Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 6 part a: I have finished my book. Now what? by Kendra Elliot

I’ve finished my book. Now what?

Guess what? You’re not finished, and I guarantee it’s not ready for publication. But you’ve done the part that 95% of people who sit down to write a book couldn’t do. You finished and deserve a pat on the back and a big glass of wine.

Now it’s time for the next step: self-editing

This is a tough step if it’s the first time you’ve finished a book because you have no idea what to look for. Here are a few good references:

Fire Up Your Fiction Jodie Renner

Writing the Breakout Novel  Donald Maass

Techniques of the Selling Writer Dwight Swain

Self-editing for Fiction Writers Renni Brown & Dave King

Take a few days and step away from your book. If changes occur to you during this time, write down the change on a master list to do later. There are two main parts to editing. There’s the editing the story and then there’s editing the words/sentences.

Editing the story

Is your first chapter awesome? Does it hook the reader and make them want to keep reading? These first pages are crucial. Agents, editors, and readers will give you about a page (or less!) to hook them.

Do your characters have strong internal and external motivations? Don’t know what I’m talking about? Then your story might be put-down-able. Read Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict.

Ask yourself the purpose of every scene. Is the story strong without it? Or is it crucial to your characters and plot? You might be surprised how many scenes you’ve written that add nothing and will slow your pacing.

Does the end of every chapter inspire the reader to keep going? Readers think to themselves, “I’ll take a break when I finish this chapter.” Write the ending of the chapter so they’re compelled to go to the next chapter. Read a few of the reference books I list above to get a longer checklist for story edits.

Editing the words/sentences

When you’re ready, read your manuscript out loud. Are you stumbling over wording? Then your reader will too. Print it out to see how it looks on paper. Replace weak verbs, get rid of most of those adverbs, stagger your sentence length, get rid of excess words (very, really, just) Ask yourself, “How can I make this sentence laser focused and direct?” Look for passive sentences. Do actions happen to your subjects? That creates a passive sentence. Make your subject create the action.

The ball was hit by the bat.  (passive)

The bat hit the ball. (active)

Give yourself a deadline or else you will never finish revising. A writer can go through a book a million times and still see things that need polish and change. When you’ve polished up your words to be the best they can be, it’s time to look to the outside world for some input.

Seeking outside help

Tread carefully and take every word of advice with a grain of salt. Most likely, your mother or spouse is not the right person to advise you on your story. Some writers have a network of critique partners and beta readers. The big question is how to find these valuable people and nurture the relationship.

1. Join a local writing group. Romance Writers of America has many local chapters with people just like you who want to talk about creating the best book they can. And they offer resources in workshops and access to online classes. Even if you don’t write romance, the amount of knowledge available about the publishing industry and improving your craft is gold. I’ve seen many authors outside of romance comment that no one knows the business and craft better than romance writers. Take advantage of that. And they’ll welcome you to their meetings; they don’t care what genre you write.
2. Develop relationships through social media. Look for people in the same boat as you but be ready to reciprocate. If the relationship doesn’t work, be prepared to gently end it without hurting feelings. You aren’t looking for people to praise your work; you’re looking for feedback. Expect the gut wrenching comments about how unlikeable your heroine is and focus on the why someone made that comment.
3. Enter contests. For a small fee, many writing groups offer contests and give feedback on a portion of your manuscript. Does the feedback deliver changes you must make? Definitely not. Again…take every piece of advice with a grain of salt. Does the feedback feel completely wrong or are you being too sensitive? Both are possibilities. Does the same issue keep coming up in feedback? Take an honest look at what they suggest.
4. Pay someone to read your manuscript. For a brand-new writer, paying someone to edit your manuscript is a last-ditch decision; you must learn how to write better first. Paying someone to do it for you won’t help you learn. And did the editor do a copy edit or a story edit? New manuscripts need tons of both, and quality edits are very expensive. My advice is to read, read, read everything you can on self-editing and get your work in front of experienced writers before resorting to this step. When you’re ready, ask successful published writers who edits their work. Watch out for scams! Or inept editors. Just because someone has an English degree or reads a lot does not make them an editor. A true editor has a genuine gift and most are employed with publishers or run successful editing businesses. Do your homework and research before handing over a big check. Google them up the wazoo and ask on social media for opinions. Check the website Preditors and Editors before agreeing to anything.

Now is your book the best it can be? It’s time to decide which path to pursue: traditional publishing or self-publishing or both. And while you’re working on that decision, start writing your next book!

Kendra Elliot won a 2014 Daphne du Maurier award for BURIED, which was also a 2014 International Thriller Writers’ finalist and a Romantic Times finalist for best Romantic Suspense of 2013. She’s published five novels and has three more on the way. She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her husband, three daughters, two cats, and a Pomeranian. She left the dental world after sixteen years to write full time in 2012. She’s always been fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and loves a strong Mai Tai on the beach on Kauai.

Learn more about Kendra and her books here Website| Facebook | Twitter @KendraElliot | Goodreads

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