Young Writers Society

Right, well I've been working on a novel for the past four years, and on february 10th, I finally completed it. On completion I thought 'wow now I can move on to searching for a publisher,' but then as I went through it I realised there are a ton of grammatic errors and such.

Now that I realise it, I still have another month of editing and fixing things up before I can go in search of a publisher, or maybe I should start looking anyways?

Either way, I do hope to find one, and although the editing is boring, I will keep fixing up some of its flaws and such.

I have the same problem. I just finished my novel too and I need to edit but it's so boring! I might ask my friends to edit it for me instead. Haha. I'm so lazy.

I would get my friends to do so... but there are a TON of plot holes that I know how to fix and things I thought would be good if I added them to the storyline.

And yah, I like writing, but editing is definitly NOT my choice of jobs!

Edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit edit.

I think some people get way too crazy with the editing thing...but then again I edited my first novel in four hours straight with maybe one break somewhere in there, so I don't know what I'm talking about...

I don't think it'll do any harm to start researching publishing while you're in the final leg of editing, and start making a list of agents and publishers who might be a good fit for your book. But have the whole thing completely polished/edited/proofread before you send out any queries -- it'd be really embarrassing if they asked to see the full manuscript and you have to say no because it's not ready yet.

There's no harm in looking at publishers/agents etc.

However, you do need it to be absolutely perfect before you can send it out.

And editing is not just about finding grammar and spelling mistakes; it's about fixing holes in the plot, and getting the best out of your writing. You not only need to look at basic mistakes, but at how well it flows, how well the plot fits together, how natural your dialogue is, how well developed your characters are, everything. It's about cleaning it up so you can see the fire through the smoke (or something like that as some quote says...)

You might think it's finished, but I'd leave it for a while and then go back over it. You might find it needs more work than you think (as I've just found with a novel I've been working on for the last year). And don't make the mistake of just looking at spelling and grammar, or you might find you have that perfect, but then discover there are more serious problems you've overlooked.

First of all, congrats. I haven't exactly gotten that far yet. :]

Second, wait a while before you start editing. Six weeks is a good time; maybe even two months. Withdrawal (that's the only word that comes to mind) from your novel makes it easier to be unbiased when you start revising.

Congrats on finishing your novel! I have a few points I would like to make.

First, the only good writing is rewriting (or so said a famous writer- I can't remember his name).

Second, it is perfectly all right to begin your research right now. I would say go for an agent first, though; so many publishers have huge slush piles, and many (like Bloomsbury) don't accept unsolicited queries anymore. Agents are viewed as the gateway to publishing.

Also, if you do decide to start your research, I would recommend Jeff Herman's Guide to Publishers and Agents. (I don't think I got the name quite right, so you can just look up Jeff Herman's Guide.) It is quite helpful, especially as it interviews the publishers and agents instead of just listing contact info.