So, you’ve finished your first manuscript. How do we get it out there to a world of potential fans?
Here are your answers in seven, no 11, no 14, no 16 easy (?) steps. Keep in mind that everyone has a different process, and no process is right for everyone.
- Finish 1st Draft
- Clean / Tidy (2nd Draft)
- Concept Editor Goes Here
- Get the manuscript to Beta Readers
- Collate feedback from Beta Readers
- Cry. Make friends with a bottle of spirits
- Re-Write using Beta feedback (3rd Draft)
- Get the manuscript back to Beta readers
- Scream when the feedback suggests you change things back to how they were
- Procrastinate terribly. (Bonus points for starting a new manuscript)
- Re-Write using Beta feedback (4th Draft)
- Clean / Tidy (5th Draft)
- Line/Copy Editor Goes Here
- Check format (size, font, the page settings). Add front and back material, the cover blurb, and placeholder artwork.
- Send Final Draft to ARC team/reviewers
- Create/Purchase the cover
- Publish
Just joking… kind of.
All those bold bits above, I’m going to do a post on those explaining what I mean. At least I will at some point.