Just finished a crime novel- What to do?

Congrats on finishing your manuscript! You're already way ahead of everyone who keeps meaning to write that book someday, or who makes a start and lets it peter out. Now, to your questions:

1. No need to register copyright--your publisher does that.

2. Yes, prepare your manuscript. You'll read a lot of conflicting advice online (my take is here), but the main thing to remember is to keep it looking clean and professional.

3. If you want a career in fiction, you've got to learn to edit your own work. I would recommend Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. You can also join a critique group and/or seek reads from interested family and friends (some people don't recommend using people too close to you, because they tend to be too gentle, but that depends on their personality and skills--my mom is a grammar ace). I highly recommend posting the first few pages of your manuscript in the Share Your Work section here--if you're making common rookie mistakes, they'll almost certainly show up from the start.

4. If you want an agent, do not contact publishers as well. Every rejection you get from a publisher means one fewer place your eventual agent can submit the manuscript. Once your ms. is in tiptop shape, compose a query letter, post it here for comments, rewrite it a few times, research agents to make sure they're legit and that they handle your genre, then send your query out in smallish batches (maybe 6-10--that way, if you don't get a good response, you can tweak the query again before you've exhausted all the agents on your list).

5. Yes, cross all your fingers. A strong, well-presented story has good odds, but there's always a certain amount of luck involved.

Best of luck!

mysticool said:

1) Copyright work

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Not needed. You automatically have copyright of your work by virtue of creating it. Those internet cowboys who want to sell you copyright for your work don't actually sell a legally-enforcable copyright anyway.

Don't listen to anyone who says mailing your story to yourself and not opening the letter is a poor-man's copyright. It has no legal value. Nor do computer date-stamps on back-up disks (because anyone can doctor a computer date).

Now, aside from all this, I admit I don't know how one actually precures a copyright if one feels that it's necessary prior to publication. Maybe someone else has an idea.

2) Prepare manuscript

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not sure what this means; unless you are referring to double-space, change font, big margins, etc. but you wouldn't do any of that before Number 3

3) Send to book doctor for workover

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Well, if you can afford it and think it's necessary, by all means, find an editor. Most people edit themselves, though, or get family and friends to do a reading and get their opinions. If you know other writers, maybe get their help. Otherwise there's a forum here called "Beta Readers, Partners and Advisers" where you can maybe find a reader for your work. And there is always the Share Your Work section here too where you could at least post a chapter and see what others have to say--people can tell a lot from a first chapter and it may give you pointers on how to edit the rest of your manuscript yourself.

4) Contact agents/publishers

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Yep. Find agents who represent your genre by browsing bookshops or searching online (for example Preditors and Editors but not sure if they list only USA agents.). See the 'query letters' thread in Share Your Work for how to write a query letter to agents. It seems many publishers whether in the USA, Australia, Britain, etc. only accept work submitted through agents, though some still accept unsolicited manuscripts (but generally you will wait 6 months to a year to get a reply, and many don't accept your manuscript if it's with another publisher simultaneously--whereas you can send queries to as many agents at once as you want).

5) Cross my fingers (tightly!!)

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And then start work on your next novel!

The thing that jumps out at me about your plan is that the first person besides yourself to read your book is doing so for money.

I'd strongly recommend a critique group, beta readers, etc -- people who will help you out for free (or quid pro quo on their books). I've used several, in both the real-life give-'em-paper-copies and the online/email groups. There are many websites (including this one) and email lists to help you find readers.

I'm glad to see you doing multiple drafts before sending it out. (I'm a 4-drafter myself) I've been asked to read way too many 1st drafts. I also recommend the "Self Editing.." book mentioned above. I read it after every first draft is finished; it's a great reminder.

Just finished a crime novel- What to do?

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Throw it out. I'm tired of competition.

mysticool said:

Hi all,

I am a newbie here and don't know if this question has been asked before, so take it easy on me

Right, this is the deal: I've just finished my first novel (currently doing my 3rd- and final - rewrite) and, seeing as there are so many posters in here who know a whole lot more than I probably would about publishing, could someone out there tell me what my next step should be?

These are the steps I have lined out to do(please correct me if I'm wrong):
1) Copyright work
2) Prepare manuscript
3) Send to book doctor for workover
4) Contact agents/publishers
5) Cross my fingers (tightly!!)

I am contemplating copyrighting my work first before even sending it to a manuscript editor, is this normal? Also, can anyone here suggest where I could find a good editor. again, sorry if my requests sound mundane.

Unfortunately, I currently live in a non English speaking country and I don't speak the local language, so I am right behind the eight ball, (compared to someone who lives in The USA, Britain, Australia....)
as far as publishing my work goes. I have to look overseas for publishers/ agents, etc.

So, any advice (or hint of some) would be appreciated greatly!

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1) Copyright work
Not necessary. If you do your agent research correctly you will only send it to legit people with no chance of anything getting stolen.

2) Prepare manuscript
Doublespace your text, get out all the errors.

3) Send to book doctor for workover
There's even more scam book doctors than there are scam 'agents'. I recommend using the Share Your Work forum or a critique website like critiquecircle.com to get tips from fellow writers.

