Most, if not all, authors can’t wait to finish their manuscript. It really is an ‘on your mark, get set, go’ mentality.
Unfortunately, some authors, excited to get their book published, jump the gun.
Here are a few steps to take before you submit your manuscript or self-publish it.
1. Be sure your beginning does what it should.
You’ve read it over and over, but before submitting, go over the beginning of your story again.
This is where the main character should be introduced. It’s important that the readers quickly know whose point-of-view the story is being told from – who’s steering the ship.
The beginning should also be in the present. It’s not the place for backstory or information dumping.
Next is action. It’s the action that will give the reader the interest they need to grab on. It doesn’t have to be drastic, but it needs to be action-packed enough to pique the reader’s attention.
Finally, the conflict should be introduced. The beginning of the story is where the reader should learn the WHY or purpose of the story that’s where conflict comes in.
2. You should proofread carefully.
I just finished editing and proofreading a 20,000-word simple middle-grade manuscript that I ghostwrote. And I even use Grammarly and ProWritingAid, two editing programs. I’m sure it’s good to go, but can I say it is with 100% certainty? Not really.
Editing programs are great and catch a lot of mistakes, but they also miss some. So you can’t rely on them for a good-to-go manuscript.
So, even when you think your story is perfect, it’s a good idea to proofread it again. And if your budget allows, hire a professional proofreader.
I do this on longer manuscripts, like middle grade and young adult. Even on longer chapter books. While it’s an added cost, it’s worth it.
Tips to proofread effectively:
A. Print your manuscript if it’s a short story.
There’s no way around it; reading a hard copy of your story will help you to see it differently.
If it’s a longer story, and you want to save paper like me, there are other steps to take.
B. Change the font of the manuscript.
Surprisingly, you will spot errors you just glazed over before. You won’t run through it the same way you did with the original font.
You can even change the margins; it helps you see the manuscript in a new light, fresh.
C. Read the manuscript out loud.
You’ll catch places that cause you to pause and where you change your inflection.
Does it need a comma? Does it need an exclamation mark? You'll catch these and many other things when reading aloud.
D. I’ve even played around with turning a manuscript into a PDF. It helps you spot errors and saves paper.
3. It’s a good idea to let your manuscript sit for a while.
Have you let your manuscript sit for one to two weeks before doing a final read? A final edit and proof?
It’s something else that makes a big difference.
If you continually work on a manuscript, you become biased and probably a little weary. The break gives you needed rest, so you can see it fresh when you return to it.
I’ve worked on manuscripts and thought I had caught everything there was to catch, but then I let it sit. I don’t read those manuscripts or even think about them while they’re sitting.
When I go back to the manuscript, I inevitably find a number of errors I didn’t catch before. This can happen in a picture book too.
4. The rest of the stuff.
Now’s the the time to do a once-over for all the other elements of the final run-through.
Check for overused words, weak verbs, sentence and paragraph beginnings, “ing” and “ly’ words, and so on.
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, book doctor, editor, and self-publishing consultant. I help turn your idea, outline, or manuscript into a book you’ll be proud to call your own—and provide hands-on guidance through every step of the self-publishing process.
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