Five Rights of Publishing

You've probably heard of the Five Rights of Medication Administration (actually there are six). No doubt you've also heard of the Five Rights of the First Amendment.

Well, anyone who writes a book or who is thinking about writing a book should become familiar with what I call the Five Rights of Publishing.

Every publisher considers these five rights when deciding what books to publish. They're that critical. You should consider them too to help ensure your success as an author.

Let's take them one at a time, looking at the questions you should ask yourself about your project.

#1 — Right Book

Is this the right book? Does its approach hit the mark? Is it organized appropriately?

#2 — Right Author

Am I the best person to write this book? If I'm working with other authors, is the team the best one to write the book? Do I have the requisite knowledge, experience, and background to write authoritatively about the topic?

#3 — Right Time

Is this the right time to publish this book? Is there a current need for this book, or is it a future need? If it's a future need, will the book be publishing in time to meet it, or will it be too far ahead of the curve?

#4 — Right Market

Is there a clear market for the book? Can I define the kinds of programs or individuals most likely to purchase the book? If the answer is that everyone will want this book, think again. Think about all the books in every bookstore you've ever been in and why you didn't gravitate to every single section in the store. Then apply that thinking to your own book.

#5 — Right Format

Should the book be hardcover? Softcover? Spiral-bound? Should it be 8-1/2 x 11 or 7 x 10 or 6 x 9? Should the interior be one-color? Two-color? Full-color?

When you think about all of these rights will you be able to ensure the successful outcome of all your writing endeavors?

You got that right!