Is My Manuscript Worth Publishing?

It's a safe bet that any successful author has had the same thoughts as you. Before they became a success, they were staring at the words on a page, having reservations about turning in his or her manuscript to a publisher.

Will they like it? Will anybody even read it?

It's funny thinking of a best selling author having those types of thoughts. Even the first Harry Potter was rejected eight times before it was published. Don't you think maybe J.K. Rowling felt a little defeated and maybe even thought to herself, "Is my manuscript worth publishing?" Thankfully she plowed through those thoughts and did end up getting published.

To bring a dose of reality, for every Harry Potter success there are almost countless other manuscripts that are never published, or (perhaps even worse) are published and then never sold or read. We can discount the author's lack of marketing, the timing, the quality of editing, or even the book cover design--yes, there are many things we can blame are the cause of a book being unsuccessful. But it really goes back to the author and his or her story. It is disheartening. To dream so big, to go through all of that hard work, and in the end only to have hopes dashed away.

Would-be authors take a lot on the line when they decide to publish. Their name, their reputation, and their pride are on the line. As an editing manager, I work directly with authors, and I have seen first hand how anxious they are. Especially as their manuscript gets closer and closer to printing, they become quite nervous. "Will they like it? Will anybody read it?"

What I'm trying to say is, you are not alone if you feel this way.

Not that it makes it any easier.

But that's publishing, baby--it's one of those love-hate things. 

So there on paper, or your computer screen, is your baby. Your story. Your manuscript. Maybe you've worked on it for years, you've gone through 13 drafts, and you've had every family member, co-worker and friend read it. Now it has come to the point where you either put it away forever, or publish it. You just can't decide. You need help.

How do you know if your manuscript is worth publishing?

Here are some things to consider:

1. Have you had anyone read it who doesn't know you?  Readers can give more honest feedback if they don't have a personal tie to you. Ask for good and bad feedback. Crave negative comments. It is through negative comments that you can grow as a writer.

2. Is there a hook? Is the book so compelling that people will be telling their friends that they HAVE to read it? If not, why? Is the character likeable enough? Has the plot been done before? What is so different about your book that makes it worth reading? What could be different?

3. How many rewrites have you been through? Just a few is not enough. Keep rewriting.

4. Have you had a professional editor read it? (Shameless plug.) I work in publishing, and I also edit on the side for a flat fee. There are many good professional editors out there -- get one to read your manuscript. It'll be worth it.

5. What do you know about the publishing industry? Learn all you can or you are in for a surprise.

6. How will you market your book once it is printed? Yes, you--the author--will need to market your own book. That is how it works. What can you bring to the table? Are you savvy at social media? Could you get a reporter to write or do video a story about you? Marketing is almost just as important as the story, so don't skip this.

7. Have you had anything else published? It's relatively easy to get published these days. Magazines, newspapers, online sources -- they all need content. Write up an article that ties in with your story and get it published. See if you can hack it. Ask for feedback. Get known in the industry. Build up your writing/publishing portfolio.

8. Are you a finisher? Will you stick with this through the end? Publishing is a long process. Not only does writing take time (as you well know), but editing, cover design, formatting, etc., when done right and in a quality manner take time. After that, if you stick with it and market it, it can easily take a year or more to gain enough ground to be moderately successful.

I wish I had a crystal ball that could tell authors whether their manuscripts would be successful as published books. Sadly, I don't have one. I wonder if a prediction could even be possible, as there are so many things that have to come together to produce a book. When they are all working together, and the public likes the story, it's magic.

Any questions?

Editors Against Unedited Ebooks

It's funny that despite how much reading I do for my job, in the evenings I still like to unwind by.... reading.

I pulled out my Kindle Fire the other night and browsed the "free" ebook section. There are so many to choose from, I shouldn't need to actually BUY an ebook, right?

Right?

I picked a few titles that looked interesting--nice covers, good descriptions, and good ratings (if any).

After downloading a few, I decided to begin reading a general fiction mystery type. It was part of a series, so if I liked this one, others were waiting for me afterwards.

I was expecting a lot more than I received. Only a few pages in, I shut down the book completely. I couldn't go on.

It wasn't the story, or the writing, or anything vulgar. It was the sheer volume of editing mistakes. It wasn't just here and there--it was everywhere. And it wasn't stuff that just "editors" would get--it was basic stuff that I would hope most English speakers would grasp.

No matter how good the story was, I just couldn't read it. The horrible grammar was too distracting. Misplaced commas, misspellings, capitalization issues, and more. I was so disappointed.

