The long-form version of the path decision. Where the Path Router forces a single answer in four questions, this weighs eight factors against three routes and shows you how close the result actually is.
Use it when the router's answer surprised you, or when you want to understand why it landed where it did.
Weighted path matrix
Eight factors, three routesScore each option from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) on every factor. Weightings and totals are applied for you.
×3I want immediate control over my work
×2I can invest $3,000–5,000 without hardship
×2I want to learn the publishing business
×2I need income from this book within 12 months
×2I have a platform or credentials agents value
×2My genre performs well in traditional publishing
×1I want industry validation and connections
×1I am comfortable with uncertainty and trial and error
Weighted totals
- Self-publishing0/75
- Traditional0/75
- Hybrid0/75
Score each route on how well it serves that factor for you — not how true the statement is in general.
Reading the Result
What the totals mean
- A clear winner — start there, and commit for the full period the path asks for
- Scores within five points of each other — the factors are genuinely balanced. Consider a parallel or hybrid approach, but pick one to lead
- Every route under 35 — the question is not which path. It is whether you are ready to publish at all. Go back to When a Book Is Ready Enough
My decision
Saved in this browserFill this in as you go. Answers stay in this browser — nothing is sent to AuthorAZ, and there is no account.