4) Contact agents/publishers
First do extensive research on agents and publishers. Know what they represent and sell and be sure you know their track record. When in doubt contact the Backgrounds and Bewares forum to check. Querytracker.net is an excellent resource as is agentquery.com

5) Cross my fingers (tightly!!)
Don't forget to cross your toes and the toes of your hamster too.

But seriously, don't pay anyone to 'doctor' your book. You can do it, and really, you'll need to. Get some feedback. Read a book or three by authors you admire. Take a big deep breath and dive back into your own work armed with honesty and a little distance and edit.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

But do keep your fingers crossed. That could never hurt.

Perks said:

Throw it out. I'm tired of competition.

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Hahahahahaaha! Too funny.

Thanks, I needed that.

mysticool said:

However, I will still look for a verified manuscript editor to check it out, since its my first novel and want it to be in as near to a perfect shape, as possible.
I know I still have quite some work to go, but I think I am ready to jump some hurdles guys.

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It's up to you, of course, but professional editors (who verifies a manuscript editor, anyway?) are really unnecessary. Ask around. I bet most of the novelists you admire never shelled out anything for editing services. A good beta reader or two and a good critique group will work wonders, trust me. Besides, half of writing (more, even) is editing...if you can't edit professionally yourself, how will you ever turn out a professional novel?

1) Copyright work

Novelists never copyright (legally, it's copyrighted as soon as the ink hits the page, what we don't do is register the copyright). I was recently read the riot act by a Hollywood entertainment lawyer, who told me to always register the copyright before sending anything to TinselTown (thievery apparently being common there, unlike the publishing world). Registering a copyright costs $35, so it's cheap insurance.

But whatever you do, DO NOT PUT THE WORD, "COPYRIGHT" ON YOUR MANUSCRIPT. To agents and editors, that's like a neon sign, flashing, "clueless beginner."

2) Prepare manuscript

Uh, you said you're finishing up the 3rd and last rewrite. What else is there?

3) Send to book doctor for workover

Why? Does it suck?

4) Contact agents/publishers

I'd put "Write earth-shattering query letter" first, then contact agents. Only contact publishers after every agent in the world has turned it down...

5) Cross my fingers (tightly!!)

NEVER cross your fingers (all experienced writers know this).

Unfortunately, I currently live in a non English speaking country and I don't speak the local language, so I am right behind the eight ball, (compared to someone who lives in The USA, Britain, Australia....)
as far as publishing my work goes. I have to look overseas for publishers/ agents, etc.

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The biggest market is America, so you'd want to query American agents first in any case. This is where e-queries come in handy.

But first, write that dynamite query letter! The query letter is the agent's first sample of your writing skills (and if it's weak, it'll be their last sample), so it has to be killer. You should put as much effort into your query letter as you did into the first page of your novel. It's your one and only chance to hook an agent's interest. Always remember, a query letter is a sales-pitch, not a description of your story. It should read the same as the blurb on the back of a paperback novel (which is also a sales-pitch).

Marlys said:

2. Yes, prepare your manuscript. You'll read a lot of conflicting advice online (my take is here), but the main thing to remember is to keep it looking clean and professional.

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This reminds me of one of the funniest pieces of advice I've seen. Andre Jute (bestselling author), in his book, Writing the Thriller, offers opposing advice on ms prep between American and British publishers.

For the American market, the ms must be spotlessly clean, fresh, and devoid of mistakes. But Jute insists that British publishers believe that no truly creative person is capable of being neat, and will not take a clean, neat ms seriously. He actually recommends sending them a ms with coffee stains, dog-eared pages, and sloppy typing!

Maybe that advice is outdated -- he wrote it before everyone had a word processor, but I had to pass it along, for entertainment value, if nothing else.

mysticool said:

These are the steps I have lined out to do(please correct me if I'm wrong):
1) Copyright work

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No. Don't do this.

2) Prepare manuscript

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Black ink on white paper. Double spaced. 1-inch margins. Courier 10 or Courier 12 font. Italics indicated with underlines. Running header with your name, book's title, and page number.

3) Send to book doctor for workover

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No. Don't even consider this.

4) Contact agents/publishers

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Follow their guidelines to the letter. Remember that a useful agent has sold books that you've heard of. A good publisher has published books that you've seen with your own eyes actually on the shelves of bookstores. The question about any agent or publisher isn't "Are they so bad I should cross them off my list?" It's "Are they so good I should add them to my list?"

5) Cross my fingers (tightly!!)

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Can't hurt, but makes it difficult to type your next novel. The most important step for you right now is to start work on a new, different, even better book.

Some slighty different advice.

Mysticool, congratulations on your professional approach to writing. That puts you several rungs up the ladder to publishing straight away!

First off, before I go all grandmotherly and offer you some advice, have a look at this:

www.thecwa.co.uk
They are the Crime Writers Association. This comp and their others have mana, and are really helpful to writers.

