It's Not Ready Yet - Tips for Authors
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The best feeling for a writer is typing, “The End,” but really, that’s probably the midpoint of your writing journey. The polishing and revising phase starts after you’ve completed your first draft. Many new writers want to skip that part and move right into querying an agent or publisher. Don’t rush it. No one gets it completely right on the first (or even fourth) draft. You need to make sure that your work is the best it can be. Often, you only get one shot with an agent or editor.
Here are some ideas that can help you along this next phase of the process:
After you’ve typed, “The End,” spend a few days away from your WIP. Sometimes, stepping away gives you a clearer focus.
Make sure that your word count is correct for your genre. If you don’t know, you can Google it to get a range. You’re not ready if your manuscript is too short or too long.
After your work is in its final state, run spell check to catch any obvious typos. Then print out a copy and proofread. I do this after every major revision.
Find a critique group, beta reader, or writing partner (preferably in your genre) to give you constructive feedback.
Check the details. I read the manuscript again and make sure all the tiny little things like hair/eye color, the spelling of names, placenames, etc. are correct.
With my first few books, I hired a professional editor to review the book before I sent it out to agents.
Be ready to deal with feedback. You may have some “plot holes” that need correcting. It’s disappointing when there are major edits/revisions, but the time you put into making your manuscript the best it can be is well worth it.
The extra time and effort in this stage of your writing pays off when you start to look for an agent. Writing is a business. Agents and editors want books they can sell (and ones that don’t need a whole lot of work to get them ready for publication). Make sure not to skip this part of the process.
