When Can I Query My Book?

Karasue said:

I'm working on my second draft revision and feeling anxious. I think my story is solid and I have no additional changes except for the occasional grammar mistake I might have missed. So my question is, when is a MS ready to be queried? How many revisions does it take? Will a agent pass on it for a misplaced comma?

The perfectionist in me is nervous about putting up work that might have mistakes, but at the same time I think I know there is only so much me looking at the story will do. Help! I'm feeling awfully stuck and like I'll never gather the courage to send this thing out.

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How many people besides you have read it?

I would get at least 2-3 people who would give you an honest critique to read your MS. My two cents

Karasue said:

That's part of the problem. I've given it to several people who say they'll Beta read and never return with critique. I workshopped the first few chapters at a old critique group so those are pretty clean, but I've since moved away. So I've been feeling like I'm on my own when it comes to revising.

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Yes, that's a similar problem to what I had. What genre is it?

Karasue said:

That's part of the problem. I've given it to several people who say they'll Beta read and never return with critique. I workshopped the first few chapters at a old critique group so those are pretty clean, but I've since moved away. So I've been feeling like I'm on my own when it comes to revising.

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When you've got 50 substantive posts at AW, you can request help in the Beta forum. There are some really good readers on this site, and I'd recommend you take advantage. You don't want an agent to be the first Not-You to critically read your MS.

You may indeed be a fabulous self-critiquer. That's a skill that can be developed, although IME it takes a lot of time and a lot of critiques from others. I feel like I'm not bad at it...but I'd never send out an MS that I hadn't had others read first.

Publishing is a slow, slow business. It's worth it taking the time to cultivate some critique partners (critiquing for others is both a good deed and a useful way to improve those self-critiquing skills). You may have the perfect book that grabs a superstar agent and makes you a household name, but you're always going to need crit partners, and a solid, down-to-earth support group.

Agents won't reject your work because it's missing a few commas.

They will reject it if they don't think the plot holds together, or if the writing is overdone or flabby.

Karasue said:

... I have no additional changes except for the occasional grammar mistake I might have missed.

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Do you feel you are good with grammar in general? How many times have you revised? Did you notice any mistakes the last time you read it? Anything that didn't sound right, even if you can't explain why?
Or, are you just anxious that there might be mistakes although nothing stands out?

At some point you're going to need to test the market by sending it out. When it comes right down to it, that's the only way to know if you're writing publishable stuff.

Beta readers may be better than no readers, but I'm a bit wary of them. You can get really lucky and find someone who has both the writing chops and understanding of the industry to help you move forward. But more often it's a case of the blind leading the blind. Either way, you end up doing edits for someone who's not going to buy or sell your work. I've had 8 books published, and I used beta readers on only one; all the others were read first by my agent. The beta reader that I did use was a much-published writer in the same genre, and a good friend; but even she came back with very little actionable feedback. Critiques from my agent and editor are usually right on the money, and I take them very seriously. Critiques from amateurs: sorry, but not so much.

But I know I'm in the minority in this opinion. Most people here are big on beta readers, so I have to believe they've proved more useful to other writers than they have to me.

When you're ready, this might prove useful to you. I was a literary agent for 14 years, and before that I worked for a major NYC publisher. I learned that there is a Catch 22 for writers: It's hard to get professional level feedback on your writing until you start publishing and being reviewed. But it's hard to reach the point where you're writing publishable prose without that feedback. That's why I came up with this offer. It's limited to 5000 words, but it might help.

Congratulations on reaching this point! Many people start novels; very few finish them.

Karasue said:

But even when I have beta readers, when do you all know that your MS is ready? Is it a gut feeling, or that wonderful moment where a Beta Reader says, "I think it is great!"

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It's a gut feeling + experience, and I'm often still wrong.

Something else you could try here on AW: once you've got those 50 substantive posts, you could put the first chapter or so up on Share Your Work (password: vista, and be sure to read the stickies). You'll reach a wider audience than you will with a beta reader. It'll be for a smaller portion of the book, of course, but you'll get a read on whether or not the grammar issues you're worried about are a big deal or a small one.