It varies, depending on if you want to print books or just use e-books. You can publish your eBook for free on Kindle Direct Publishing or other platforms like Draft 2 Digital.
You can publish your own eBook by using services such as Kindle Direct for Amazon or Draft2Digital among some other e-book distribution platforms. If you want to print your book you can work with on-demand printing services like Ingram Spark.
It’s easy to publish your e book for free, but if you want to print books there will always be costs associated.
You can work with an agent to help connect you to publishers and submit your manuscript or you can try to submit it yourself.
Yes, if you work with a traditional publisher.
It depends on whether or not it sells and the marketing behind it.
Yes
If you are not signed with a traditional publisher, yes.
Depends. Most would say it’s best to get a publisher but there have been some very successful authors who self-published.
You need to get an ISBN associated with the book to protect it.