101 TIWIK #72: How Will I Know When My Book Is Done?

In a world where going from manuscript to published book is as easy as Upload, Click, Publish, this question is even more important than it has ever been. Is my book ready? Does it need one more edit? What if it’s not perfect? Am I going to ruin my reputation by releasing it?

In the days when releasing your manuscript meant sending it to a publisher, this question was answered by a rejection slip, or, if you were incredibly lucky, a book contract. But, authors still agonized over whether a work was ready to be seen by an agent or an editor yet. Now, the question is more crucial, terrifying, and harder to answer. Do zero sales the day of release mean your book wasn’t ready? Or does it just mean that you didn’t properly package and market a brilliant novel?

When you’re standing on the other side of a year or two of experience with self-publishing, you can look at this in perspective, but from the side you’re on right now, when you stand on the brink, holding the manuscript you’ve agonized over for years, worrying about that side plot that doesn’t seem quite right, or whether that one character will be understood, the answer seems impossible to know. Is my book ready for the harsh light of day?

Obviously, this is a subjective question, and there are no easy answers. But I can try to give you a little perspective from my own experiences.

For those of us who this will resonate with, here’s the most subjective answer first: part of you will know, instinctively, when you are ready to publish your book. Trust that instinct. You may have to listen to it whispering softly to you underneath a cacophony of criticism.

For those of us who struggle with that kind of answer, here’s a more concrete one: Ask yourself, is this the very best book I can produce with the skills I currently possess? If the answer is no, keep hammering away until it is.

If the answer is yes, next put on the hat of a publisher. This is not you, the author, this is a completely objective publisher who’s never read your book, who hasn’t spent the last decade living, breathing, eating this manuscript. As a publisher, ask yourself, what are the highest quality books in this genre? (Not necessarily best-selling, but the highest quality. Marketing begets sales. Quality begets readers.) If you haven’t yet, read them. Find the top books in the genre and compare your book to them. How many stars would you honestly give your book, if you were writing a review? If you were to line up a bunch of the books in the genre, where would you place your book, in terms of quality? If you’re in amongst the top 100, you’re ready. If you’re reading high-quality books in your genre and thinking, this book is good, but my book is just as good, you’re ready.

If, by this comparison, you find your book lacking in areas that can’t be easily fixed by, for example, hiring a copy editor, then you need to put more work into it. You may need to hire a developmental editor and do some serious re-writing. You may need to spend more time gaining the skills you need to produce a competitive book; reading about writing craft, taking classes, etc. But at least now you have a clear idea of what you’re striving for.

If you’re having trouble looking at your book from the point of view of a publisher, ask for help from readers. Readers, not writers. Like yourself, writers can always find more stuff to poke at. But readers will reveal whether or not your book is ready by their response as readers. They won’t tell you, “the plot needs more work.” Instead, they’ll say things like, “I don’t understand why the main character does this thing in the final scene.” And that will tell you that you haven’t yet set up the plot to reveal the main character’s development so that the action in the final scene makes everything come together beautifully.

Where do you find initial readers? There are three basic methods I’ve come across. 1) individually solicit beta readers, 2) post your book on Wattpad for free, and 3) just publish the damn thing.

Beta Readers

You can find willing beta readers among your family and friends, clubs and associations you are part of, as well as online in places like Goodreads Groups, genre or topic related forums, and anywhere else that readers congregate. Local book clubs can also be a place to find beta readers. Not only will beta readers help you know if you are striking a cord, they can also be a valuable source of initial reviews when you do publish. Beta readers like to feel like they are part of the process, and in return for getting this sense of inclusion, they will be your biggest promoters.

A word of caution regarding beta readers: a lot of those who volunteer may be fellow writers, in part because that may be a large part of your community, in part because they may be hoping to exchange beta reads. I wouldn’t cull them out, but remember to take their comments as coming from a writer, not a reader. As I said before, writers will find things to fix no matter what. The opposite may be true for beta readers who are close friends or family; they may see your work through rose colored glasses, so again take their feedback for what it is. Try to have at least a few readers in your mix who can look at the work with the objectivity of a reader.

Wattpad!

I can’t say enough good things about this resource. If you don’t know what it is, Wattpad is a social media platform where anyone can post their written works, in whole or part, and anyone can read them for free, and vote and comment on them. The most exciting part about Wattpad is the huge audience of voracious readers there. I discovered them after I had already started publishing my books, so I haven’t yet had the opportunity to post a work in progress, but I’m thrilled with the results of posting Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern on Wattpad. In just about a year, I’ve had over five thousand readers start reading the book, and about 600 readers finish the last chapter. Wattpad gives you really useful statistics and demographic information so you can see where you might be losing or engaging readers. Reader comments posted on each chapter or scene can also reveal places where the plot is strong or where people might be getting confused.

But the very best part about Wattpad has been the sense of encouragement, seeing people read the book to the end and message you to tell you how much they enjoyed it. It helps me to be secure in my decision to release DVBC in the first place. It could be invaluable in helping you determine whether your first book is ready. My friend and fellow writer Amanda June Hagarty released her book, Little Lacey, on Wattpad pre-publication, and has gotten tons of feedback and encouragement from her Wattpad fans. When she does publish her book, she’ll have an instant following. Amanda has released a great resource about using Wattpad called Wattpad Wonderful. Learn from her expertise how to successfully use Wattpad!

Just Hit Publish.

One of the things I love about the world of Independent publishing is that it’s very forgiving. Gone are the days when you had to sell a million copies in the first two weeks or the book would be considered a failure. And today you can upload corrections to your books with just a few clicks, so nothing is permanent. If you’re agonizing over whether to publish and you’ve chosen to publish independently, consider putting the book up and making improvements as you start getting reader feedback. It’s not ideal, but it is an option. The main advantage of this choice is that it removes the fear of publishing from the equation. You’ve already done the scariest thing you could imagine, which was to hit the publish button. And you might be pleasantly surprised by the results, especially if you’re trusting your gut.

Ultimately, however you make the decision that your book is ready, know this: It will never be perfect. There are brilliant books, amazing books, great books, books that touch your heart and change your life, but there are no perfect books. The question is not, is my book perfect, the question is, is my book as close to my vision as I can come at this point in time, and can I live with its flaws?

One final thing to consider is this: What if you’re just done writing it? This has happened to me a few times. There will be times when, ready or not, you’re finished with the book. Maybe every time you turn to a page in your manuscript, the words blur together because you’ve read them so many times, they don’t make sense. Maybe just thinking about making another editing pass makes you sick to your stomach.

If this is the case and you know in your gut that it’s not ready for the public, set it aside. I did this with the first trilogy I ever wrote, ten years ago, and I have never regretted it since. My skill in writing had surpassed the layers of issues in the manuscript and I couldn’t see how to reconcile them. Someday I’ll come back to it, but in the meanwhile, I’ve grown as a writer and produced a whole new series that I’m really happy to be working on.

But if you can’t look at it anymore and you know it is ready, or at least really, really close, consider dragging yourself through one more copy edit, one more proofread, and pushing your words out there into the world. In the words of the great Terry Pratchett:

“Sometimes it is better to light a flamethrower than to curse the darkness.”

I’ve talked a lot about independent publishing in this post. In the next post, 101 TIWIK #73: How Should I Publish My Book, I’ll take a step back and address the question of whether one should try for a traditional publishing contract, or light that flamethrower.