This past Sunday I got to have another fabulous signing at Barnes and Noble in Wilkes-Barre, PA. As is the norm at signings, I also got to meet a few fellow writers. This time, one particular conversation stood out. A gentleman sat down next to me (on the floor!) and asked me what my process is after the manuscript is complete. What a doozy of a question. Needless to say, I ended up making a bulleted list for him to take home. Now I share that list with you.

1. Get the story as good as you can possibly make it on your own. I go through multiple read throughs before I let anyone else read it. This enables me to catch as many typos and developmental issues as possible. I mark sections I’m unsure about and comment on where I want the story to go. It really helps me to know where I’m at and where I suspect my weaknesses are.
2. Find Critique Partners. And yes, good ones are hard to find. I am fortunate to now have a group of fellow published authors that give some amazing feedback. In turn, I also read and critique their work. This may help me avoid the expense of a developmental editor, but critiquing is time consuming, thus this method may not be for everyone. I found my CP’s through CritiqueMatch.com and also by networking. I run each book through an average of four CP’s, since everyone gives feedback a little differently. For example, I know Robin Isard will go over everything in my text with a fine-tooth comb for historical accuracy. Marsha McDonald has been with me through the entire Swords of Resilience trilogy, thus she knows my work well. Romance is her genre, so I can trust her to tell me where I need more (or less!) heat. Emily Michel has an eye for reader sensitivity. And not only do I know Melissa Roos in real life, but she gives well balanced feedback, the good and the needs-work. I could go on with my list of valuable CPs, but these writers have worked with me on multiple novels and are published themselves.
3. Hire a copyeditor. No good editor will agree to do both your developmental edit and your copyedit. Their eyes do the the same thing our writer eyes do after reading through multiple drafts, and fill in words that aren’t there but should be. You need fresh eyes that know the Chicago Manual of Style inside and out.
4. Hire a cover designer. I give my cover artist ideas, and she brings them to life. Not something I’d attempt to do myself.
5. Format the interior. This is what turns a word document into a book. I do my own formatting via Atticus. If you aren’t good with computers, you can hire someone for this, too.
6. Send it out to Advance Readers. These readers get the proofs of my novels prior to the official release. The Advance Reader’s primary job is to give you your first reviews and feedback, so you know what the general public will think as well. I ask mine to keep an eye out for any lingering typos as well. Ideally, an ARC reader should be a stranger that likes your genre. Not that friends and family don’t make good ARC readers, too. You need that positivity!
7. Click Publish.

Since we’re on the topic, are you wondering where Book 3 in my trilogy is at in this process? All on schedule for an October release! I hope to do a Cover/Title reveal soon. It made it through my copyeditor, and I just sent it back for a final proof. Then it’s just the “small” stuff.

Want to know more about the process of taking a novel from concept to publication? Check out the video of the class I did at the Orwigsburg library: