Book Project Self-Evaluation

Are you aware of the various avenues available to you as the author/writer of a book? Take a look at the Book Publishing Options Chart and decide which publishing route your book and pocketbook are best suited for.

Every book project is unique! Take a look at these actual case studies to get a better idea of where your particular project might fit in.

Once you have an idea of which direction you want to pursue in the publishing of your book, take a look at the Steps in the Creation of a Book Chart. Most people don’t realize everything that is involved in creating a quality book project. With this chart you can evaluate which of the steps your particular project needs, as well as a rough estimate of the costs involved to get that Trade (or bookstore) Quality Book.

Let’s evaluate the book project you are working on to see just where you currently are in the whole “book creation” process. No matter which publishing route you decide to take, these are a few questions you need to ask yourself.

_____ Do you have your manuscript finished?
_____ Do you have hard copy as well as a disk of your manuscript?
_____ In what software do you have your manuscript saved?
_____ Do you belong to any peer organizations in your genre that cater to authors?
_____ Have you had your manuscript evaluated by a professional or critiquing group?
_____ Have you worked with an editor for content and flow of your story?
_____ Have you had an editor check your grammar and punctuation?
_____ Do you have an outgoing personality and enjoy public speaking?
_____ Have you tried submitting your manuscript to various publishers yet?
_____ Do you have enough rejection letters to wallpaper your office?

If the publishing route you decide to take is that of an independent publisher, here are a few questions you should also ask yourself.

_____ Why do you want to publish a book?
_____ What goals do you hope to attain by publishing a book?
_____ What is the genre of your book?
_____ Are you willing to work with professionals to make your book the best it can be?
_____ Do you realize that publishing a book is an expensive endeavor?
_____ Are you willing to invest time and money to aggressively market a book project?
_____ Do you belong to any civic or networking organizations?
_____ Do you support any nonprofit with a large volunteer base?
_____ Have you thought about what direction your marketing efforts should take?
_____ Does your book project have a specific market you can target?
_____ Would illustrations or photography enhance the content of your manuscript?


Rita MillsRita Mills, owner of The Book Connection, project manages the creation process through the printing of all types of books, and outsources printing services worldwide.

She utilizes more than 30 freelance professionals with book-specific experience in all areas of writing, editing, design, illustration, marketing and public relations to produce, market, and sell trade-quality books. Rita has worked with many of these freelancers more than 12 years. She knows her personnel’s capabilities and assigns various projects according to specific expertise and the skill set of the freelancers.