A Check List Before Submitting

I hate to break this to you but typing the words "THE END" does not mean it is time to submit your story to an editor or an agent (or even to send it out to those companies who will self-publish it for you at a cost). Before you even think about submitting the story, there are a few things you need to consider.

IS YOUR BOOK 100% READY TO GO This is a basic one. Don't even think about submitting to an editor or an agent if you are not 100% finished. No, you cannot say you want to send it to your BETA READERS or your CRITIQUE GROUP. Ready means ready. We can stop right here if you are in that situation. 

DO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR GENRE IS? No, I am not talking about what you "think" you are writing. I am talking about knowing exactly what your specific genre is. We are not talking about what others have told you they think it is. In all honesty, I reject so many authors simply because they have no idea what they are writing. They simply sat down, wrote a story and then tried to figure it out. 

Here is a good hint. If you don't read the genre, you are probably not writing it. 

I would also add that you cannot claim your book falls into multiple genres. Quit deceiving yourself. People who claim they write a novel to fall under multiple genres to increase readership are pretty much delusional. And no, you cannot claim your novel is simply "FICTION" so it fits with everything. If you have not taken the time to fully learn your genre, then you are not read!

HAVE YOU RESEARCHED YOUR PERSONAL GENRE FOR TRENDS AND IS YOUR STORY MEETING THOSE TRENDS? So, let's assume you know your genre. Are there current trends in that genre? This industry is constantly changing. There are days when certain things are hot and then those trends are no longer something that the market wants? Does this mean you should write to a trend? Absolutely not. Just know that if your story is not in the current trend, it is not going to be bought. Oh, and by the way, if you have someone telling you they are going to be the first in the industry to start that trend, check to see if that is really coffee they are drinking? The odds of that happening are slim to none. So, have you checked and is your book meeting those trends? If you haven't checked, you are not ready. If your book is not in that current trend, don't waste your time. 

DO YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY? Do you have any clue as to how a book goes from your computer to the bookshelves? Do you have any clue of the time it takes to produce a book? Do you have any clue of how books are purchased or how you are paid? If not. Go back to the classroom and learn this. 

DO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOUR NOVEL SHOULD GO? If you just wrote your book and are going to start throwing darts to see where it lands, you are far from ready. Before you even started writing your book, you should have taken the time to know exactly who you want to write for. Once you did that, you took the time to fully understand that publisher. This means you know everything about them and the voice they are expecting to see. 

HAVE YOU RESEARCHED THE EDITORS AND AGENTS YOU WANT TO SUBMIT TO? Other than their submission guidelines, do you have any idea who these people are? Have you taken the time to know these editors and agents as people? Sure, we all do the same thing, but we have different approaches, different likes and different dislikes. If you have not done this, you better get going. This is going to take a lot of time (we're talking months here of stalking the editors and agents to really learn who they are). 

HAVE YOU DETERMINED IF YOU ARE READY TO BE A PROFESSIONAL WRITER? You may have started as a hobby writer. You sat down to the computer and typed when you felt like it. But remember, this IS A JOB! Are you ready to work on your craft daily? Are you willing to give up your writing time to market your book? Once we get out of Covid, are you ready emotionally, physically and financially to travel around the country to promote your book? 

HAVE YOU LEARNED TO WRITE? Writing is truly something everyone can do. But you have to know how to write. This means that you know why you write the things you do. This means you know when to add a plot device and when not to. If you are just putting things in your story because someone out there on the internet said this works, or a book you read said to do so, or a workshop you took hyped it up, then you are far from ready. Knowing how to write TAKES TIME. It is a learned craft. If this is your first book ever, the odds are, you are not ready. 

HAVE YOU DISCUSSED WITH YOUR FAMILY HOW THEY ARE TO SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR CAREER? I have lost a lot of writers simply because the family was not ready to see you spend hours away from them. Your family needs to understand the business. Your family needs to pick up the slack around the house for you to have the time to write. Your family needs to know that you will be away from them a lot. They also need to know that these conferences that you can attend to promote your books WILL COST MONEY. If you have not spent this time with them, this is not the time.

Consider this list people. It is not just about 1 story being good. It is a matter of truly being ready to move forward!