I've just written a book in eight weeks! But now what do I do?

[WritingFreeStyle]

Good morning, Mumsnetters

 I used to write a lot as a child, and loved English studies at school; and I have always been a voracious reader. But somehow, life just got in the way, and my passion for writing became submerged and forgotten.

Then back in November a curious thing happened. I woke up one morning, very early, and a plot for a story had found its way to me. My husband immediately placed a notepad and pen in front of me and disappeared to make some tea. So there I was, frantically scribbling in bed, for around 20 minutes. When I finished, I said, there I've got it - a full outline for the plot - do you want me to tell you about it? It was an unequivocal yes from him, so I told him.

Afterwards, he was really enthusiastic and I started writing straight away. The funny thing is, the plot was fully formed in my mind, so all I needed to do was fill in the gaps. The writing came so easily, the words automatically transferred themselves from my fingers to the screen. The last thing I ever experienced was writers' block. I spent all my free time writing, and even took two weeks off work - not only for Christmas - but to keep on writing.

The other evening I finally completed the inaugural draft, finishing with those sweet words, "the end." My husband has been the first person to read it as I printed it off in stages and he seems really excited by it, saying he couldn't wait for me to print off the next batch. No mean praise from someone who never reads novels. He says he's probably not the best critic as obviously he's biased and says he has no frame of reference, but he did keep turning the pages.  

At this stage, once I've done some more edits, I'll be asking close friends and family to read the script and provide feedback - though without being too kind, as I need constructive comments as well. 

The book itself is a drama with plenty of twists and turns, approx 80k words / 300 printed pages. I feel in my soul that this is the best creative thing I've ever done - though of course not everyone is bound to agree!

I have been researching routes in possible publication and the internet is teeming with sources of useful info. There's a lot to get my head around though. If anyone has any useful tips or advice to share, I'd love to hear from you.

[LovelaceBiggWither]

Put it in a drawer and then revisit it in 6 months time. You will have a clearer head and be more able to do the editing it will inevitably need.

[WritingFreeStyle]

Six months? I won't be able to keep my hands off it for six hours, let alone six months!

But I agree with your sentiment and appreciate the advice :)

[LovelaceBiggWither]

In that case you could pay for a professional editor to assess your ms.

[betterangels]

Get an editor and pay for an initial edit.

[Petrine]

You said of your husband that he never reads novels and isn't your best critic... I think that says a great deal. You're going to give it to family and friends to read - I think this is OK but, again, you aren't likely to get an objective viewpoint.

I think you need to give it to someone who can give you some unbiased critique.

[PossumintheHouse]

I wouldn’t put it away for six months, but I definitely agree with the idea of taking a break from it for a few days so you can declutter your mind and go back to it with a fresh pair of eyes. I used to do this a lot when I worked in the writing industry - even a day away would help me to spot the mistakes and reframe some of the clumsy parts.

[Wictc]

Can you pay for a proper edit and advice? I think there are sites you can upload and people can download to read for free. You’d need to look at electronic compatibility.

[Pavane]

Leave it alone for a minimum of four months, and start something else. Or, if you cant make yourself do that, join a writers' group (lots online), critique other people's work, and put your own out there for critique also. Or, more expensively, pay for a professional response -- The Literary Consultancy or other such organisations (you could submit a few chapters if you don't want to shell out for a full MS read). But in your shoes, I would think it was a waste of money to do that before I'd done at least one other major edit.

Brutally, I would discount what your non-reading husband said, and I wouldn't put any importance on friends' and family's responses, which are likely to be generic and not of much use unless they're observant readers of the particular genre you're working in, and able to articulate their responses as readers. First drafts are generally fairly problematic and need a lot done to them.

So pat yourself on the back for getting something down, but recognise that this first draft for just for you, as a map for the novel it will eventually become.

It's absolutely not nothing that you wrote a first draft rapidly and easily, and you should congratulate yourself, but this is just the first step.

What do you want to do with it? Try to find an agent and pursue traditional publishing?

[YireosDodeAver]

I recommend submitting your book to Unbound https://unbound.com/

This is a crowdfunding publishing platform - you create a page with a summary of your book and a teaser sample to get people interested. People who like what they see will make a crowdfunder pledge to buy your book if it eventually gets published. Once you have enough backers, the crowdfunding pays for a full professional editing and publishing service.

It's much better than self-publishing - all writing is improved by a good editor, even that of highly experienced writers.

[shearwater2]

I'm so envious, OP, well done. Even if it goes nowhere it's a great thing to do.

[WritingFreeStyle]

Oh my word! (no pun untended)

I'm feeling overcome with everyone's support and helpful comments and suggestions. Thank you all so much :)

[DustCollectedInMyPinnedUpHair]

OP, I've namechanged to answer. Firstly, congratulations on writing the novel!

Secondly, I'm traditionally published and would say - you don't need to put the manuscript away for months, and I'd actively advise against paying for a professional edit.

Do take a break from the book - I know how hard that is, but stepping away for just a few days really does help with clarity on editing. I have worked some very tight deadlines when it's been a much faster turnaround and I can say that getting some headspace leads to much better results!

I know my agent does not want professionally edited submissions. She wants to see your work and your voice. The book will be edited multiple times if it's picked up on sub, but it's really important that your future agent gets to see what you can do. Those services vary in quality, and you aren't guaranteed to come away with a better book.

My advice - take a week. Don't give it to friends and family, you will get all sorts of conflicting and ultimately unhelpful advice. If you know someone who reads your genre and can trust their opinion, give it to them and only them!

Look at published books in your genre. Get the Writers & Artists Handbook and make a list of ten agents who represent that type of book. Look them up on twitter and instagram if you like to get a feel for them.

When you've edited your book - three passes through is a good amount to aim for - write a succinct cover letter with an elevator pitch, comparison titles and synopsis. Send it to your chosen agents.

Querying takes perseverance and resilience. But you have faith in your book and I hope someone else does too - good luck!

[PotatoWaffleBeans]

Another traditionally published author here. Well done OP. Agree with PP author who gave good advice.

Don't sit on it for months or try and write something else. Give it a short break then dive back in. Do this a couple of times. Then look up agents who represent the genre (Twitter good for this) and submit to a few .
Good places for support and editing advice are Jericho writers and Curtis Brown Creative. Some advice is £££ but their online tips are plentiful & free. Agree don't pass round friends. You need editorial advice.
The most important part of your MS is the first 3 chapters to get agent hooked!

[WritingFreeStyle]

Thanks again, @DustCollectedInMyPinnedUpHair and @PotatoWaffleBeans for your recent contributions - again, more excellent advice and pointers.

I'll be taking a proper read of this thread later, but it's great to have everyone's support and encouragement. I will immediately take one piece of advice which is to put the MS down, at least for a few days - I may ask my husband to hide the hard copy somewhere :)

[PickledPurplePickle]

Sounds brilliant - try joining this community, the lady who runs it is amazing and has published a few books now

https://www.thebookwhispererscommunity.com/home/mary-turner-thomson/detail

[istara]

I would be wary of getting friends and family to beta read or offer feedback.

The problem is that firstly they may feel compelled to be kind even if they didn't enjoy it.

But even more problematic is that they may simply be not that interested and promise to read it but never actually bother. This comes up all the time in writing groups and forums.

If you're lucky enough to have a relative who loves the same kind of books as you do, and is an avid reader, go for it. But if you've written a romance, your mother likes historic novels, your father doesn't read much, your friends prefer crime thrillers, then you're on a hiding to nothing.

Your best approach would probably be to find another author who is writing in a similar genre and can do a beta swap with you.