It's really too bad. And it probably happens more now than ever before. Would-be authors have instant access to getting their work "published," as it were. Self-publishing companies, a.k.a. vanity publishers, are everywhere. Even some of the bigger publishers have self-publishing "divisions" giving authors a false sense of hope that they will get great service. Also, it's so easy and cheap to publish just as an ebook, authors forget that may "easy and cheap" are probably not the best way to publish.

In reality, these companies are doing would-be authors no favors. Self publishers put out thousands of titles per year, and there is no way they can give the service and attention each title needs in order to become a quality piece of work or to aide the author in becoming successful.

I was telling a friend the other day that so many people dream of one day becoming an author. But so many make the mistake of rushing to the finish line. Rather than take the time to get the right publisher, they randomly pick a vanity publisher. A day, week or month later, their book is ready! But it's not what they expect. Publishing is all that happens. Their dream comes true and basically dies all in the same day. The story may be out, but the chances of their title succeeding is so slim. They find that bookstores won't carry it, reporters won't take it seriously, readers are hard to find, and the whole experience is much less glamorous than they thought.

It doesn't have to be so tragic.

Take this editor's advice and please, please search out a traditional publisher. Take the time to find one that fits your manuscript. Traditional publishers have editing teams that will take the time to go through your manuscript and make sure it is ready for people to read. They will help you develop your story to make it better. They will help other readers, like me, want to keep on reading after the first few pages.

Perhaps I will pay a little extra $$ for quality ebooks from now on.

How Do I Format My Manuscript?

You had a great idea for a book, and then you started typing.... 1,000.... no, 5,000.... no, 10,000.... wait... 50,000 words later it occurs to you to check your formatting. You panic for a second, then think am I doing this right?

Writers, don't worry too much about this. The words themselves are the most important thing. Formatting a document is relatively easy, and it is secondary to your masterpiece of ideas. That said, there are a few things you can do to make things easier when it comes time to submit/publish.

Use Microsoft Word. It's pretty universal.
Use a basic font in 12 point.
Don't do anything crazy with the margins.
Don't add a line space after every paragraph (just go to the next line).
Don't type in page numbers.
Use only one space between sentences. A simple "find and replace" can help if you've already used two spaces.
Put all of the book parts in one document. One exception is photos/images--best to keep those separate for now.


Now, when you are done with your manuscript and find an agent or publisher to work with, you'll need to check out their specifications on submissions. Each company should have its own, so pay attention to what they are looking for (single vs double spacing, file type, etc.). But hopefully, after following some simple ideas above, prepping your manuscript will be a breeze.

How to Pick a Publishing Company, Part 1

I am an editor for a book publishing company, and one of the most frequently asked questions I get from people is, "How do I pick a publishing company?" The answer is very involved, so I'm breaking it down into a series.

In this installment, I'd like to cover what you need to know as you begin your search. You must know this:

There are lots and lots and LOTS of publishing companies out there.
Each publishing company is different.
Some are big and some are small.
Some require you to submit your manuscript via an agent, some do not.
Some take longer to respond than others.
Most publishing companies are taking a financial risk if they sign on a new author, as you don't have a publishing history and they don't know your commitment level or if your book will resonate with readers.
They want to publish the next biggest hit! But they don't know what that is yet.
Some are upfront and honest, and some are not.
And on and on....

If you have already tried Googling publishing companies, you may already know that the number of companies is overwhelming. How do you wade through all of them? Here are a few ideas.

What is your genre?
Some companies specialize in certain genres. If you look at a publishing company's website, it'll probably list which genres they prefer, though some will take all.

What books in your genre do you already own/read?
Check out the copyright page and see who published them. That can give you some ideas.

Do you want a traditional or vanity publishing company?
This is a much bigger question than can be answered in this post. I urge you to read this article: How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Traditional and Vanity Publisher? It explains some great pros and cons to each. Basically, for most traditional publishers you will need to submit via an agent, so consider if you are able and willing to do so. If are thinking about vanity, it's important to know that they typically don't edit your material and there can be a bad stigma with being publishing via vanity. Spend time figuring out which type is right for you and your book.

Does the company have a high BBB rating?
It's true, there are some publishing companies out there trying to scam would-be authors. But there are also good companies out there that have been tainted by false information online. It's quite a mess. The best way to tell if a publishing company is what it says it is? Go to the Better Business Bureau and look up its rating. Pay attention to the particulars. How long has the company been in business? How many complaints has it had? Does the company address those complaints? Remember that every complaint is two sided, and that every company has its fair share of wacky customers. But also be careful and protect yourself.

What does its published authors think?
Some companies put its author feedback right on their website. If it includes the full name, book title, etc along with the comment, and you can look up and see the book is in fact real, then it is a credible comment.

What else do you want to know about how to pick a publishing company?