Whether you've completed your first novel-length draft or your twentieth, penning those final words is a rush. You've dedicated an incredible amount of time and energy to your manuscript, and finally reaching the end of the story can be emotional and amazing. But it can leave you asking a simple question:

What now?

Let's review a few simple steps every writer should take after completing a draft.

Most of my editing clients aspire to publication. They often ask me about their options for publishing their work. In the modern publishing industry, authors have more choices than ever before. That can be amazing, as it allows authors to choose the option that best suits their goals for each specific project and for their career as a whole. But it can also make it difficult to determine the best route.

Let's break down the major types of publication and the pros and cons of each.
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​This is that post. The how I got my agent post.

This is exciting to write, but also a little daunting—which I suppose is why I'm writing it about a year after I signed with my agent.

During the years I spent querying, these types of posts were so helpful and encouraging. She got an agent! I will too.

So here we go. I'm going to lay out the whole sordid tale, from start to finish. And it starts in a very scary place, my friends . . . high school.​
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​Choosing an editor is a big deal. Whether you're hiring an editor for a developmental pass or simple proofreading, you need someone who is professional, qualified, and a good fit for you and your manuscript.

Finding the perfect editor can be a daunting task. With the technology available today, distance is not a concern, so the pool of prospective editors is massive. You can hire any editor in the world, and a quick search will bring up an insane number of professionals. How do you choose?

Here are a few methods you can use to narrow down your options and make sure that each editor you consider is qualified and is a good fit for your work.
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Some of the #RevPit editors recently hosted a #10Queries event, during which writers received feedback on their query letters and first five pages. The event was a lot of fun, and to keep it going, I've compiled my #10Queries tweets into this hand-dandy blog post!
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​Writers—especially those working on their first books—tend to obsess over word count. Maybe that's because a manuscript's word count is one of its only truly objective elements. Character, plot, style, and voice are all difficult to define, and books change with each reader's response. But a manuscript that is 82,749 words is exactly that. So it makes sense that writers want to control this aspect that we can control, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Word count is important, especially for writers planning to pursue traditional publication, and understanding word count goals can make the drafting and editing processes more efficient. But sometimes focusing on word count can be a detriment. Let's discuss why word count is important, how to use your current and projected word count to your advantage, and when word count should be the last thing on your mind.

Published authors have a lot to offer writers still chugging along, hoping to make it to that stage: encouragement, experience, and advice.

I previously published a post compiling advice from published authors, and the response was great. Readers wrote to tell me how helpful the advice was and that it had come at the perfect time in their writing journeys.

The new post will be similar, with one catch: All contributing authors will be traditionally published. This is not because I believe traditional publishing is inherently better than self-publishing, but because traditional publishing presents a specific set of challenges that writers must overcome to become authors.

The same applies to self-publishing, and I would love to do a similar post with self-published authors in the future. Keep an eye out for that call, and drop me a comment if that sounds like something you'd like to see!

If you're a traditionally published author who has something to share about the process—be it your personal experience, advice you wish you had known earlier, or encouragement for those still in the trenches—contact me at victoria@victoriagriffin.net or using the form below. I will contact you by email regarding next steps. Let's make this happen!

The post will include author images, bios, and links to social media, websites, and books.
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​Writers have to be extremely persistent, ridiculously stubborn, and just a little bit stupid. Writers experience more rejection than most people do—or could handle. Writers either develop thick skin, stop submitting, or take up drinking.
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I believe that the toughness it takes to keep putting yourself out there, and being rejected, over and over is a learned skill. We're not born with emotional armor, but we develop it because the writing is more important. We make a conscious decision to prioritize our aspirations above our emotional comfort.
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Originally Published at StuffWritersLike

​Most of us write with the intention of being read. That’s not always the primary goal. Perhaps we want to simply write the stories burning inside us. Perhaps writing is cathartic or even (dare I say) fun. But in our core, we are storytellers. We want to reach humanity with our words. And to do that, we’ve got to find a way to put our words and stories in front of those who will read them and be moved by them.

Thankfully, we live in an age of constant communication. The Internet provides infinite outlets to reach potential readers. But it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of websites and forums. It’s best to focus our attention on a few effective tools to meet and engage readers, remembering that the goal isn’t to reach as many people as possible, but to get to know people and to earn their trust through honest engagement. No one will take the time to read your writing if they don’t trust that you have something to say. [Click to Tweet]

Here’s the deal. I don’t like placing random ads on my site. I don’t think it’s fair to you, and if you take a glance around, you’ll see I don’t do it.

What I do like is supporting the writing community.