Is your book ready to be published?

At some point, after months or years spent working on our WIP, we’ve all asked ourselves: “Is my book ready for querying or self-publication?”

After the initial bliss of finishing a first draft, the endless process of editing begins. And nothing brings authors joy like reaching the end–when our book is finally ready to face the world. We poured our souls into our novels and naturally, we want to reap the fruits of our hard work. But like a child taking their first steps, we don’t want to leave our book unsupervised without ensuring it has mastered the simple, yet daunting, process of standing on its own.

Or maybe we’re already deep in the querying stage, and our precious work is facing rejections. The problem is that we likely won’t know the reasons. Agents are often too busy to send tailored responses, so ultimately it’s our job to determine if our work isn’t ready yet, or if it’s simply not the right fit for an agent.

I stumbled upon a TikTok video from agent, editor, and experienced author Gina Denny, which provides valuable insights on this topic. First, beta readers are crucial, if not vital, for our job. These readers offer useful feedback that can help us identify if our work is lacking something or if it’s fulfilling in its entirety. Likewise, joining a writing group (such as our Discord server, Writing Buddies) can provide the perspective we need.

Gina suggests paying attention to the kind of feedback we receive from beta readers and fellow writers. Typically, when the feedback is vague and generic, it might be a sign that our work isn’t ready yet. Comments like, “Your book is great, but I would suggest working more on character development or story structure,” might indicate that our story isn’t polished enough. On the other hand, when readers nitpick at little things, it might mean the overall writing is strong and they loved the book until they stumbled upon a minor detail. Generally, the more specific our readers are in their feedback, the closer we are to the finish line.

But do not despair. Every rejection and setback happens for a reason—they give us the opportunity to make our story and our writing the best they can be. So finally, that child we’ve nurtured for months or years can take its first steps alone without stumbling.