How To Self Publish A Book In Australia: The Complete Step-By-Step Guide

By Tasman Publishers 23 October 2026 12 min read

To self publish a book in Australia, get the manuscript professionally edited, commission a cover and typeset interior, buy ISBNs in your own name from Thorpe-Bowker, then upload your files to print-on-demand and ebook platforms such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. Within a month of publication, deposit a copy with the National Library of Australia and your state library, and start your marketing well before launch day.

Self-publishing in Australia is more achievable than it's ever been. Amazon prints paperbacks in Western Sydney. Ingram prints in Melbourne. Australian readers can order your book from Booktopia or borrow it from their library through BorrowBox or Libby. What hasn't changed is the order of operations. Do the steps out of sequence and you pay for things twice.

Here is every stage in the order it happens, with the Australian rules overseas guides skip.

What Self-Publishing In Australia Actually Means

When you self publish, you are the publisher. You own the copyright, you choose the cover, you set the price, and the retailers pay royalties straight to you. You also carry the responsibilities a publishing house would normally handle: quality, ISBNs, metadata, legal deposit and marketing.

You can hire freelancers one by one and manage the uploads yourself, or use one of the self publishing services Australia has to offer, where one team runs the whole production. Either way, the book stays yours.

Choosing between self publishing companies in Australia? Ask three things before you sign: Is the ISBN registered in my name? Do I keep 100% of my royalties? Will you quote each stage separately? If the answer to any of them is no, keep looking.

The Self-Publishing Checklist, Step By Step

Want to self publish a book step by step without missing anything? Print this table and tick it off.

#	Step	What you do	You're done when
1	Edit the manuscript	Structural edit if needed, then line edit and copy-edit	The text is final and you've stopped rewriting
2	Choose formats and trim size	Decide on paperback, hardback, ebook and audio, and the print dimensions	Your designer and typesetter have the specs
3	Design the cover	Front cover first, then the full wrap once the page count is known	You have print and ebook cover files
4	Format and proofread the interior	Typeset the print PDF, build the EPUB, then proofread the laid-out pages	Files pass the platform checks and corrections are approved
5	Get ISBNs	Buy from Thorpe-Bowker, one per format, in your name	Each format has its ISBN and metadata
6	Set up printing	Print on demand, an offset print run, or both	You've approved a physical proof copy
7	Distribute	Upload to KDP, IngramSpark and ebook stores; set prices and territories	The book is live and orderable
8	Legal deposit and lending rights	Deposit with the National Library and your state library, then claim PLR and ELR	The deposit is acknowledged and the claim lodged before 31 March
9	Market the book	Launch plan, reviews, local media, ads	Never, honestly. But the launch is planned weeks ahead.

Step 1: Edit Before You Spend Anything Else

Editing comes first because everything downstream depends on the final text. Your page count sets the spine width on the cover. Change the text after either is done and you're paying for rework.

There are four levels of edit, and most books don't need all of them:

Developmental (structural) edit: the big picture. Does the book work, is it in the right order, is anything missing?
Line edit: sentence by sentence, for rhythm, clarity and voice.
Copy-edit: grammar, consistency and facts, plus a style sheet the whole book follows.
Proofread: the final pass, done on the typeset pages after formatting.

Australian English matters too. Your editor should know it's "colour", that Mum isn't Mom, and that a ute needs no explaining in Toowoomba. If you're comparing book editing services in Australia, ask for a sample edit on your own pages. We offer a free 1,500-word sample edit with tracked changes, so you can see exactly how an editor treats your voice before you commit.

Step 2: Decide Your Formats Early

Settle the formats before design starts. A paperback is the default for most books. Add a hardback for picture books, gift books or a memoir aimed at family. An ebook costs little to add once the interior exists, and it's the format many genre readers prefer.

You'll also pick a trim size, the physical dimensions of the printed book. Novels often sit at 5.5 x 8.5 inches or similar, while non-fiction and business books are commonly 6 x 9. Children's picture books are often square. Check every printer you plan to use supports your trim.

Planning audio later? Our guide on how to turn your book into an audiobook in Australia covers narration, platforms and timing.

Step 3: Get A Cover That Works At Thumbnail Size

Most readers first see your cover as a tiny image on a phone. If the title can't be read at that size, the cover isn't finished. Good book cover design in Australia starts with research into what's already selling in your genre, so the cover signals its genre before anyone reads a word.

