Aspiring Authors: What to Do After You Finish a Manuscript

Finishing a manuscript is a major accomplishment—but it is not the final step. New writers often reach the last page and immediately wonder what comes next. Should you revise again? Find readers? Hire an editor? Query agents? Publish independently? The right answer depends on the book and your goals, but the sequence below will help you move forward deliberately.

Originally published January 27, 2011. Substantially revised and expanded July 2026.

1. Let the Manuscript Rest

Take enough time away that you can return as a reader rather than as the person who remembers what every unfinished sentence was supposed to mean. A short story may need days; a novel may need weeks. Use the break to read, work on another project, or prepare a revision checklist.

2. Revise the Large Problems First

Before polishing sentences, examine the foundation:

• Does the protagonist have a clear goal?
• Do major choices have believable causes and consequences?
• Does the middle escalate rather than repeat?
• Are any characters or subplots unnecessary?
• Does the ending resolve the story’s central promise?

There is no advantage in perfecting dialogue inside a scene that the structural revision will remove.

3. Find Thoughtful Early Readers

Family members can be encouraging, but you also need readers who understand the genre and can describe where they became confused, bored, skeptical, or emotionally engaged.

Give beta readers focused questions rather than asking only, “Did you like it?” Ask where attention wandered, which relationship felt strongest, what they expected to happen, and whether the ending felt earned.

4. Decide What Kind of Professional Help You Need

Different stages require different services:

• Developmental editing addresses structure, pacing, character, and overall effectiveness.
• Line editing improves clarity, flow, tone, and sentence-level craft.
• Copyediting corrects grammar, punctuation, usage, and consistency.
• Proofreading catches final errors after formatting.
• Book design and layout prepare the text and cover for publication.

Do not pay for final proofreading before major revisions are complete. Each stage should build on a stable version of the previous one.

5. Choose a Publishing Path

Traditional publishing and independent publishing are not simply “accepted” and “rejected.” They are different business models.

Traditional Publishing

Depending on the market, you may query literary agents or submit directly to publishers that accept unagented work. Research each recipient, follow the requested format exactly, and prepare a professional query package.

Independent Publishing

You retain control and responsibility. That includes editing, cover design, formatting, distribution, pricing, metadata, marketing, and quality assurance. Independent publishing can move faster, but speed should not replace professional standards.

6. Prepare a Strong Submission Package

Requirements vary, but writers are commonly asked for some combination of:

• A concise query letter
• A synopsis
• Sample pages or chapters
• The manuscript’s genre and word count
• A brief, relevant biography
• Comparable titles that clarify audience and market

Always use the current instructions supplied by the agent or publisher. Do not assume one standard package fits everyone.

7. Keep Writing While You Wait

Publishing timelines include long stretches you cannot control. Begin the next project. Continue learning. Build relationships without treating every person as a potential shortcut. A new manuscript protects your creative life from becoming entirely dependent on one response.

A Note About the Original Program

This article originally announced a limited mentoring program in which I invited aspiring authors to submit pages and query letters. That submission period ended many years ago and is no longer active. I have replaced the expired instructions with this evergreen guide so readers still receive the help the original post intended to provide.

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Develop your manuscript with lessons from Fiction Fundamentals. For editing, feedback, cover design, layout, and other project support, visit Professional Creative Services.