Guest Post: How to Tell if Your Book is Ready to be Published by Jessica Jimenez

You’ve spent a long time pouring over your book making sure that every part is flawless. Your book has been sent to friends, old English teachers, and even a few editors. However, you haven’t taken the plunge and had it reviewed. This is the most crucial step because publishing houses will determine if they want your book based on these reviews. You need the review to be successful if you want your book to be printed and sold in stores. The following list will help you know if your book is ready to be officially reviewed.

1) Make It Typo-Free
Your book needs to perfect – grammatically speaking. If not, then you run the risk of an editor closing the cover at the first typo or misspelled word. Ensure that everything is correct before you send it off. It always helps to have another person read your work because s/he can help you identify any redundant passages or phrases that are confusing for the reader. Your overall goal is to present the publisher with a hard copy ready to be sold. Even if s/he wants to make some edits, your book needs to be as close to perfect as you can get before you send it his/her way.

2) No Second Guessing
If you’re second guessing a character’s development or any plot holes, then don’t send it to be reviewed. You need to work through these problems before the book is reviewed. If people have questions, then you need to be able to answer them confidently and knowledgeably. Someone who is unsure about his/her work won’t be able to sell it. Thus, any doubts over plot devices need to be quelled now if you’re going to proudly stand by your book’s content, no matter what.

3) Give it to Friends
You should give your book to friends to read and review. If it resonates with peers, then you know you’ll have a good chance of selling it. However, you need to pick truthful friends who like to read that are in your target demographic. Don't send it to an under-critical relative because you want positive reinforcement!

4) Create a Substantial First Sentence
Many publishers will give your book the first line test, and if it doesn’t pass, then it goes in the trash. In short, your book needs to capture the reader’s attention from the very start. If a publisher cannot sit through your material because s/he finds it dull, then there’s no chance that it’ll get put onto store shelves. Make your first sentence interesting and dynamic enough to get people wanting to read more.

This is just the beginning of knowing if your book is ready or not to be reviewed. Ultimately, you’re the only person who knows the answer. As the author, you’re the one who knows the soul and essence of the book. If it’s ready, then you’ll be ready to promote and sell it to the highest bidder.

Jessica Jimenez writes all about social media, networking and the business of communications. Her recent work is on the Top 10 Best Online Masters in Marketing Degree Programs.