For print, you need a full wrap: front, spine and back, with a barcode. The spine width comes from your final page count and paper stock, which is another reason to finish the edit first. Ebooks need a separate front-cover file sized for retailer listings. Our cover design service delivers both, plus versions tested at thumbnail size.

Step 4: Format The Interior For Print And Ebook

Formatting turns your Word file into a book. For print, that's a PDF with correct margins, bleed, embedded fonts and page numbers. For ebooks, it's a reflowable EPUB that adapts to any screen.

KDP and IngramSpark each have their own file specifications, and files that don't meet them get rejected. Picture books, cookbooks and heavily illustrated books need a fixed layout and much more design work than a novel. See our formatting service for print-ready PDFs and EPUB files built to platform specs.

Don't skip the proofread on typeset pages. Layout creates errors that weren't in the manuscript: a stray hyphen at a line break, a heading stranded at the bottom of a page, a missing italic. One careful read of the final PDF catches them.

Step 5: ISBNs And The Copyright Page

For ISBNs, Australia has one official agency: Thorpe-Bowker, which sells them through myidentifiers.com.au. You need a separate ISBN for each format, so a paperback and an ebook use two. Register them in your own name or your imprint's name. A free ISBN from a platform ties that edition to the platform and lists someone else as publisher. Our full guide on how to get an ISBN in Australia walks through the purchase and the metadata.

Your copyright page should carry your copyright notice, the ISBN for that format, the edition, and your publisher name. Copyright in Australia is automatic, so there's nothing to register. You can also request a catalogue entry from the National Library's Prepublication Data Service before the book is out.

Want One Team To Handle The Whole List? Editing, cover, formatting, ISBNs in your name, print on demand, distribution and legal deposit, managed as one project with one named contact. You keep your copyright and 100% of your royalties. Get a fixed quote or call +61 8 7111 2944.

Step 6: Print On Demand Or A Print Run?

You don't need a garage full of boxes. Print on demand in Australia is well established: Amazon has printed KDP paperbacks at its Western Sydney fulfilment centre since 2021, and Ingram runs a print-on-demand facility in Melbourne for IngramSpark orders. A book is printed when someone orders it, then shipped.

An offset print run, done by a commercial printer, still has its place. It suits authors who sell a lot of copies by hand at events, talks and markets, or who want special finishes that POD can't do.

Option	Best for	Watch out for
Print on demand (KDP, IngramSpark)	Online sales, bookshop and library orders, no stock to store	Limited paper and finish options; higher cost per copy than a big run
Offset print run	Launch events, speaking gigs, local shops, gift and coffee-table books	Storage, freight and guessing the right quantity
Both	Authors who sell in person and online	Keep the files and ISBNs consistent across printers

Whatever you choose, order a physical proof copy and read it. Colours shift on paper. Print cost per copy depends on page count, trim size, colour, paper stock, binding and quantity, so set your retail price only once you know it.

Step 7: Distribution, From Amazon To Your Local Bookshop

How to publish a book on Amazon from Australia

Kindle Direct Publishing is open to Australian authors. You create a KDP account, complete the tax interview (Australian residents can claim reduced US withholding under the tax treaty, so don't skip it), add an Australian bank account, then upload your ebook and paperback with their metadata. Paperbacks sold on amazon.com.au can be printed locally. If you enrol the ebook in KDP Select for Kindle Unlimited, it must be exclusive to Amazon for each 90-day term.

Going wide

Amazon is one shop. Book distribution in Australia also runs through Booktopia, Dymocks and independent bookshops, which mostly order through wholesalers, and through library platforms such as Libby/OverDrive and BorrowBox. For print, IngramSpark in Australia is the usual route into that wholesale network. Ebooks can go to Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play too.

Getting into physical bookshops

Bookshops buy at a wholesale discount off your list price, and many expect to be able to return unsold copies. Set your trade discount and returns policy with that in mind. Start with your local independent bookshop. A nearby author with a launch event is far easier to stock than an unknown name from interstate.

Metadata decides who finds you. Your title, subtitle, blurb, BISAC categories and keywords are what retailers and library systems search. Write them as carefully as the back cover.

