Dee Savoy

One of the questions most frequently asked of me by aspiring authors is how do you know when your book is done. Here’s my most frequent answer: when you are so sick of thinking about it that you’d rather burn the whole thing up than look at it again. Most of the time I get a laugh with this answer, but I also realize a lot of folks have a much lower threshold for literary pain than I do, so I’d better come up with a better answer.

Realistically speaking, your book is finished when you have improved it as much you, at this moment in time, are able to. Sure, in a couple years time you’re going to look back at this first effort, whether or not it finds a publisher, and find gaping swiss cheese holes in your work. Why? Because as you continue to learn your craft and gain experience you don’t make the same rookie mistakes any more.

But if you think you’re finished, try these tips for a more polished manuscript.

1. Congratulate yourself for getting this far in the process. Consider this: the main reason why some writers get published and others don’t is that the published people finish their books. Celebrate in a way that makes you feel good about being a writer.

2. Put the book down. Step away from the book. Oftentimes we become so entrenched in the work we no longer see it objectively. If possible, leave it alone for a good two or three weeks while you work on something else. Don’t even think about it, or if you can’t keep it off your mind, jot down any thoughts or changes you are thinking of making.

3. Now’s the time to get some feedback from your support team, if that’s something you want to do. More than likely, friends and family will be so impressed you wrote a book, all you’ll hear is wonderment and praise. Lap it up and store it for later. When the rejections start coming in, you’ll need the sense memory of all those accolades to tide you over. If you receive any criticism that you feel will help your book, apply it to the manuscript when you revisit it.

4. Now is also the time to get your stationery, business cards and what have you in order. You may not think this has anything to do with writing your book, but you are almost ready to take off that creative hat and put on a business suit. If you want someone to look at your masterpiece favorably you have to present it in the most professional, polished way possible. And in a way, this too is part of celebrating yourself as a writer–having the trappings of a professional.

5. Go back to your book with new eyes. Read it through one time without making any changes. Read it as if you were someone new to your work. Does the story flow and make sense? Have you told the story you thought you were telling? Are the characters compelling? Is the timeline on the book correct? Are there any continuity errors? If you have the major issues licked, move onto the minor ones. Polish text, as needed. Do a search and replace for words you overuse. Print out your manuscript and hunt for typos and incorrect word uses that the spell check misses.

Now you are ready to send our baby into the world. Fire up the printer and have at it. Good luck!