Is my book ready???

[ishallconquerthat]

I've been working on the book for years. It's mostly finished.

It's been through 2 beta readers, who made comments, and I rewrote the whole thing. I'm just reviewing it again to send to a friend who is a scriptwriter and will have a look at structure, hopefully a more technical read.

However, I was talking to another friend yesterday, who has contacts with editors, and he has just recommended me to an editor. (I'm not writing in English, so it's a bit different from UK market). The editor said "I'm not looking for new authors, will only look at this manuscript because it's your recommendation".

So, help!

Should I send this editor the same version I'm sending to my scriptwriter friend?

I'm worried that if I wait too long, the editor will forget about me. He will have a look as a favour to the other friend, so I can't let too much time pass.

Part of my brain says that there is no way the book will be much better in a month, so I should just send the most recent version to the editor.

Any opinions?

[ishallconquerthat]

(this is the right thread. I think I'm getting a bit confused today...)

[Teahornet]

What does the editor mean? He/she is definitely not in a position to buy your book for a publishing house, but is prepared to read it and give you some advice because of your mutual friend? Or there's a chance he/she might buy it, even though they're not on the look out for new books? Do publishers where you are buy non-agented novels? (Assuming it's a novel.)

I suppose what I'm saying is what is the best outcome from this editor reading it now?

[ishallconquerthat]

Sorry, I wasn't clear!

The editor said they are not receiving manuscripts anymore this year, but will accept mine as an exception. So, in the chance he likes it, he might buy it (I will be happy with some feedback, I don't expect the first editor to read the book to buy it).

Yes, they buy non-agented novels. Only the best selling, established authors have agents around here.

My point is: I will send the novel as it is now. I don't think it will be much better in a month, and my window of opportunity might have closed by then. I just want people to say I'm doing the right thing, I guess :)

[MissBattleaxe]

Do you mind me asking what country you're in? It sounds very different to the UK and I can't imagine an editor accepting a recommendation via a friend or they'd be inundated!

It sounds like you have a good attitude in that you have taken on feedback in the past and have been happy to make changes. Submit it if you're happy with it. Don't submit if its current state embarrasses you!

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Yes, strike while the iron is hot.

[ishallconquerthat]

MissBattle Brazil. It is quite different from UK (no agents, for example), and apparently no one ever looks at the slush pile. There is not enough staff for that, so they only read stuff that comes with a recommendation. (or that's what I found out so far. I live in the UK, and trying to find out as much as I can in the last few weeks).

Countess and Missbattle I sent it! :) I'm happy with it. I mean, I was confident enough to send it to my beta readers, and they liked it, and I think it's a bit better now. Not perfect (far from it) but good enough.

I sent it to the editor and to my friend at the same time. Editor said it will take a while, but now I'm anxiously waiting for feedback from friend!

I think I should be working on the next book and on a short story that is half written now. As Willy Wonka says "The suspense is terrible! I hope it will last."

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Well done! Good luck.

MissBattleaxe, I think there is still plenty of personal recommendation going on in the UK, but it happens alongside a pretty effective slush pile rather than instead of it. (From time to time you see posts on writers' forum claiming it's a closed shop and you have to have personal contacts, which I know from experience is codswallop, but people do get recommended to agents and editors - a friend of mine is currently waiting to hear back from a picture book editor who she was put in contact with by an illustrator she got to know.)

[ishallconquerthat]

Thanks Countess!

My friend said he's read more than half and is "loving it" :) I've sent it to another friend who read it in one day and said very positive things too. I'm ridiculously optimistic now!

The editor said he'll give me an answer in two months.

In the meantime I'll make a few changes, wait for the comments from scriptwriter friend, change a bit more, and then start sending it to editors for real!

If it comes to nothing, I'll publish it on kindle - I'm confident that SOME people will enjoy it, and that good enough for now.

[user1473056542]

Ishallconquerthat well done and good luck. Yeah I agree with the Countess that Editors do receive personal recommendation but that sort of thing is done as a favour, and the Editor would simply add it to the 'pile' of ms to read. Also, getting a ms from an agent can often come with a deadline (especially if the editor knows that other publishing houses are reading it) so would always prioritise ms from agents they know are good.

[ImperialBlether]

OP, if it gets rejected (hopefully it won't) then think about why that's happened and try to change it, rather than publishing it on Kindle. You can get stuck with a book with potential that nobody will touch.

[ishallconquerthat]

User as I said, agents are very rare in the market I'm talking about. I'll send the book to the few agents available, but they usually don't work with new authors anyway.

Imperial I'll do the whole round before I self publish. I'll try all the editors and agents, and will consider all the feedback I get (I'm always grateful for feedback). I'm not rushing to kindle, I'd rather have experienced professionals working with me than doing it all alone :)

PS: Right now I'm still waiting for my friend's feedback. Hope he doesn't take much longer!