Writing can be a very isolating hobby, or job for a few lucky individuals
out there. This is particularly true when it comes to creative writing. When
you embark upon a creative writing project you find that almost all of your
time is taken up with thinking about the characters, the places and the plot
line and sub plots of your story. You build up a world that is entirely
plausible to you, and that hopefully once it is on paper it will become fully
plausible to others too. But initially, when you are still drafting your novel
and creating your characters and the world that they live in, you are the only
person around you who is 'living' in this newly created world. Only you can see
it, only you know the characters within it, and so you find that you don't
really have anyone to discuss this world with or bounce ideas off of.
Fast forward several weeks, months or sometimes even years and you find
yourself sitting in front of your computer with an entire manuscript completed.
You have reached that all important milestone; you've finished your book! You
think it's brilliant (well you must be happy with it by now otherwise you
wouldn't be thinking of it as 'finished') and you are ready to get it out there
in the public domain - you want it published.
Before you rush out to buy copious amounts of paper and ink to get your
synopsis and sample chapters printed however, it is worth stepping back and
considering getting some external feedback on your manuscript. After all, you
think it is a great read, but then you have been working with these characters
and the book location for a while now. How do you know what other people will
think of the book? How do you know if there aren't small amendments that you
could make to the novel that would enhance the storyline or characters
dramatically? This information can only be found out if you seek feedback from
other people before you submit your manuscript to literary agents or
publishers. By seeking feedback from others, you are giving yourself a chance
to make amendments to your manuscript that could mark the difference between
your manuscript being accepted by a publisher or literary agent or being
rejected.
External feedback can be sought in a number of ways:
- From friends and family
- Via a professional writer or editor
- Via a manuscript editorial service
- From discussion at writer groups
- By sharing your manuscript with others involved in writing, and / or
publishing
It can feel a little embarrassing or awkward to share your manuscript with
others, after all it is very precious to you and don't want to hear any
feedback that could be thought of as 'negative', and there is always a certain
amount of vulnerability involved in letting others into this world that you
have spent so long creating. If you feel very self conscious about getting your
work read by others, then it is perhaps better to ask a professional editor or
manuscript editorial service to review your work, as you will be anonymous to
them, and visa versa. Whichever route you choose, try to keep in mind that if
you want your book to be published then ultimately it will be read by many, and
so you will need to overcome this fear of sharing your work early on in the
publication process, otherwise you'll find that it restricts the attainment of
your ultimate goal.