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IS MY BOOK GOOD ENOUGH?
This book will help you give your work the best possible chance of success. However, if it's no good to begin with, all will be in vain. So, how do you get an objective assessment of whether your book is worth all the effort?
You have probably already sent the manuscript out to agents, trying to follow the traditional route to publication. What kind of reaction did you get, assuming you were able to persuade any to read it? Did any of them say anything positive beyond the standard politeness of a form letter? When I sent out the manuscript of my novel "The Management Secrets of T. John Dick," I received the following comment from one agent "Laugh out loud funny. T. J. is a brilliant comic creation." Unfortunately, he went on to say that he did not have the connections to market this kind of book successfully. Obviously, this kind of comment is encouraging - it suggests the work is good; the agent just doesn't think it's his kind of book.
If you get this kind of reaction from reputable agents, it's a pretty good indicator that your book is a candidate for self-publication. The agent might not know how to sell it to the big publishers, but you might have some success selling it to the reading public.
Avoid agents who ask for "reading fees." Their judgment is worthless. For sources of reputable agents, see the appendix.
Try to get objective assessments from other sources. Join a writers' group. Give your manuscript to any members whose judgment you respect. Tell them you are thinking of publishing it, so objective opinions would be more helpful than trying to be kind.
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