Step 8: Legal Deposit With The National Library Of Australia, Then Lending Rights

This is the step overseas guides never mention. Under the Copyright Act 1968, Australian publishers, self-publishers included, must deposit their published works with the National Library of Australia. According to the NLA, works should reach the Library within one month of publication. An ISBN isn't required for deposit.

Ebooks and digital editions: deposit through National edeposit (NED) at ned.gov.au. The NLA prefers the electronic version when a book exists in both forms, and NED satisfies most state and territory requirements at the same time.
Print-only books: post one copy to the NLA's Legal Deposit team in Canberra. Your state library may also want a copy; the State Library of South Australia, for example, collects South Australian publications.
Using a service? The NLA is clear that legal deposit is always the publisher's responsibility, which means you. Ask your provider if they lodge it for you.

Then claim your lending rights. Australia's Public Lending Right (PLR) and Educational Lending Right (ELR) schemes pay eligible Australian creators and publishers when their books are held in public and educational libraries. Titles need an ISBN, and you register through Lending Rights Online. New title claims close on 31 March each year, and you have five years from the year of publication to claim. For the current cycle, check arts.gov.au.

Step 9: Market The Book (Starting Before Launch)

A book with no plan behind it sells to friends and family, then stops. Start planning at least a couple of months before launch: line up early readers for reviews, pitch your local paper and ABC local radio, book a launch at a bookshop or library, and contact your state writers' centre. Writers SA, Writing NSW and Writers Victoria all run events for local authors.

Pre-orders, a simple author website, a newsletter sign-up and a modest ad budget on Amazon or Meta all help. Our detailed guide on how to market a self-published book in Australia covers launch timelines, reviews and ads.

Different Books Need Different Routes

The steps above suit most books, but some types change the order or add stages:

Children's picture books need an illustrator, a fixed layout and usually a hardback. See how to publish a children's book in Australia.
Memoirs raise questions about privacy, defamation and family photos, and often a small print run for relatives. See how to publish a memoir in Australia.

What's The Best Way To Self Publish In Australia?

The best way to self publish in Australia is whichever gets a professional book out while you keep control. If you've got time, a good eye and patience for file specs and retailer dashboards, doing it yourself with freelancers works well.

If you'd rather have one accountable team, an author-services company runs the stages as one project. At Tasman Publishers, an Adelaide team, we handle everything from the edit to ISBNs in your name, distribution and legal deposit. You keep your copyright and 100% of your royalties, and the retailers pay you directly.

What it costs depends on your book, not a package. The things that move the price are the length of the manuscript, how much editing it needs, stock or custom cover imagery, how many formats you want, any print run, and how quickly you need it. You only pay for the stages your book still needs. See our book publishing service, check typical ranges on the publishing costs page, or send us your manuscript details for a free, fixed, itemised quote. We reply within eight business hours.

Self-Publishing In Australia: Questions

How long does it take to self publish a book in Australia?

It depends mostly on the state of the manuscript. An edited manuscript can move through cover, formatting and uploads in a matter of weeks. A first draft that needs a structural edit and revisions takes several months. Illustration, audiobook production and printed proof copies all add time, so set your launch date only once the edit is finished.

Do I need an ABN to self publish a book in Australia?

Not to publish. You can publish under your own name, and KDP and IngramSpark will pay royalties into a personal account after a tax interview. If you sell books regularly as a business, register for GST or set up an imprint, an ABN starts to make sense. Ask your accountant how book income fits your tax situation.

Can I publish a book on Amazon from Australia?

Yes. Kindle Direct Publishing is open to Australian authors. You set up an account, complete the tax interview, add an Australian bank account and upload your ebook and paperback files. Paperbacks sold on amazon.com.au can be printed at Amazon's Western Sydney fulfilment centre, so local readers don't wait for stock from overseas.

Is self publishing worth it in Australia?

It's worth it when you want control and a book you're proud of. You keep the rights, set the price and decide where the book is sold. The trade-off is that you pay for production and do, or delegate, the marketing. Authors with a platform, such as speakers, coaches, local historians or niche experts, often do well because they already know their readers.

What does it cost to self publish a book in Australia?

There's no single figure, because every manuscript is different. The cost depends on word count, the level of edit, whether the cover uses stock imagery or custom illustration, how many formats you want, print run size and your deadline. Paying only for the stages you still need keeps it sensible. Send us the details for a free, fixed, itemised quote.