How to Know if Your Book Is Worth Publishing

Determining the Book’s Market

Identify your target audience. One way to determine if your book is worth publishing is to consider who the book is for. Ask yourself, Who is my reader? Who will be interested in reading this book? These questions will help you identify the target audience for your book. Publishers often focus on a book’s target audience to help market it and sell it to readers. For example, perhaps you have a book that is about a love story during the American Civil War. You may then identify a target audience that enjoys historical fiction and romance. You may also try to identify the demographics of your target audience, such as their age and gender. For example, a love story during the American Civil War may appeal more to women between the ages of 20-45.

Compare your book to other published works. You can also home in on the market for your book by comparing to other works that have been published in your genre. Go to your local bookstore and flip through books that are stocked in the same genre as your book. Read through them and compare your plot or approach to the approach of other writers. Think about how your book stacks up and whether it fits within a certain genre in the bookstore. For example, if you have a book that is for young adults, you may compare it to other books in the YA section of the bookstore. Look at how your book is the same or different from other YA books that have been published.

Consider what makes your book stand out. You should think about what makes your book unique from the thousands of other titles that have already been published. Ask yourself, What makes my book unique? How does it stand out from other books? Finding out what makes your book unique and confirming it will stand out can help you decide it is worth publishing. Having a unique book in a genre can also make it more appealing to publishers, which could make it easier for you to get your book published. Some writers try to challenge themselves to write something unique in a particular genre so the resulting book stands out.

Showing the Book to Others

Ask a writing mentor to read the book. You can get some perspective on your book by reaching out to your writing mentors or those close to you that you trust. You may have a writing mentor at school or in your community that you can show your book to and get feedback. Or you may have someone in your life who reads a lot of books and has good taste in literature. You may reach out to them and ask them to read your book. Sharing your book with others whose opinion you value and trust can be intimidating. But doing so can help you find out if your book is worth publishing and sharing with the rest of the world.

Bring the book to a writing group. You can also get some insight into the value of your book by bringing it to a writing group. You may join a writing group at your local college or community center. You may also start your own writing group with friends or colleagues who are interested in sharing their work. Getting the opinions and insights of a writing group can help you determine if your book is ready to be published and shared with the literary world. You may also sign up for a writing class where you workshop your writing with others at your local college or university. Taking a writing class can help you improve your book and revise it so it is better than it was before.

Use any feedback to improve the book. Once you share your book with others, you should be willing to listen to any feedback and use it to improve your book. Be open to the feedback of others on your work and try not to get defensive or brush it off. Having others look at your book before you try to publish it can only make it stronger. If you are sharing your writing with others for feedback, you should be willing to do that for others as well. Offer to read the work of those in your writing group so you can support each other and help each other get one step closer to publishing a book worth reading.

Reading Over the Book Yourself

Determine if the book has a strong plot. To determine if your book is worth publishing, you should read it over yourself with a critical eye. Note if the plot of the book is strong and engaging. If your book is fiction, you may look at how the plot unfolds in the book and whether it is compelling for a reader. If your book is non-fiction, you may consider how your approach to the subject matter keeps the reader engaged and wanting to turn the page. Ask yourself, If I were a reader, would I be engaged by this book? Would I be compelled to finish this book? Though it can be difficult to critique your own work, try to be honest when you answer these questions. Be willing to adjust your book if the answers to these questions are “no,” as this will only make your book stronger.

Consider if the book has strong characters. You should also ask yourself if your book has characters that are unique, detailed, and interesting for readers. You should consider if your characters are nuanced and detailed, with a strong voice or point of view. These are often signs of a strong book that is worth being published. Whether your book is fiction, non-fiction, or a collection of poems, you will have characters or speakers in your work. Try to read your book from the perspective of a reader and think about whether the characters or speakers in your book will draw your reader in.

Note if the book has a unique angle or take. You should also consider if your book feels unique compared to other books in the genre. Ask yourself, What is the book’s unique take or angle? How does it distinguish itself from other books in the genre? Considering these questions will help you determine if your book has an angle that will feel fresh and original to publishers as well as readers.