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Free assessment for indie authors

Self-Publishing Readiness Assessment

Are you ready to sell direct?

Tell us where you stand

No wrong answers. Be honest — the result is only useful if the inputs are.

Fill in the scorecard to see your readiness

You’ll get a 0-100 score, the band you fall in and three personalised next steps.

How we score self-publishing readiness

The seven dimensions, and why each carries the weight it does.

The score is 100 points spread across seven weighted dimensions. Each weight reflects how strongly that dimension predicts success when an indie author adds a shop of their own to an existing marketplace set-up, so the heavier ones move your score more.

Audience size

25 / 100

The strongest single predictor of success selling direct. Engaged readers (newsletter subscribers, podcast listeners, active social followers) are the only audience that can buy from you without Amazon’s algorithm in between. Without them, every other dimension is theory.

High signal
5,000+ active readers → your own shop can be your main channel from day one.
Low signal
Under 100 active readers → build a community alongside your own shop, and let the marketplaces bring in new readers.

Catalogue depth

15 / 100

Each title in your catalogue helps readers find the others. Authors with 6+ titles sell one book off the back of another in a way single-title authors cannot, and a backlist evens out revenue between launches.

High signal
16+ published titles → you have backlist revenue and room for new launches.
Low signal
No titles published yet → open your own shop first, so it is live for your first launch.

Current channel mix

15 / 100

How you sell today shows how established your operation is. Authors already selling hybrid (marketplaces plus their own shop) are past the steepest part of the learning curve and can adjust faster. Authors who have never sold anywhere still get points for being ready to start.

High signal
Hybrid (marketplaces + your own shop) already running.
Low signal
Not selling yet — that is not a blocker, just a starting point.

Monthly investment in tools and marketing

12 / 100

Being able to invest shows you are serious. Authors who put $200+/month into tools, design and marketing usually have a sustainable practice. The figure need not be large, but spending nothing usually goes with treating self-publishing as a side experiment.

High signal
$500+/month committed.
Low signal
Zero spend — common for authors starting out, but the next tier requires some investment.

Email list status

12 / 100

Of everything you own, the asset you can act on most easily. An active list of 1,000+ subscribers can convert at 1.5%+ on a launch, which is what makes selling direct pay at scale. Even a small active list beats having none.

High signal
Active list with 1,000+ subscribers: what makes launches in your own shop profitable.
Low signal
No list: start one this week (ConvertKit, MailerLite and Substack all have free plans). Subscribers come later.

Annual revenue goal

11 / 100

What you aim for shapes where you sell. Modest goals suit patience and a single channel; ambitious ones need hybrid selling and your own shop from the start, because marketplaces alone do not reach the higher revenue bands.

High signal
$25K+/year goal → selling direct first is the right set-up.
Low signal
Under $1K/year goal → open your own shop to build a community; your revenue goals can grow with it.

Weekly marketing hours

10 / 100

Time spent on work other than writing is needed, but it is not enough on its own. 20+ hours/week with no audience is wasted effort, while 5 hours/week with the right mix of channels goes a long way. The lower weight reflects that time alone does not predict results.

High signal
20+ hours/week of marketing time.
Low signal
Under 5 hours/week: common, but the next tier needs at least a fixed weekly routine.

We also ask for your main publishing language, which adds no points. We use it to tailor your next steps: Latin American authors get advice on currency and payments, English-language authors on their mix of marketplaces.

Where each tier starts

Your total score puts you in one of four tiers, each with its own next move:

  • 0-30 Open your own shop to build community
  • 31-55 Your own shop + an active email list
  • 56-80 Ready to sell direct
  • 81-100 Direct first

Read the full revenue figures: Amazon KDP vs selling direct in 2026

Frequently asked questions about self-publishing readiness

Quick answers to the most common questions indie authors ask before launching direct sales.

What does the self-publishing readiness assessment measure?
It measures how ready you are to add selling direct, from a shop of your own, to the way you publish today. The score is made up of seven weighted dimensions: audience size (the heaviest, 25 points), catalogue depth, current channel mix, monthly investment in tools and marketing, email list status, annual revenue goal and weekly marketing hours. The total is a 0-100 score that places you in one of four readiness tiers.
How many points do I need to start selling direct?
There is no minimum. Even authors who score 0-30 can and should open a shop of their own; the assessment tells them how to use it, to build a community rather than as their main source of revenue. Authors scoring 56-80 are ready to make it a core channel, and those on 81+ to make it their main one.
Do I need 1,000 email subscribers before selling direct?
No. An active list of 1,000+ subscribers is worth 12 of the 100 points, but it is not a requirement. Authors with smaller lists can still open their own shop; the assessment recommends getting the list going at the same time, because it is what links your social channels to your shop.
What happens if I score in the 0-30 band?
We do not tell you to wait until you have more. We recommend opening your own shop now to build a community, linking to it from your social media bios, using the marketplaces to bring in new readers and growing your community alongside direct sales. Selling direct pays better as your audience grows, and you do not have to choose one or the other.
How long does the assessment take?
About two minutes. There are 8 questions, each a single drop-down with realistic options (catalogue depth, audience size, current channels, monthly investment, marketing hours, email list status, revenue goal, primary language). There are no free-text fields, and you do not need to sign up to start.
Why does audience size carry the most weight (25 points)?
Because engaged readers are the only audience that can buy from you without a marketplace algorithm in between. Without an audience that buys, every other dimension (catalogue, investment, marketing hours, email list) is theory. Selling direct pays when you control the demand, and the heavier weight reflects that.
Why is monthly investment only worth 12 points?
Because spending is a means to an end. Authors who put $500/month in without a clear strategy can score lower on the dimensions that really predict results (audience, email list, channel mix). The weight is high enough to recognise that you are serious, and low enough not to reward spending for its own sake.
Does the assessment work for authors publishing in Spanish or Portuguese?
Yes. The scoring does not depend on language: the seven weighted dimensions apply in the same way whatever you publish in. Your main language is used to tailor the recommendations: Spanish-language authors get advice on Latin American payment methods, English-language authors on their mix of marketplaces.
How often should I retake the assessment?
Once a quarter is sensible for active indie authors. Audience size, catalogue depth and channel mix all change over time, and your tier should move with them. It is also worth retaking after each milestone: a new launch, a jump in your audience, a new channel.
Is this assessment a sales tool for publica.la?
The assessment is free, needs no sign-up, and gives the same result whichever platform you choose for selling direct. We recommend publica.la in the next steps of the higher tiers because the Authors early-access programme is built for those authors, but the method and the scoring do not depend on any sale.

Try selling direct without leaving the marketplaces

Open a shop for your ebooks and audiobooks and send your own readers there, while Amazon and the other stores keep bringing in new ones.

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