Book Divas

I am getting ready to write a book. What are the next steps after I finish. Include, if you may, cost, info,  etc. - Julie Alequin-Arthur

Susanna says: After you finish a few (or a dozen, or a few dozen) drafts of your book, you'll want to get it published, and the first step in that process is to make sure the darn thing really is finished. But truly -- and I know this is going to sound unhelpful, though I don't mean it to be -- the best thing to do when setting out to write a book is to not think too much about what happens after. Really. Don't think about what comes next until you have at least one draft, at which point I'd recommend you give that draft to a qualified and supportive reader. Then get to work on a second draft.

It's a long road from start to finish, with many twists and turns (and even some crashes) along the way. My advice is to focus completely on that first journey. When you're finally done and ready to try to publish, you will have a completely different trip ahead of you.

Miriam adds: Ditto to everything Susanna said.  The first time an interviewer asked me to give advice to writers, I repeated what one of my teachers once told me: Good writing finds a home.  If you really focus on the writing - and shut out all the publishing concerns for now, or at least put them away in a box that you allow yourself to open, say, on occasional weekends or holidays - when the time comes, your good writing will find a home.  Certainly there's a leap of faith required here, but I'd say that's true for most of this crazy business. 

Randy adds: Double ditto, with one caveat. In the case of someone reading this being a compulsive-needer-of-information-before-moving-on (like me) some possible costs to keep in the back of your mind are: Copy-editing to make your manuscript perfect can run about $1,000.00.  An outside publicist can be anywhere from $2,000-$15,000 depending on the length of time. A website built by a professional can run from $800-$5,000 depending on the glitz, the snazziness and the developer. A book launch party can be as inexpensive or expensive as any party. I'd plan on spending at least $300 on promotional material (postcards, business cards, etc.)

On the other hand, one can build one's own website, trade copy-editing with a friend, stick with the publisher's publicist and one's own efforts and even design and run off one's own promotional material, so costs are very fluid. What isn't fluid? Writing the best book possible.

How many words should my book be? I am afraid it is too short. - J Devine

Randy says: According to Elizabeth Lyon, author of the well-regarded The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit and Manuscript Makeover average lengths of novels are:

Mainstream: 85,000-110,000; Adult Literary and Science Fiction: 65,000-85,000 and up; Mystery: 65,000-90,000; Thrillers: 85,000-100,000; Historical: 100,000-110,000; Fantasy: 80,000-120,00; Contemporary Women's: 80,000-100,000. For Romance, most range from 50,000 - 85,000.

That said, publishers do have room for exceptions (for exceptional stories, as increased length=increased cost.).  For example:

• War and Peace,              590,233 words
• Gone with the Wind       420,787
• Anna Karenina               350,556
• The House of Spirits       173,456

And at the other end of the spectrum:

• Mrs. Dalloway                  64,218

My suggestion would be to write your book to the length that best tells your story, and then in revision be aware of your story's length.

Miriam adds:  I just looked at my contract for The Local News and my publishers specified that my finished (Adult Literary) manuscript had to be approximately 107,000 words.  This was based on the manuscript they'd already seen, which was around 105,000 words.  But I'm one of those writers who's largely oblivious to rules like manuscript length.  Luckily my story fell into an acceptable range, though I'm currently reading a very highly regarded 766-page book (The Passage) and recently finished a highly-regarded 180-page one (Dear American Airlines).  So, like Randy said, these rules are not iron-clad. 

Susanna adds: I have a little bit of a different perspective, as I cut my 390-page manuscript to 305 pages, on the recommendation of one of my best readers as well as my editor. I think the book is much improved -- and much more readable -- as a result. Basically, I think the tighter you can make your work, the better, though of course there are plenty of books that are tight-as-can-be at 500+ pages.

What do you think of hiring a developmental editor? I'm asking because my book went through several beta readers (they loved it!), placed in a contest (she loved it! thought it needed some polish and thought it wasn't romance, but contemporary womens lit with romantic elements) and went through a critique group (they loved it!). I'm not getting the kind of constructive criticism I need.  What would you look for? What questions would you ask? When is it necessary? How much? What should you expect? Time lines? Second edits? Your thoughts please! - Joanne Huspek

Miriam says:  Congrats on the completed book, Joanne!  The hopelessly optimistic part of me is tempted to answer: "Maybe your book is that great and lovable.  Maybe you nailed it."  But two things make me wary.  One, I'm inferring that you meant to write a romance but may not have entirely hit the mark in this draft.  And two, your instinct seems to be telling you the book's in need of more constructive feedback.  And I say hallelujah to writerly instincts.  And hallelujah to getting all the constructive feedback you can. 

So, yes, while I've never worked with a developmental editor, it seems a good choice for you.  Why?  Because your non-paid readers aren't giving you what you need.  So it makes sense to pay someone who's experienced, qualified and professional to do just that.  Judging from the classifieds in Poets & Writers Magazine, there are plenty of such editors looking for work.  What I'd be looking for/asking about if I were in your shoes:  Have they edited in my genre?  Are they going to edit for overall content or give line edits or both?  Will they provide written and oral feedback - and how much of both?  Do they charge by the page or by the hour?  Do they have other clients I can speak to about their work, ideally in my genre?  Do they have a sample of their written feedback that I can look at?  

Randy adds: When looking for a good editor, whether it be for copy-editing or more, Preditors and Editors is a great resource. Not only do they have a comprehensive list, they also have warnings against unscrupulous editors. All editors should provide a free sample edit based on your providing 1-10 pages.

Susanna adds: I agree with all of the above, but I'll add that you might consider taking a local writing class that has a workshop component. If you find a good teacher and a class full of smart writers, you'll get feedback from several "editors" at once, which might be worth the cost.

Have your own burning questions about writing or publishing?  Email us anything (really, anything): askanewauthor@bookdivas.com.