How do you know if you’re ready?

Crossing that bridge from obscurity to published can be a daunting challenge. You’ve spent months - maybe years - pouring into your manuscript, and now you’re at a crossroads: do you write ‘THE END’ and tuck it away, or does your ‘THE END’ actually mean ‘THE BEGINNING’?

Putting your work out into the world can feel like baring your soul. It’s a vulnerable place to find yourself. You feel exposed and frightened. What if no one likes it? What if people don’t connect to your words?

What if?

There are a million reasons not to do something. If being published is a dream you’ve been carrying in your heart, it’s time to make it happen.

But wanting something and being ready for something are two very different things.

Are you ready?

The three things you need to ask yourself before submitting your book for publication:

1. Have you put in the work?

Have you written and rewritten and rewritten again? Have you invited other readers (not just family members or close friends) to read and critique and help you bring your best voice forward? Have you been discerning and ruthless as you’ve produced draft after draft until your manuscript is at a place where you feel it’s your very best work?

2. Can you take the heat?

Making your work available to the public makes you available for public feedback. Name a published author who hasn’t received a negative review and I’ll show you where to find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You have to be ready for criticism. You also have to be ready for praise. Both can be uncomfortable in their own way. Both can inspire personal growth. Thick skin and humility will go a long way in this industry!

3. Do you believe in what you’ve written?

If you answered yes, that’s the only thing that matters.

So what’s stopping you? Take the first step today!