Last Updated on January 23, 2024 by Gagan Dias
In our experience, you write it, edit it, or find a reputable editor and pay them, then have the courage to find an agent and get it published, or self-publish. I can guarantee if you put your work over to Scribophile it will get ripped apart by so many conflicting opinions you’ll want to give up writing for good.
Have confidence in your own abilities, have faith in your own creativity, and stay true to your writing and artistic vision.
There is such a thing as too many fingers in the pie. Too many writers end up turning themselves inside out trying to please everyone who critiques their work. My advice? Find a good editor and run it past them. It’ll cost you but if you have faith in your work and think it’s good enough then it’ll be worth it.
If you want to pm me your first chapter, I’ll give you my honest opinion on it. Sadly, I don’t have time to read a whole book.
Find a beta reader and share chapters with them. They send you and you send them. Not only can you build up trust, as they have your baby and you theirs, but you also get to read another author’s work and can offer them your thoughts.
Before you hire anyone, you should read your work as many times as needed after you finish the story and make the necessary changes. It will save you money later on. Once you feel completely comfortable with the story, you can hire some beta readers and see what they suggest.
If you agree, make the changes needed, and you can have the beta readers reread the story. Once everyone feels it is ready for professional editing, hire a good editor. Many editors offer a 1-page to 5-page free editing sample.
Take advantage of this free service, then choose the editor you feel provided the best sample. If you submit your work for editing too soon, you will have to do a lot of rewriting and then have to pay for editing again and that can be very expensive.
It usually takes many many rewrites, especially for a first novel. You should do research and read books about writing and publishing.
They can be very helpful and informative. Also, once you are ready to publish, make sure to stay away from anyone charging you to publish your book. Publishing is free. If you are self-publishing, all you have to pay for is editing and the book cover and that is it.
You can publish on Amazon and other places for free. If you want a publishing house to publish your book, try to get an agent. They won’t charge you for their services but will take a percentage of your royalties.
Again, be aware of anyone charging you upfront. There are many many scammers out there. The more research you do, the more informed you will be and it will help you avoid any pitfalls. Good luck!
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