A branching story needs a publication checklist that tests each reachable scene, every choice destination, and all intended endings in the final format. Verify both navigation and story state. A link can reach a valid page while sending readers to an ending that assumes a decision or object they never encountered.
Establish the approved route map
Begin with the story's approved scene and choice records. Identify the opening, every selectable branch, intentional loops, and all endings. Keep stable scene identifiers in the working map so pagination changes do not alter the identity of a destination.
Mark the version of the manuscript that the map describes. A map from before the final edit can be internally consistent yet fail to match the exported book. Reconcile added, removed, and merged scenes before using it as the checklist's reference.
Check destinations in the actual reading format
For a print edition, verify the printed directions against the final page or section labels. For a digital edition, test the navigation provided in the delivered file. Do not infer success from links working in the writing application or from references that were correct before layout changed.
Inspect the destination from the reader's perspective. The relevant scene opening should be clear when the reader arrives, and the wording of the choice should match the decision they just made. A jump to the correct general area may still be confusing if it lands after an essential introduction.
Track the state carried through each route
List the facts a route can establish, such as an acquired object, a promise, or knowledge of a location. For each scene and ending, identify the assumptions it makes about those facts. Then check that every incoming route can legitimately satisfy those assumptions.
For example, an ending that requires a key should not be reachable from a branch where the reader never obtained it, unless the story explicitly explains another way forward. This is a narrative consistency check. A technical link checker can confirm the destination exists without noticing that the story state is impossible.
Distinguish deliberate loops from trapped readers
A return to an earlier scene can serve the story, but review what changes when the reader returns. If the same choices lead back indefinitely with no explanation or alternative, determine whether the loop is intentional and understandable. Do not assume that every repeated destination is either an error or a clever design choice.
Check failure endings and early exits as carefully as the main conclusion. Each should provide a coherent stopping point or a clear instruction for continuing, according to the book's design. Avoid leaving a route unfinished merely because most test readers chose a different branch.
Test coverage systematically
Record which scenes, choices, and endings have been exercised in the final file. Reading only a few complete routes can miss less obvious branches. Use the route map to identify untested transitions, then construct additional tests that cover them without relying on random browsing.
Where multiple decisions affect later scenes, include tests of those combinations. Keep the checklist manageable by documenting the relevant state rather than copying entire passages into every test. Record findings with the scene identifiers and the exact export version so corrections can be verified against the right artifact.
Repeat affected checks after a correction
A repaired destination may alter more than one route if several choices point to it. Identify those incoming references and retest the relevant state conditions after the correction. A changed ending can also affect the description of how many endings or paths the book contains.
Before approving the package, compare the route map, final files, public claims, and test record. Confirm that every intended ending is reachable through a valid route and that removed material has no surviving incoming reference. Keep the checklist with the editable project so the next revision starts from a known, tested structure.
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers for this publishing decision.
Do I need to read every possible complete path?
Use the story structure to plan meaningful coverage. Test every transition and ending, plus combinations where earlier choices affect later validity. A few convenient playthroughs do not establish that all routes work.
Can automated link checks replace human reading?
They can help identify missing destinations or malformed links. They cannot establish that the arrival makes narrative sense, that the reader possesses required information, or that an ending is satisfying and coherent.
What if a loop is part of the story?
Document its purpose and verify how readers understand or leave it. An intentional loop should behave as designed in the final file rather than merely being a repeated reference that escaped review.
Which trim size, page count, margins, and bleed setting work together for my paperback?
Check the complete combination first: a trim size, ink and paper type, and page count must be a supported KDP set, and the page count then fixes the minimum inside margin and whether the interior needs a bleed page size.
Set the format in a book project