Should you write a book right now?
Eight questions about your reason, your idea, your reader, your time and your budget. In about three minutes you get a straight answer, including "not yet," and the one next step that fits.
- 3,000+ books published by Scribe
- 23 NYT and WSJ bestsellers
Eight questions. One honest answer.
Where you could land
Every result is a real page you can read now. Each one says what it means and the single next step that fits it.
Not ready yet
The reason, the idea or the reader is not clear yet. That is worth fixing before you spend a dollar or a weekend.
Read it → Result 2Write it yourself
You have the time and the comfort with writing. A plan and a free method will take you a long way.
Read it → Result 3Get help
The book is in you, but time, structure or writing is the gap. A coach or a writer closes it.
Read it → Result 4Ready now
A clear reason, idea and reader, and the means to do it well. Time to pick how the book gets made.
Read it →The questions people ask before they start
Straight answers with real numbers: published prices, real timelines and author results you can check.
Is writing a book worth it?
What most books sell, what a book can do instead, and verified results from authors who used theirs well.
Read the guide →How long does it take to write a book?
The math for writing it yourself, and how long each kind of help really takes, start to finish.
Read the guide →How much does it cost to write and publish a book?
Self-publishing costs line by line, what traditional deals pay, and full ghostwriting prices.
Read the guide →Write it yourself or hire a ghostwriter?
A side-by-side look at time, money, voice and control, so you can choose with your eyes open.
Read the guide →About the quiz
Is this quiz really free?
Yes. You see your result as soon as you answer the eighth question. There is no email gate. If you want a person at Scribe Media to talk your result through with you, there is an optional form on the result page.
Who made this quiz?
Scribe Media, a book writing and publishing company in Austin, Texas that has published more than 3,000 books. The questions come from what we ask authors in a first conversation. You can read how the quiz decides.
Will the quiz always tell me to hire someone?
No. There are four results, and two of them do not involve paying anyone: "Not ready yet" and "Write it yourself." If your answers say a book does not make sense right now, the quiz says so.
What makes someone ready to write a book?
Three things matter more than anything else: a clear reason for the book, an idea you can say in a sentence or two, and a specific reader you are writing for. Time, writing comfort and budget decide how the book gets written, not whether it should be.
Do you store my answers?
Your answers stay in your browser so the result page can show notes on them. We count how many people start and finish the quiz, with no cookies and nothing that identifies you. If you send the optional form, your name, email and answers go to Scribe Media. See the privacy page.