I'm not really familiar with listing new coins on exchanges, but I can give you an example I know of:
You can list your coin on
https://crypto-bridge.org/ if you pay the following price(s):
General info:
There is a 1 BTC standard listing fee and a 3 BTC fast-track option.
Fast-track We aim to get you live within 24hrs from confirmed payment, we will contact you within 12 hrs of request.
Standard Generally 7-12 days from request to listing, but can vary depending on demand at the time. We will aim to contact you within 7 days of request being lodged.
Source:
https://cryptobridge.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/35000061219-how-can-i-request-a-coin-listing-Please note that I'm not affiliated with cryptobridge in any way, I just happened to stumble upon their coin listing post before.
Even with Crypto-Bridge there is still an application process that must be adhered to. Paying their fee does not guarantee acceptance. They have refused listings before and refunded the money.
It all comes down to presentation, the coin itself, the code, and being able to follow guidelines. The exchanges are going to look at your Github,organizational structure, and other details like this and grade it at a higher weight than the coins volume and value.
One of the first things that has to be done in every single instance, for any exchange is to have the coin listed on at least one data site, such as CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko...
Again, this is even more of a reason to use a service that knows the ins and outs. The stuff that most people would not even think of is the stuff that gets applications ignored or rejected and causes a lot of wasted time. For example, something everyone would obviously know, but hardly anyone would think about....
How do you get a unique ticker symbol for your coin? You can't say that your ticker symbol is BTC, or ETH, or even XMR. Those are already taken. So, you need a ticker symbol, but how do you create it, claim it as your own and ensure its not a duplicate of a coin that already exists?
That is one of many things that will come up and need to be done. Sure, it is no huge secret how to get the ticker symbol, but how long will it take you to get the info on how to do it? then how long will it take you to find out the proper procedures, and actually get it done? By the time you think of an answer to that question alone, I will have the ticker symbol taken care of.
Using a service is just the best way to handle getting listed... And I am not saying that ONLY because I offer the service, I speak from experience....