Finished Your Manuscript? Start Here.

Congratulations! Reaching the end of a manuscript is a significant accomplishment.

If you’re beginning to think about publishing, you may also be wondering:

  • Is my manuscript really ready?
  • Have I done everything I can before hiring an editor?
  • Should I self-publish, pursue a traditional publisher, or consider hybrid publishing?
  • What happens next?

If so, you’re in the right place.

Before you decide how to publish your book, make sure you’ve prepared it for its next stage.

Although every author’s journey is unique, most successful books move through a similar series of stages. The order matters because each step builds on the one before it. Taking time to strengthen your manuscript before deciding how to publish it will give you more options—and a stronger foundation—regardless of which publishing path you eventually choose.

At Emerald Lake Books, we help authors put their best manuscript forward. Through strategic self-editing, thoughtful preparation, and intentional publishing, we help authors strengthen completed manuscripts before publication and maximize the opportunities those books can create.

If you’re wondering what comes next, here’s the path we recommend.

Before You Begin

Long before your manuscript is ready for editing or publication, there are two things worth doing that will make every stage of the publishing process easier.

First, begin thinking about who your ideal reader is. You don’t need to know everything about them yet, but the clearer you become about who you’re trying to reach, the easier it will be to make decisions throughout the writing, editing, publishing and marketing process.

Second, begin building your author platform. Whether you eventually pursue traditional, hybrid or self-publishing, readers can’t discover your work if they don’t know you exist. Building relationships with your future readers takes time, so it’s never too early to begin.

Remember: Building relationships with readers doesn’t begin after your book is published. Whether you’re pursuing traditional, hybrid or self-publishing, your author platform develops over time. The clearer you are about who your ideal reader is, the sooner you can begin connecting with the people your book is meant to serve.

Step 1: Complete a Strategic Self-Audit

Before handing your manuscript to an editor—or submitting it to a publisher—take one last opportunity to evaluate it from a strategic perspective.

Have you done everything only you can do?

Does your manuscript:

  • speak clearly to your ideal reader?
  • support the goals you hope your book will accomplish?
  • create opportunities beyond simply selling copies?
  • appeal to the people you’d like to approach for endorsements?

These are questions no editor or publisher can answer for you.

The Strategic Manuscript Self-Audit was designed to help you answer them yourself before moving on to the next stage.

Recommended next step:

Step 2: Polish Your Manuscript

Once you’ve strengthened your manuscript strategically, it’s time to polish the writing itself.

The Art of Self-Editing Challenge helps authors recognize and correct many of the common issues that weaken a manuscript before it reaches an editor.

Every improvement you make now allows your editor to focus on deeper issues instead of problems you could have corrected yourself.

Recommended next step:

Step 3: Understand Your Place in the Market

Before moving forward, identify several books that already reach the readers you hope to serve.

Researching comparable titles isn’t about copying someone else’s work. It’s about understanding the expectations of the readers you hope to reach. It can help you position your book more effectively, refine your metadata, and communicate its value to agents, publishers, booksellers and readers alike.

Knowing your comparative titles will also make it easier to position your book no matter which publishing path you end up pursuing.

Step 4: Work with a Professional Editor

Even the best manuscripts benefit from another set of experienced eyes.

By this point, you’ve done everything you reasonably can on your own. Now an editor can help you strengthen clarity, organization, pacing and overall readability without spending valuable time correcting issues you could have addressed yourself.

Whether you work with a freelance editor or the editorial team at the publisher you ultimately choose, professional editing is one of the most valuable investments you can make in your manuscript. By completing the previous steps first, you’ll enable your editor to focus on the areas where professional expertise makes the greatest difference.

It is important to know though that there are distinct types of editing. And different editors will use different names to mean the same thing. All of that can make it confusing for a first-time author to figure out their next step. So, be certain to ask enough questions of your editor to understand what type of edit they propose providing and what that entails.

Helpful resources:

Step 5: Choose the Publishing Path that’s Right for You

There isn’t one “right” way to publish a book, and if you want your book to be successful, there is always an investment required, whether it’s of time, money or both.

Traditional publishing, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing all have advantages depending on your goals, timeline, desired level of control, and willingness to manage the publishing process yourself.

Understanding those differences will help you choose the path that’s right for you—not simply the one someone else recommends.

Helpful resources:

Step 6: Find the Right Publishing Partner

No matter which publishing path you choose, you’ll likely be working with other professionals along the way—whether that’s a literary agent, a publisher, a freelance editor, a book designer, or a marketing partner.

Choose people who understand your goals, communicate clearly, and have a proven track record of helping authors succeed. The right partners don’t simply help produce a book; they help you create the opportunities you hope that book will bring.

If you’ve decided that hybrid publishing is the best fit for your project, take the time to compare publishers carefully. Every hybrid publisher operates differently, so be sure you understand what’s included, what support you’ll receive, and how well their approach aligns with your goals.

If, after exploring the resources above, you believe Emerald Lake Books may be the right fit for your project, we’d love to learn more about your manuscript.

Helpful resources:

Step 7: Continue Learning

Publishing is a journey, not a destination.

Whether you’re still writing your first draft or preparing to launch your book, you’ll continue encountering new questions along the way.

We’ve created articles, interviews, videos and educational programs to help you make informed decisions at every stage of the process. Browse the blog. Check out our YouTube channel. Explore our consulting services. Join our mailing list.

And remember—you don’t have to figure everything out alone.

Still Not Sure What Your Next Step Is?

Not every manuscript reaches the publishing stage at the same pace.

If, after reviewing these resources, you realize your manuscript still needs additional work before moving forward, that’s perfectly okay. Taking the time to strengthen your manuscript now will almost always lead to a better book later.

Our goal isn’t simply to help authors publish books. It’s to help them publish books they’re proud of.