How Much Does It Cost to Make Your Own Book? A Finished Printed Book from €99

A finished book of your own — told aloud, assembled by AI and delivered to your door as a printed book — costs €99 or €169 at Vellu, depending on the book bundle. The price covers both the AI work of making the book and one printed copy with delivery. Starting costs nothing: signing up gives you 100 credits — Vellu's in-app currency — to try the service before you buy anything. This article walks through what the price of your own book is made of, what the different options cost, and what to expect elsewhere.

This guide is about the money. If you'd first like to see how a book comes into being by speaking at all — from recordings to chapters to a finished book — start with our main guide to writing a book about your life.

What makes up the cost of your own book?

At Vellu the cost splits in two: making the book, paid in credits, and ordering printed copies, paid in euros. Credits are Vellu's own in-app currency — they pay for the work the AI does, and you get them in bundles, one-time packs or with a subscription.

Most credits go into processing speech and producing text. The rule of thumb: a minute of speech costs about one credit, because every recording is turned into text (a step called transcription). Writing a chapter costs 15 credits, a full chapter rewrite 12 and proofreading 7. Some steps cost nothing: AI summaries of your recordings, automatic topic tagging and downloading your finished book as an e-book. Every action shows its exact price before you confirm it, so there are no surprises. A complete book typically takes from a few hundred to a couple of thousand credits, depending on how much audio you record and how much you rework the text.

How much does a finished printed book cost?

The simplest way to price the whole project is a book bundle: one price that covers both the AI work of making the book and one printed copy delivered to your door. The Keepsake (€99) includes a softcover and The Legacy Edition (€169) a hardcover — both prices include VAT and delivery.

A standard book — up to 150 pages, black-and-white interior, one copy, delivery within the EU and EEA — is fully covered by the bundle, so nothing more is paid at print time. If your book runs longer, you want colour images or you order extra copies for the family, you only pay the difference according to the print price list. The printed-book voucher is valid for 24 months, and it covers the promised book even if print prices rise in the meantime.

A bundle costs a few euros more than buying the same parts separately — in return, the price of the whole project is settled in one decision, start to finish.

What does making a book cost without a bundle?

You can also build the book in stages, at your own pace. You start with 100 free credits and buy more only when you need them: the Boost credit pack costs €29 (1,000 credits) and Extra Boost €59 (2,200 credits). For longer, steady writing there are monthly subscriptions from €13.90 a month. Printed copies of the finished book are ordered separately: softcover from €49.95 and hardcover from €69.95 — standard delivery included.

The full per-action price list is on our pricing page, and we've covered printed-book pricing in detail — page counts, colour interiors, quantity discounts — in how to create your own printed book.

How much does having a book made cost elsewhere?

Hiring a writer is a different price class altogether: an outside writer for a club's anniversary history typically charges €4,000–8,000, as we covered in our club history guide, and memoir ghostwriters price months of professional work accordingly.

International memoir services such as Storyworth, Meminto and Remento sell packages that include a printed book for roughly €70–150. Vellu's book bundles sit in the same range — but at Vellu you tell your story by speaking, and the AI assembles your own words into a structured, polished manuscript that you edit as much or as little as you like.

Can you give a book bundle as a gift?

You can — the book bundles are also the headline options on Vellu's gift page. A gifted Keepsake or Legacy Edition arrives as a gift code: the recipient tells their story at their own pace, and the printed book is claimed once the book is finished. Buying doesn't require a Vellu account, and you choose whether to hand over the gift yourself as a printable certificate or have Vellu email it — immediately or on a date you pick. For a smaller budget there's the credits-only Story Starter (€29).

A gifted book project suits especially the parent who already has everything — the gift isn't a thing, it's a request: tell your story.

How do I keep the costs under control?

Remember the rule of thumb: a minute of speech costs about a credit, because recordings are turned into text automatically. It pays to think before you record about which story you're telling — that way credits go into the story, not into wandering. AI summaries and topic tagging keep your material organised at no cost. Start with the 100 free credits and see what your own text looks like first — only then decide on a bundle.

There's no rush either: finished recordings, chapters and books never expire. Your credit balance stays valid for 24 months from your most recent payment, and any new payment extends the whole balance. You see the price before every confirmation, and a printed book can be previewed free of charge before ordering.

Try Vellu for free: record your first story today and see for yourself how speech becomes a book. We've described the whole journey from speech to finished book in speak your book into being.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to make your own book at Vellu?

As a book bundle, a finished printed book costs €99 (The Keepsake, softcover) or €169 (The Legacy Edition, hardcover). The price includes the AI work of making the whole book, one printed copy, delivery and VAT. Starting is free: a new user gets 100 credits to try the service.

What are credits?

Credits are Vellu's own in-app currency that pays for the work the AI does. Turning speech into text costs one credit per minute of audio, writing a chapter 15 credits and proofreading 7 credits. You get credits with the book bundles, as one-time packs (for example 1,000 credits for €29) or with a monthly subscription, and a new user gets 100 credits free. Every action shows its price before you confirm.

What does a book bundle include?

A book bundle contains credits for making the book (The Keepsake 1,500, The Legacy Edition 3,000) and a voucher for one printed book: up to 150 pages, black-and-white interior, delivery within the EU and EEA. A standard book is fully covered, so nothing more is paid at print time. Longer books, colour images and extra copies are paid as the difference according to the print price list.

Can I start for free?

Yes. Signing up gives you 100 credits, enough to try the whole chain before buying anything: for example an hour of speech turned into text (about 60 credits) and your first AI-written chapters from it. That way you see with your own eyes what your story looks like as book pages.

What do extra printed copies cost?

An extra softcover starts at €49.95 and a hardcover at €69.95 (VAT included, up to 150 pages). Ordering several copies earns a discount: 10% for two to four copies and 20% from five up, with a maximum of 25 copies per order. Standard delivery within the EU and EEA is included in the price.

Does a book bundle work as a gift?

It does — the book bundles are the headline options on Vellu's gift page. A gifted bundle is delivered as a gift code that the recipient redeems at their own pace; the printed book is ordered once the book is finished. Buying doesn't require an account, and you can hand the gift over yourself or have Vellu email it, immediately or on a chosen date. The gift code is valid for 24 months.

Do purchased credits expire?

Your credit balance stays valid for 24 months from your most recent payment, and every new payment extends the whole balance. Most importantly, the work itself never expires: recordings, chapters and finished books remain in your account even if credits were to lapse.