Friday, May 13, 2011

When is it Time?

Okay, Google Blogger somehow gobbled up my last post. I don't feel like rewriting it, especially since I wrote something embarrassingly similar here. (How Do You Know When You're Ready to Submit)

But I am interested to hear what everyone else thinks.  I'm sure we've all sent things out too early (The classic mistake of a newbie!).   But I'm sure we also all have at least one manuscript that we have "over-written."  One that we kept revising and revising to address other people's issues until the manuscript lost some of its original charm and appeal. 

So, how do you know when you have hit that "sweet" spot.  The exact right time to submit?

NOTE:  Google blogger spit my post back out fully in tact.  Now I feel even dumber!

9 comments:

Joanne R. Fritz said...

Blogger gobbled up ALL of our posts from yesterday but then they magically reappeared, minus comments....

Good question, Corey! How DO you know?

I'm definitely guilty of overwriting at least one ms. I revised it so much there was nothing left of what I originally liked about it! It was... blah.

And you won't believe this, but the word verification is "trash."

Yep. It's true.

Hardygirl said...

Yeah--I had some weird blogger stuff going on, too.

And, I WISH I knew where that sweet spot was. That's why I tell people when they're initially submitting to agents or editors, to only submit to a couple at a time. That way, there are still some people left out there to send your manuscript to after you've revised for the fiftieth time.

sf

Corey Schwartz said...

Great point, SF!

Angela Ackerman said...

This is a great topic, because you're right, while we know not to send something out too early, how DO we know when it's ready?

For me, it's after crit partners feel I have fixed everything they wanted fixed, and I myself have gone through the novel multiple times since and at the end of each pass, still love the book.

Many writers send something out because they are just 'done' with revising and they hate the thought of another pass. For me the sweet spot is knowing I can take another pass, enjoy reading it, and still love it at the end. :)

Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

Unknown said...

I'll put it away for a few weeks. After rereading it again, I can usually tell if it's ready or not.

Unknown said...

FWIW, your original post is still there! :-)

I still don't know...I mean, Princess P was critiqued to DEATH and almost lost its charm until I decided I wasn't going to touch one more word on it and sent it out. It received lots of rejections (but many personals and many compliments) so I knew to keep trying. I'm at that point with a chapter book. I know I'm done. Now I just have to find that right publisher.

When I had an agent, she'd tell me. It was a little easier than being by myself. :-/

Susanna Leonard Hill said...

I think you kind of develop a feel for when something's ready to go out, but honestly? even with things that I've published I can find things I would change if I could!

Julie Musil said...

I'm battling this right now. I don't want to send it too soon, so I'm re-reading over and over, trying to get it right. But I need to be careful not to strip it too clean.

Lydia Kang said...

Ugh, I definitely send things out too soon, but I always THINK it's the right time. Sigh.