One of the consequences if you’ve published a few books is that writers starting on the journey decide you know enough to give advice. In my case, that may or may not be true. Most days, most times I haven’t a clue what I need to do.
Recently a writer with a finished manuscript asked me for input on the next steps. The internet is filled with all kinds of advice, but the points below summarize what I told them based on my years of being agented and published.
5 Crucial Considerations Once You’ve Finished Your Manuscript
1. Leave the manuscript aside for a while (2 weeks to 2 months is ideal). Then read through it, and check where it reads slow, or inconsistent, and honestly consider your feelings about it. Distance from a manuscript provides objectivity, and you might see problems with it that you hadn’t spotted while drafting.
2. Once you’ve made notes of any issues you think you can fix, do a few passes to get it to the best shape you can. Here’s a handy list to help you through this stage and here’s another that will take your manuscript to the next draft.
3. Send the manuscript for external feedback from a trusted critique partner or editor for an objective perspective. This could be a paid situation, or a critique exchange. Here’s a comprehensive discussion on the editing process. In my case, my agent is one of my first readers.
4. Research the market to understand current trends and positioning for your genre. Here’s a fascinating article on publishing in 2024. You’ll need to read a lot in your genre. (You’re better-positioned to hit trends more nimbly with self-publishing than traditional–most trad books that are on-trend today were acquired more than one year ago, often longer.)
5. Make sure to do three crucial checks on your edited manuscript:
a. personal feelings about the project (are you satisfied that this is the best you can do at the moment?)
b. external feedback (a second round, beta readers in your genre)
c. market conditions. (is your manuscript an easy or difficult sell in the current market?)
Based on what you discover during these checks, you must decide whether to revise further, wait for better market conditions, or start a new project. (Sometimes the best decision for a book is to shelve it till it is on trend again–sad, but true.)
What about you–has anyone asked you for writing advice? What advice would you give my friend with the fresh manuscript?
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Great tips Damyanti – especially #1. I always let it marinate until I feel is long enough. 🙂
Thanks so much, Debby! Yes, I force my manuscripts into hibernation until I think the time is right to bring them out for rereading.
“You’re better positioned to hit trends more nimbly with self-published…”
Well, I’m guessing even full-time writers will take nine months or more from start to finish. For those of us who are writing in our spare time, it’s more likely to be a number of years. Isn’t it the case that in reality, you can identify a trend, but by the time the book is written, you’ve missed the trend! And therefore what you really need to do is to best guess what might be trending by the time you finish? Would it be good advice for a writer (particularly a spare-time writer) that they shouldn’t try to follow (or create) trends, but rather to write something that has more perennial interest?
Yes, the publishing process is definitely one which takes time. And absolutely, missing the trend is a potential risk. I always try to look into the future and see if my books will still hold water — will the audience be interested in my writing? Will they still want to read it? I think it also depends on the genre one decides to write in. Some are timeless, while others may wax and wane in public popularity from year to year.
Hi Damyanti – excellent points here … being professional and honest at this stage must be essential. Taking time to do the checks … cheers and all the best – Hilary
Thank you, Hilary, I’m glad you think so! Professionalism and honesty are so important. Reading and rereading one’s writing is such a necessary part of the publishing process, as repetitive as it may seem. At this point, I think I have all my novels engrained into my brain!
Smart! And nowhere in there is there advice on finding a publisher or agent. All of those things must be taken care of first.
Agreed. Publishing involves so many different steps that it can be easy to overlook some or jump too far ahead without considering all the stepping stones in between.
I’d suggest doing the research before writing. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but finding that one the audience eagerly awaits, that’s priceless. One of the best investments a writer can make is Publisher Rocket. The app is like a Swiss army knife, helping writers validate a well-crafted premise before creating a work no one wants to read.
That’s so interesting, thanks for sharing! I’ve never heard of Publisher Rocket before, but it does sound incredibly useful.
Here’s my brief on Publisher Rocket. It’s my go-to tool for research on titles, covers, and author competition, including pricing and sales-copy blurbs. https://tameyourbook.com/what-is-publisher-rocket/
Now that publishing offers so many options besides the traditional big 5, I think writers must think about what they hope to achieve by publishing their work and make the best choices for that goal.
I completely agree, Audrey. Publishing can be such a complicated process, and a clear game plan is so important.
Interesting post as usual.
Thank you, Ian!
Very interesting
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I’d probably send that person to Jane Friedman’s site to learn about the various options for publication.
Some good advice, Liz!
Thanks, Damyanti!
As you said, the internet overflows with advice from ‘experts’ we writers don’t know. The top five tips, from someone we know and respect–that’s the difference. Thanks for your thoughts.
Absolutely, and I think it’s so important to pick and choose what’s relevant to you. After all, what works for one person may be entirely unhelpful to another. Thank you for commenting!