Here is a simple Evaluation Survey to help you decide What is right for your book.

What are your options for publishing a book? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing houses; are there any other alternatives?

Try this simple evaluation questionnaire and then read the summary below to see which option might suit you better.

Out of each section, choose the letter beside the statement that you think best suits you.

1. Content

a) I like to decide what my book looks like and the content, I don’t need any help

b) I would prefer someone else to give me advice after my input, help me with the cover design and formatting and marketing and I’m willing to pay for it all.

c) I do not want the responsibility; I’d rather someone else made the final decisions and look of the book and the content.  I’m happy to do as many edits as I’m told to do until I get it to the standard set by my publisher.

d) I would prefer someone else to give me expert guidance and I’m willing to work hard in partnership with them in return for their expert advice on the cover design, formatting and marketing.

2. Investment

a) I’d rather just pay for the printing of the book and outsource all the other services I need independently.

b) I’d like to pay a package price and choose from a menu, of the options I want to include to make sure the book looks professionally produced.

c) I don’t want to pay anything up front, I’m happy with a small royalty (usually 5%) when the book sells.

d) I don’t want to pay anything up front but I’m willing to work hard in partnership with the marketing of the book in return for high royalty payments (20-40%). I am willing to pay for professional coaching to present my proposal as professionally as possible to give me the best possible chance of being accepted.

3. Creative Control

a) I want to be my own boss and have my own business and make all the decisions

b) I like to be independent but I don’t want to handle everything, I’d like help with distribution, marketing and formatting.

c) I would rather have the security of being told what to do and what my book should look like, publishers are the experts, I’ll go where and when I am told.

d) I am willing to listen to expert advice on editing, cover design and title/subtitle and work with the publisher on marketing my book.

4. Sales and Marketing

a) I am willing to spend the time promoting my own book and organizing book signings and shows. I know it is up to me how many books I sell.

b) I am willing to pay for extra marketing services and opportunities and/or a publicist to promote my book

c) I don’t want to promote my book unless the publisher tells me to. I’d like my book to just be available in the book stores  I understand I may have to pay all my own travel/hotel costs as needed and go where I am told to go for book-signings/book shows – if/when my advance runs out.  I understand an advance is that, an advance on future sales.

d) I am willing to put time and effort into marketing my book but with expert advice.  I understand the way forward with making your book a best seller is with new internet marketing strategies and that it is difficult to have my book in the bookstores because of their policy of sale or return.  I am willing to responsible for my own travel costs to promote my book and to actively seek out speaking engagements and other publicity activity.

How did you do?

Now add up how many a, b, c, and d’s and look at the results below to see which would be the best publishing solution for your book.

The results:

Answered mostly d’s    The next generation Publishing 2.0
Answered mostly c’s    Traditional publishing house
Answered mostly b’s    Vanity-publishing/paid-for publishing
Answered mostly a’s    Self-publishing/print your own book

To understand the difference between these different types of publishers, and the pro’s and con’s for each, please now read parts two and three of this article