So, You’ve Finished Your Manuscript… (Parts One and Two)

Babe, you finished your manuscript?

CONGRATULATIONS!

Today, we’ll talk through the first and second items on your to-do list now that you’ve finished your manuscript. Do not - I repeat, do NOT - skip step one. It is just as important as all the other steps.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

Celebrate

I don’t use an all caps “CONGRATULATIONS” lightly. Finishing a manuscript is a huge deal, whether it’s your first or your fifteenth. You should be so proud of yourself. I think most people assume that writing is sitting at a computer and ceaselessly typing for hours and days and weeks and months and years. But so much of it is time spent alone, staring into space, deep inside your own brain asking unanswerable questions like, “would this character really do that?”

It’s not for the faint of heart, this writing lark. But you did it. And therefore, the first and arguably most important thing you should do upon completing your manuscript is celebrate. Pop a bottle of bubbly, treat yourself to a manicure or a massage, buy those shoes you’ve been eyeing, take your girlfriends out to dinner and have them lift you up.

I know in the moment, elation might be short-lived. This is just the first step, right? You have big dreams. That NYT Bestseller List is calling or your internal deadline is looming. But so many people - SO many people - don’t ever finish and, in fact, most never even start.

Give yourself a moment to enjoy it. Savor the feeling of accomplishment. And while you’re savoring the feeling of accomplishment, you should also go ahead and savor the belief that your manuscript is perfect as it is. Because once you’re done celebrating, your next task is to share it with others.

Getting Feedback

I hope you’re wearing your new shoes and the bubbly bottles are in the recycle before you get here. Are they?

Good.

If you’re going the traditional route, some of you out there might be overachievers and already have a list of agents you want to query. You wrote your query letter before you even finished your manuscript and the emails have been sitting in your drafts for months, motivating you to finish the dang thing.

Good for you girl! But do not - I repeat, do NOT - press send on those query emails before you get feedback from beta readers.

In fact, regardless of what publishing path you choose - traditional, self, or hybrid - the second task on your to-do list is to to get feedback from beta readers.

What is a beta reader? A beta reader is someone who reads an early draft of your manuscript and provides a critical assessment.

But my mom read it and loved it!

I love this for you and your sweet mom! And look, maybe your mom is herself a published author, or maybe she’s your harshest critic - that’s great! But you should have more that just one person beta read your book. And you should definitely have more than just family members.

Who makes a good beta reader? Ideally, you’re able to send your first draft to other writers - people who understand story structure and are able to provide analytical input - but if you don’t have a group of writers you know and trust, then anyone who reads regularly will do. People who read a lot have an intuitive understanding of how a story should flow, and they’ll be able to point out plot holes, areas of confusion, places where the pace slows, etc.

If you are staring at your metaphorical rolodex and scratching your head, then I urge you to start building out your network. Go to writer conferences! Attend courses (online ones count)! Join an online forum! Join a book club! There are so many ways in which you can meet other readers and writers. Not only is this helpful for your writing journey (giving feedback, support, encouragement), but it will also bear fruit on your publishing journey. Those same readers and writers who supported your writing will be the same people you lean on to pre-order your book and write reviews and pump you up when your launch day arrives.

Do I need to hire someone for a developmental edit?

Not necessarily. All the deep editorial work will be done by a publisher and often an agent will do an edit as well. However, if you’re struggling to find beta readers, then maybe hiring someone is your best option. I have also known agents to suggest that writers hire a dev editor before resubmitting work. Sometimes the idea is good and the bones are there, but the editorial lift required to get a book over the finish line is too much for an agent to do before the book is saleable.

We’ll talk about what comes next in my following posts, but these are the first two steps to follow once a manuscript is completed. I might controversially state that they are the most important steps in your writerly process, and I’ll also hazard a guess that they are often the most skipped. People often downplay the completion of a manuscript, especially if their goal is publication, but girl, you can’t get published until you’ve completed a manuscript!

People are also often reticent to share their work with others. But isn’t this the whole point? Publishing is just to make it public which is to allow others to see and read your work. Opening yourself up to criticism is, I know, difficult, especially when you’ve poured so much of yourself into your art. But, dearest, you are a storyteller. Those that you shoulder-tap to read your book are either people who love you (and will be gentle), lovers of stories (who will be appreciative), or other storytellers (who can help you make your story the best it can be).

So celebrate, share your work, and then…you’ll have to wait and see.