FINISHED!!! ????

[katewrites]

A couple of days ago, I finished the long-long-long belated second draft of the unnamed steampunk pirates YA novel and now I'm at loose ends? I'm not sure where to go from here because it's the first time finishing something hasn't meant "post it to all the communities and archives that apply".

Anyone have any advice?

Comments

[newredshoes]

Forget about it! Don't even think about it for like, a month. Put it in a drawer and lock it up. Move on to another project as soon as you can. Come back when it's no longer fresh in your head and reread it and think about how to start editing and fixing it.

(Um, P.S. CONGRATULATIONS. \o/)

ETA THE THIRD: READING COMPREHENSION BOOGALOO. Uh. For second drafts... yeah, beta readers?

[katewrites]

Hee! Yes, I'm definitely going for a hard beta edit - hopefully I worked out most of the plot/characterization issues that were in the first draft.

I'm definitely moving on to another project, but I'm also not sure what to do with this one now that it's inching towards "done". Do I start querying (when the edits are through)? Do I put it in the closet and forget about it? Do I self pub on Amazon?

*hands* Suggestions?

[newredshoes]

Hmm. I think if you're ready to query, that's a good way of getting outside feedback! Are you querying to sell the book or to be represented by an agent, though?

As for self-pub, are you interested in just having it out there, or do you want to do all the work that a publishing team would do should it be accepted for publication?

[katewrites]

I'd like to sell the book? As of now, I don't have anything other than the one novel, so I don't know if I need representation.

As to self-pub, I know that I don't have the time to actually do a lot of marketing or publicity, so if I did, it would likely be just to have it out there. But I'm not sure that's where I'm at either? Like, I appreciate how much work it is and I see all sorts of amazon success stories, but I just don't have it in me to be that self-promoting outside of work (and even there it's SUPER hard). :(

[nextian]

LET ME PUT IT IN MY EYEBALLS

uh, I mean

huh, I don't know! WOW. Start drafting the pitch? :D

[katewrites]

It is on its way to you now!

QUERY??? I'm like kind of at a loss because (hilariously) even though I've been reading writing advice for YEARS I've never thought about actually DOING it.

[geekturnedvamp]

Just query me! Or rather just send it to me, because I don't need an actual query letter from you. Do you have my work contact info? I don't know if I had it yet when we met in New York back in... oh god, I think it was like 2008. I can't believe I've been doing this that long.

[katewrites]

Thank you! I think it was about 2008. Wow! I will have to get back there again. :)

I have gone through several moves since then, and I think I lost your card. :/ Do you mind sending me your contact info? My email is fryadvocate at gmail or hutchins.kate at gmail.

[geekturnedvamp]

Done!