. A behind-the-scenes look at:

• The exact tools I used
• What I paid for (and what’s completely free)
• How I made it work in small windows of time
• What worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently

The Tools That Took Me From Idea to Amazon

Here’s what I used and what it actually cost me.

ChatGPT
This is my go-to for brainstorming and writing. I’d drop in rough ideas, and it helped me shape them into real outlines or full chapters.
I pay $21/month for the Pro version, but you can use the free version and still get a lot done. I use this tool for more than just books, so the cost is worth it across everything I build.

Reedsy
Reedsy is where I format all my books. I upload my manuscript, pick a layout, and it gives me a professional file for print and Kindle.
It’s completely free to use. No catches. And the results look clean and polished.

Canva
Canva is how I design all my book covers and promo graphics. I started out rough my first cover looked like Bigfoot sneezed on it but I’ve learned a lot.
I pay $19/month for Canva Pro, but there’s a strong free version too. Like ChatGPT, I use Canva for everything, so it pays for itself.

KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
This is how I published all my books on Amazon. You upload your file, set your price, and hit publish. No gatekeepers. No upfront cost.
Publishing to Amazon through KDP is completely free.

Wealthy Affiliate
This platform taught me how to promote my books, drive traffic, and build an actual audience. I pay monthly for this, and it’s been worth it. Without it, I’d have books sitting on Amazon with no one seeing them.

So to be clear: Reedsy and KDP are totally free. Canva and ChatGPT both have free options, but I pay for them because I use them across my whole brand the book-building part is just a bonus.

Making Time When There Wasn’t Any

I didn’t have full days to write. Most of the time, I had to grab 10 or 20 minutes whenever I could.

That meant writing during short breaks at work. Editing in the early mornings. Voice notes at night. I had to build a process that worked in bursts not hours.

The key wasn’t time. It was consistency.

What Worked vs. What Didn’t

What worked:

• Using tools with purpose drafting in ChatGPT, formatting in Reedsy, covers in Canva
• Publishing one book at a time and learning as I went
• Building a repeatable process I could trust

What didn’t:

• Waiting until I “felt inspired” to write
• Comparing myself to full-time authors
• Ignoring SEO and promotion early on

Final Thoughts

If you’re sitting on a book idea or already halfway through one just know this:

You don’t need a publisher.
You don’t need a team.
You don’t need a big budget.

You just need a few solid tools, a system that fits your life, and the decision to finish.

Hope this helps someone looking to make books

Shawn