When is my book done? When is a book ready to publish? When is a book ready to query?

This is a question that my friend Kristen sent me. She hosts the Where I Left Off podcast and is writing her first novel. Super exciting.

When she sent me this question, my first thought was, okay she’s a novelist now. Because we all wonder this. I think no matter how much revision an author does they all wonder this at some point. “When is it done enough?”

The answer is so personal because we all have a different tolerance for potential errors and perfectionism.
So I will say that writing, revising, and editing, all within three months, and then self-publishing. Likely not long enough.
If it is your full-time job and you’ve refined your process over twenty or so books, maybe this is you. But those authors aren’t watching this channel.

I also know authors who for five years have taken monthly writing retreats to write and refine their books and every time I ask how querying is going they tell me they need to revise one more time before they send it anywhere. And they want their critique group to check it one more time. That’s too long. That’s erring towards perfect being the enemy of done.

So here are my thoughts and my process. I look at each draft as “Is it done?” When I write that first draft, I know it is a mess. I’ll likely read through and revise 2 or 3 times. I’m looking for consistency, and notes on bringing out emotion or description (because I’m an underwriter) and I’ll do a listen-through with MS Word read-aloud. Then it is ready for my alpha reader. I get it back, I review it 2 or 3 times. Usually at the end of each round when I think “It is perfect, no notes” or “I have memorized this dang book, I am not going to catch anything else!” it is done and ready for the next. For beta readers, for developmental edits, or copy edits.

Eventually, you have to submit the book for querying or get it formatted as a self-publishing author and accept there may be errors. It may not be ‘perfect’ but it is ‘perfect enough.’
I promise that with each subsequent book you write, you will be more confident in that inner voice that announces “It is done” You will get better and faster at revising, at catching your issues.

So when is it done?
When you’re sick of it
When you cannot think of a single other thing to fix
When you have finished your revision checklist

That’s it. You did it!
Go forth and query or self-publish

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[KramersRemarks]

I like the saying, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.”

Very applicable in this instance. Great video MK

[MargaretPinard]

"but those authors aren't watching this channel" the confidence of this self-awareness. Love you and your work, MK!

[KnoxBronson]

M.K., my father was a best-selling author. He mentored a few younger writers. One of them called him up one day and said, "Bill, I got a contract for my book! We must meet immediately!" So they met for drinks or lunch within the next day or two. One of the many questions the guy had was, "How do I know when the book is finished?"
My dad replied, "When you get the book deal with the publisher, you get two things: an advance, and a deadline. When the deadline comes and the advance is gone, the book is finished!"
True story and not really applicable to these days of self-publishing and a totally different publishing business, but I just wanted to the story. Thanks for your videos!

[RBWillis]

This reminds me of my debut novel. It took me a year and a half to get it where I was happy to publish it. It wasn’t until the audiobook was recorded that I picked up on incorrect spelling of a few words and a few typos I missed. The way I see it is to get it where you are proud to publish it. It will never be perfect

[EmmaBennetAuthor]

It's so hard to hand our babies over!

[MargaretPinard]

Ooh, I noticed for the first time your 'View Products' link on screen--can you explain how you got a YT shop up and running and how best to deploy it? e.g. which products, which videos, is it direct, etc?