Go and look at their Debut Dagger Comp. It closes on Feb 15th but you can enter and pay by e-mail at the site. You need the 1st 3000 words and a synopsis of up to 1000 words of your crime novel. Agents and publishers see the entries and people like Barbara Cleverly, who did not win, got her agent and publisher from entering the Debut Dagger competition.

And yes it is expensive at £20 but measure that against the real opportunity of taking a short cut past the long wait in a publisher's slush pile!

Now, so far, all your advice has been from Americans. It applies to America. If you have written an American book you wish to publish in America, then it applies to you.

I am a Kiwi. You are Australian - an Ozzie Ocker! I write about my culture and I presume you wrote a crime novel about the things you know, from your cultural point of view.
If this is so than some of that American advice is not useful for you.

May I suggest you check out your State's Writers' Centre. Did you know that each Oz state has a govt funded writers' centre? They offer a magazine, mentoring and manuscript assessment, legal advice. They're good. I envy you them. We have nothing in kiwiland! Join one and get lots of help. You might even find an e-mail writing partner or two to form a little crit group. Here's Queensland's website http://www.qwc.asn.au/ to explore.

Now for the grandmotherly advice!
1) Copyright work
As everyone has told you, your work is copyright and the publishers do the official part.

2) Prepare manuscript
Yes, you need to have a standard looking manuscript. But always check your publisher's guidelines before sending to a specific publisher as they have their own little quirks.

3) Send to book doctor for workover
Now this is where we have American and Commonwealth differences.

Am I correct in assuming that you are using the American term Book Doctor but that you are applying it to what the UK and Commonwealth call a Manuscript Assessor?

A Book Doctor does your editing and grammar. S/he may have no experience or knowledge of publishing, editors and fiction.

A Manuscript Assessor, however, is usually a retired editor or publisher, or they work part time in the publishing world. Often they scout for agents and publishers and they tend to specialise in genres and topics. So you would send your whodunnit to a crime genre Manuscript Assessor. Their job is to read your novel looking for weak points, and then help you make it the best novel you can.

I think that is what you meant?
If so, for us, they are a good way to go. You say you are, like me, working overseas and without your own langauge. I am in Japan. I don't have a group of readers in Japan who can help me by reading my novel. Mine will go to a Manuscript Assessor in the UK, we don't have a Manuscript Assessor in NZ who deals with my genre.
You have assessors in Oz. Check them out in 'The Australian Writer's Marketplace 2008/9' which is your Oz book about publishers and markets.

4) Contact agents/publishers
Again there is a difference here. Americans expect to use an agent. We don't have many good agents who know what they are doing but we do have some really bad ones and some scam ones online. Our publishers are still very approachable.

And yes, don't contact both agents and publishers, decide which way you will go. Either a good query letter to the publishers of your choice, or ditto to agents.
Do note that publishers who say no unsolicited manuscripts DON'T mean NO query letters.

Oz has many good publishers and many of them will get you an overseas deal once your novel has shown that it sells in Oz.
Buy that market book, 'The Australian Writer's Marketplace 2008/9', from the publishers who are the Queensland Writers Centre: www.qwc.asn.au

If you are looking at a wider sale or a joint launch in Oz and the UK than check out the British market books: 2008 UK Artists' and Writers' Yearbook published by A and C Black or the UK Writer's Handbook 2008 published by MacMillan.
The American Writers' Market books are from Writer's Digest: www.writersdigest.com
and the Canadian market book you can find out about at: www.Placesforwriters.com


5) Cross my fingers (tightly!!)
Yes, enter that Debut Dagger and cross your fingers for your manuscript to be noticed!
Happy writing
pdr

Excellent advice from the posters. I'll add, join us in Share Your Writing under the mystery/suspense/and thriller category. Follow the guidelines and try not to post more than the first few pages. I'm sure things will be pointed out that you might need to address. It's a lot cheaper than a book doctor. And find others to read your manuscript. The whole thing. Friends aren't good unless they're voracious readers and willing to be honest with feedback. There's a spot on the boards here where you can look for willing victims beta readers, though you might have to read their material in echange... still cheaper than a book doctor. You can also join us in the Get With Genre thread under Mystery/Thriller/Suspense where we occasionally talk about writing. And of course, visit Uncle Jim's Learn Writing with Uncle Jim thread.

And please pat yourself on the back for finishing that first novel. Great achievment. But don't pat yourself too long. The real work starts now with revision. And you might look silly if someone sees you patting yourself. It just sounds perverted.

Good luck.

pdr said:

A Book Doctor does your editing and grammar. S/he may have no experience or knowledge of publishing, editors and fiction.

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Although someone with no publishing experience might call themselves a "book doctor," that would be false advertising. A good book doctor, in the US sense of the word, is someone who is themselves a published writer and who has the experience and skill to offer suggestions about making the manuscript more marketable. The author Poppy Z. Brite, for instance, has recently launched a practice as a book doctor.

Someone who just edits a manuscript for grammar or even for flow is probably more likely to describe themselves as a "manuscript editor."

However, you're absolutely right that, in the US, we don't have any such thing as free-lance editors who are scouts for publishing houses--in fact, if any US editor described themselves as such, that would be an automatic sign that they were misrepresenting themselves.