Six Questions to Determine Manuscript Readiness
Determine if a Manuscript is Ready for Submission to an Editor
Every writer – aspiring, mildly successful, and wildly successful – stresses about when to show the manuscript to an editor. Here are six questions to aid writers in making that decision
1. Does the manuscript send the message intended? Fiction should entertain. Nonfiction should inform. Fiction may also inform or address an issue. Nonfiction will hopefully engage the reader and possibly entertain. The message needs to be clear and concise.
2. Who is the audience for the manuscript? Determine if the book will appeal to men or women or both. Figure out what age group will read the book. Think about groups who will find the book interesting. Some examples of groups to consider are political groups, activist groups, and women’s groups. Consider whether the book will appeal more to a particular ethnic group.
3. Is the manuscript as well written as it can be? Correct all grammatical errors. Reword confusing sentences and incoherent paragraphs. This is also a good time to make sure conventional manuscript formatting has been used. A good guide for this is Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Cynthia Laufenberg. Have a couple of trusted, qualified people read the manuscript and provide feedback. As a general rule this doesn’t include close relatives. If needed, hire a professional, trustworthy editor, such as L. J. Sellers, to provide feedback. Submit the manuscript to reputable critique services, such as Partners in Crime’s Criminal Pursuits for mysteries, for readers to provide feedback. Choose critique and editing services carefully because there are many disreputable services. Be sure to fully vet anyone before sending a manuscript. Weigh the feedback received carefully and make the changes to the manuscript that make sense.
4. Will anything in the manuscript attract the media’s attention? Fiction authors can put the research they did to good use in the media. Nonfiction authors can provide tips for improving people’s lives. If an author can contribute to a news story or a topical discussion, this is good for book sales. Media friendly authors appeal to publishers.
5. What is unique about the manuscript? Figure out what genre or niche the manuscript fits. Then see how it differs from what has already been published on the topic. In fiction, it’s often said every story has already been told. Concentrate on making the manuscript stand out. The way the story is told or a fresh angle can help attract attention. In nonfiction, the book needs to address a topic or an issue in a way people will find useful. The book should tackle the topic in a way that offers a new solution to the issue addressed
6. Why should an editor choose the manuscript over the many others received? The answers to the previous five questions lead to the answer to this question. The bottom line is editors want to see excellent writing, exciting story lines, and new approaches to old and new issues. Mostly, editors need a reason to assure their bosses the book will make the publishing house money by attracting an audience. Rarely will a publisher publish a book based purely on love because love alone doesn’t increase the bottom line and keep the company in business.
Writing a manuscript is only the first step of the process of getting a book in print. Once a manuscript is completed, the author must figure out if it’s ready for publication. Once an author can answer these questions, he or she is ready to prepare the manuscript to submit. The author must get behind the book, find the best match for it, and sell it with everything he or she can muster.
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