Looking for a fun way to get your self publishing community talking? Guessing games are perfect for sparking interest and encouraging everyone to join in. Use these ready-made templates to make your next post interactive and memorable.
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Guessing games tap into our natural curiosity and love of discovery. When members see a playful challenge, they are more likely to engage, sharing their thoughts and connecting with others. This approach lowers barriers for participation, making even shy or new members comfortable enough to join the conversation.
For self publishing communities, guessing games can highlight the creative process, book trends, or member journeys, all while keeping things lighthearted. By keeping clues simple and approachable, you invite more members to take part, turning passive scrollers into active contributors. Over time, this repeated engagement builds a stronger sense of community and belonging.
Guess which genre my first published book was in. Hint: It involves magic.
💡 Example: "Guess which genre my first published book was in. Hint: It involves magic."
What do you think is the most common self publishing mistake? Take a guess.
💡 Example: "What do you think is the most common self publishing mistake? Take a guess."
I wrote my first book in how many days? Closest guess wins a shoutout.
💡 Example: "I wrote my first book in how many days? Closest guess wins a shoutout."
Can you guess the word count of my latest novel? Hint: Over 50,000.
💡 Example: "Can you guess the word count of my latest novel? Hint: Over 50,000."
Guess which of these is NOT a real book title I have published: A, B, or C.
💡 Example: "Guess which of these is NOT a real book title I have published: A, B, or C."
Which platform do you think I sold my first 100 books on? Guess below.
💡 Example: "Which platform do you think I sold my first 100 books on? Guess below."
How many pen names do you think I have used? Take a wild guess.
💡 Example: "How many pen names do you think I have used? Take a wild guess."
Guess which country my bestselling reader comes from. Hint: It is not the US.
💡 Example: "Guess which country my bestselling reader comes from. Hint: It is not the US."
Can you guess the most popular self publishing platform this year?
💡 Example: "Can you guess the most popular self publishing platform this year?"
I published my first book at what age? Closest guess gets bragging rights.
💡 Example: "I published my first book at what age? Closest guess gets bragging rights."
Guess which genre sells the fastest for indie authors here.
💡 Example: "Guess which genre sells the fastest for indie authors here."
Which marketing method brought me the most sales? Guess: A, B, or C.
💡 Example: "Which marketing method brought me the most sales? Guess: A, B, or C."
Can you guess how many books I have published? Hint: More than 1, less than 10.
💡 Example: "Can you guess how many books I have published? Hint: More than 1, less than 10."
Guess which month is the best for my book sales. Hint: It is not December.
💡 Example: "Guess which month is the best for my book sales. Hint: It is not December."
My favorite writing snack is: A, B, or C. Guess which one.
💡 Example: "My favorite writing snack is: A, B, or C. Guess which one."
Which font do you think I use for my book interiors? Share your guess.
💡 Example: "Which font do you think I use for my book interiors? Share your guess."
Guess the biggest challenge I faced while self publishing my first book.
💡 Example: "Guess the biggest challenge I faced while self publishing my first book."
What do you think is the average price for an indie ebook? Guess below.
💡 Example: "What do you think is the average price for an indie ebook? Guess below."
Guess the setting of my latest book: city, countryside, or space.
💡 Example: "Guess the setting of my latest book: city, countryside, or space."
How long do you think it took me to edit my last novel?
💡 Example: "How long do you think it took me to edit my last novel?"
Guess which of my book covers was designed by me.
💡 Example: "Guess which of my book covers was designed by me."
Can you guess how many drafts my first novel went through?
💡 Example: "Can you guess how many drafts my first novel went through?"
Which trope do you think I have never used? Guess from: A, B, or C.
💡 Example: "Which trope do you think I have never used? Guess from: A, B, or C."
Guess which social media platform brings me the most readers.
💡 Example: "Guess which social media platform brings me the most readers."
Do you think my most recent book is stand-alone or part of a series? Guess.
💡 Example: "Do you think my most recent book is stand-alone or part of a series? Guess."
Which self publishing tool do you think I cannot live without?
💡 Example: "Which self publishing tool do you think I cannot live without?"
Guess which season I am most productive in: spring, summer, fall, or winter.
