WRITING A BOOK

Before taking the next steps, make sure you have what you feel is a complete manuscript.

How to Turn Your Manuscript into a Finished Book

Before you do anything else, give your manuscript to at least ten friends or coworkers and let them read it. Ask them to provide you with an honest opinion. Accept their feedback as constructive criticism, even if you don’t always agree. Be kind and appreciative—they’re doing you a favor.

Keep in mind that strangers will eventually be reading your book, and they won’t be as gentle as your friends. For me, it was much easier to hear feedback from people who cared about me than from strangers whose comments sometimes felt harsh. In the end, this step may save you a few sleepless nights.

NOTE: If you don’t have ten friends or coworkers available to read your book, join a Facebook group for readers and authors. There are many out there. I’ve found plenty of readers who were willing to look at my manuscript or book and share their thoughts. It’s a great way to get early feedback before you publish. Post a notice asking who enjoys your genre—this is important. You don’t want someone reviewing your book if they don’t enjoy reading the type of story you’ve written.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finding Readers to Review Your Manuscript

If you need additional readers beyond your personal circle, consider joining online communities where authors and readers connect. Facebook has many active groups dedicated to books, writing, beta reading, and manuscript exchanges. Search for groups that:

• welcome both readers and writers,

• allow manuscript or beta-reader requests,

• focus on your specific genre,

• have active, engaged members.

  
  

The goal is to find readers who enjoy your genre—they’ll give you the most helpful feedback.

Always introduce yourself, mention your book’s genre, and ask if anyone enjoys that type of story and would be willing to read a few chapters or the full manuscript. You’ll be surprised by how many people are genuinely happy to help.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I used Grammarly and Microsoft Editor (both highly recommended). I also hired a professional copy editor to review my manuscript. When I had done everything I thought I could do to make it a strong book, I published it on Amazon.

Then I read every review.

I treated the negative comments as constructive criticism. Instead of getting discouraged, I used the feedback to make improvements. I pulled the book off Amazon twice, corrected every error I could find, and rewrote the areas readers questioned.

Don’t be afraid—or ashamed—to take your book down and make it better. It’s part of the journey, and your readers will appreciate it.

As of November 23, 2025, my book has 9,380 reviews across Amazon and Goodreads—proof that taking the time to revise and improve your work truly pays off. Every one of those revisions was worth it.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When do you consider your manuscript completed?

Tweak your manuscript as many times as necessary until you have at least ten people who believe it is worthy of becoming a book.

Ultimately, the answer lies with you. It’s your book and your decision. However, if you follow the steps above and can find ten impartial readers who feel you have a strong manuscript, it’s usually a good sign that your book is ready for publication.

If you can’t get at least ten solid reviews, keep tweaking until you can. Don’t be offended by readers’ comments. Use them as constructive criticism, read your work again, and make as many revisions as needed. Most manuscripts can be turned into good books—it just takes patience and persistence.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: All of the above steps are important if you want to turn your manuscript into a book. Once you complete these steps, you are ready to move on to the next stage. Congratulations!

BLOG HOME PAGE