Before You Hit “Submit”
Typing “the end,” either literally or figuratively, after spending many months on a project is worthy of celebration. So, congratulations to you! I know it can feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Sometimes it can also feel overwhelming as you begin to contemplate next steps. The logical next step is querying. But before you begin to query, there are some critical steps to take after “the end.”
Wait! Has your manuscript marinated yet?
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LET IT MARINATE
I grew up in Binghamton, New York, home of the spiedie. A spiedie is defined in Wikipedia as marinated grilled meat (chicken, lamb, beef, veal, pork, venison) cut into cubes and often enjoyed in a submarine roll. Believe me, whoever wrote that description never had a spiedie. Then again, no words could adequately describe a spiedie. I can tell you this, though, the magic is in the marinade. I don’t know what’s in the marinade, but I know once you stick meat in it and let it sit for a day or two, cook it, and then sink your teeth into it, you will never not know what a spiedie is again. It’s worth the trip to Upstate New York.
You can’t just pop some meat into spiedie sauce for thirty minutes and then cook it. Nope. It needs days. A couple of them. It’s the same with that draft you just finished. Your draft needs time to marinate in your head and on your heart – to sit in all the months of details you’ve dreamed up and plot twists you’ve developed until your creative juices have soaked that baby and produced the juiciest piece of literary magic possible. It needs weeks. Several of them.
You need to remove yourself from that draft for a little while because right after “the end” you are way too close to evaluate your own work with real objectivity. There may be darlings that need to be killed, but you are too attached to feel their dead weight. You need fresher eyes to catch those typos and basic errors you overlooked due to sheer familiarity. We know our work so well, we often read our own words filling in the gaps as we go with what was in our heads but never made it to the page. The same goes for big concepts. With some distance, we gain the clarity to see what’s missing. You may find that, after taking some time off and then picking your project up again, you can identify problems you’d previously overlooked.
AN IDLE MIND AND ALL THAT
Can’t fathom abandoning your project, letting it sit alone in the dark while you just go on with your life? Here’s a list of things you can do that will make your draft better without working on it:
1) Read comparative titles. If you’ve had your head in your own project for so long that you haven’t had any time to read what’s new and similar in the market right now, here’s your chance. Research the biggest and best recent releases in your genre and read them. Not only will it give you a bit of insight into publishing trends, it may also give you valuable information about agents and editors. Not sure where to start? Here’s an excellent article on finding comp titles. Hint: Read the acknowledgements. Authors usually thank the people who helped them get published. Hint 2: Read back covers to help you perfect your own pitch.
2) Create a list of agents and/or editors that are looking for what you’ve written. Manuscript Wish List is a great place to start. You can modify your search and find agents and editors that are looking for projects like yours. Querying properly takes a lot of forethought. You don’t want to waste your time querying the wrong agents and editors. Once you make a list of agents/editors you want to query, research them on Twitter. It’s a way to “get personal” with them. Find out their likes and dislikes, and what projects they are eager to read. Podcast interviews are another excellent avenue toward gaining knowledge about the right agents and editors for your project. Click here to access The Good Story Podcast. It’s an awesome place to start!
3) Find a beta reader (or two). Remember what I said about you not being able to be objective with your work? Remember how I told you it may be hard to kill your darlings? Find someone to kill them for you. Investigate local critique groups or hand your manuscript over to a trusted friend or family member, but not someone who is going to tell you what they think you want to hear. Solicit someone who will tell you what you need to hear to make your story better.
4) Work on your submission package. Most agents want to see a query letter, a synopsis, and the opening pages of your book. Agents and editors are very specific about what they want you to submit. There can be some variation, so pay close attention to their requests. Not sure if your submission package is up to snuff? Good Story Company edits submission packages, too.
ONE LAST DANCE
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Once you’ve had some distance, found out what’s been selling in your genre, and drafted your submission package, you can go back to your manuscript for one last dance (before you query). Read it again. You might be surprised at the gaps you find, the amount of typos you missed, or the sweeping edits you are compelled to make. There is magic in the way our brains can marinate our work with ingredients that will make it even better, while we were away.
And, if you make big changes in your final edit, don’t forget to update your query letter and synopsis to match the newest draft.
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