💡 Example: "Guess which season I am most productive in: spring, summer, fall, or winter."
How many revisions do you think my current manuscript has had so far?
💡 Example: "How many revisions do you think my current manuscript has had so far?"
Guess which review made my day: A, B, or C. I will reveal the answer soon.
💡 Example: "Guess which review made my day: A, B, or C. I will reveal the answer soon."
Can you guess the main theme of my upcoming release?
💡 Example: "Can you guess the main theme of my upcoming release?"
Guess how many hours a week I spend on marketing vs writing.
💡 Example: "Guess how many hours a week I spend on marketing vs writing."
Which famous author inspired me to self publish? Guess below.
💡 Example: "Which famous author inspired me to self publish? Guess below."
Guess the tool I used to format my first book.
💡 Example: "Guess the tool I used to format my first book."
How many beta readers do you think I had for my last book?
💡 Example: "How many beta readers do you think I had for my last book?"
Guess which holiday season brings my books the most sales.
💡 Example: "Guess which holiday season brings my books the most sales."
Can you guess if I prefer outlining or writing by the seat of my pants?
💡 Example: "Can you guess if I prefer outlining or writing by the seat of my pants?"
Which publishing milestone do you think I celebrated first? Guess.
💡 Example: "Which publishing milestone do you think I celebrated first? Guess."
Guess how many cups of coffee I went through writing my last draft.
💡 Example: "Guess how many cups of coffee I went through writing my last draft."
Which book cover color do you think performs best for my genre?
💡 Example: "Which book cover color do you think performs best for my genre?"
Can you guess if my next book will be a sequel or something new?
💡 Example: "Can you guess if my next book will be a sequel or something new?"
Guess the first word in my next book's title. Closest answer wins a mention.
💡 Example: "Guess the first word in my next book's title. Closest answer wins a mention."
How many genres do you think I have written in so far?
💡 Example: "How many genres do you think I have written in so far?"
Guess which chapter of my last book was the hardest to write.
💡 Example: "Guess which chapter of my last book was the hardest to write."
Pick a template that fits your current topic or theme and post it in your community feed, stories, or chat. Personalize the clue or answer to suit your group and encourage members to reply with their guesses. Reveal the answer later with a follow-up post or comment, and celebrate creative or correct responses to keep the energy high.
These templates work on all platforms. For forums or Facebook Groups, post as text or in a graphic. On Instagram or TikTok, use Stories or Reels with stickers or polls. In chat apps like Discord, post as a question and pin it for visibility. Always invite replies or reactions to maximize engagement.
Leverage the templates to showcase a mix of bestselling indie and traditionally published book covers. Ask your community to guess which cover belongs to a self-published book and why. Provide follow-up explanations on elements like typography, genre cues, and DIY design pitfalls to help members understand market standards and improve their own covers.
Use templates to present real or hypothetical book specs (page count, trim size, paper quality) and have members guess the print cost across platforms like KDP and IngramSpark. After revealing the answer, explain the cost breakdown, highlight how print costs impact retail pricing, and discuss strategies for maximizing royalties in self publishing.
Absolutely. Use the templates to show anonymized sales data or blurbs and have members guess the genre or subgenre. This promotes discussion about genre trends, reader demand, and category selection, enabling your community to make informed decisions about targeting lucrative niches in their self publishing journey.
Create games where members guess which keywords or categories led to a book's visibility boost, using anonymized or hypothetical examples from the templates. After the reveal, discuss why certain metadata choices performed well, emphasizing the importance of keyword research and A/B testing specific to self publishing on platforms like Amazon KDP.
Present short excerpts with subtle editing or formatting mistakes—such as inconsistent POV, improper dialogue tags, or odd page breaks—and challenge members to spot the errors. Use the template's answer section to provide detailed explanations, linking back to professional editing standards and the impact of these issues on reader reviews in self publishing.
Design games that present marketing scenarios, such as launch timelines, ad copy, or newsletter stats, and have members guess which tactic led to the best results. This approach sparks conversation about the effectiveness of direct-to-reader marketing, cross-promotion, and platform-specific strategies that are especially relevant to the self publishing industry.
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