What’s Next after NaNoWriMo?

So, you won (or attempted!) NaNoWriMo 2016. Now what? Here are ten potential next steps, covering everything from revision to, yes, the daunting publishing process:
Put your manuscript away, and don’t look at it for at least 2-3 weeks. No matter whether you wrote a full 50K, just made it halfway, or got through an in-depth outline, four weeks of intense writing is draining, and you need to replenish your energy. What a coincidence that the end of NaNoWriMo coincides with December, and the holiday season! It may surprise you to learn that by stepping away after this intense period, new ideas will begin to percolate. Keep a notebook handy for those moments, but don’t dwell on them. Rest.

Before the New Year begins, outline your goals. If you don’t have a complete manuscript, do you want to keep pressing forward on the plot? Or, would you rather go back and review what you’ve written and clean it up? Be prepared before you jump back into the writing process.

Whether you ended NaNoWriMo with a completed first draft or you spend the bulk of the year finishing one, your next step is, of course, revision. I highly recommend finding a few critique partners (note, these are different than beta readers, which I’ll get to later on) who can provide educated, experienced editorial input about which parts of the manuscript are working and which are not. You can also pay freelance editors for their services.

Revise, revise, revise. This means killing some of your darlings, but more importantly, creating new ones. Make revisions in track changes so you can visualize your progress, and keep track of what you discard. I find it helpful to keep a separate document of everything you delete, in case you decide later that some part of it is salvageable.

Once you have a solid revision (usually, at least a second or third draft!), it’s time to seek out beta readers and sensitivity readers. Beta readers are people you trust to provide critique on a general basis: is the manuscript readable? Enjoyable? Did they like the characters they were supposed to like and hate they ones they were supposed to hate? Do the plot twists and details track? Additionally, I recommend employing (and paying) a sensitivity reader, especially if your manuscript handles the portrayal of any marginalized communities (religious minorities, disabled people, LGBTQIAP+, mental illness, marginalized races and ethnicities, etc.). These readers look out specifically for negative representation of marginalized communities, and can point out methods and resources for you to correct it.

At this point, it’s time for you to think about the publishing process. The first step is to find an agent, which means taking a break from your manuscript yet again and heading to my favorite place: the bookstore! Go to the aisle that most closely resembles your own novel and check the acknowledgments sections of the books you love most. Usually (if they’re smart!) authors will thank their agents in the acknowledgments. Make a list, and begin to compile their submission guidelines. (Make sure to check their websites and social media accounts too, because guidelines can differ between agencies and agents!)

The dreaded query letter: a mix of synopsis, biography, and elevator pitch. This is what an agent will read, and what will help them decide to represent you or not. I recommend utilizing your critique partners for this section, as well as possibly hiring an editorial consultant again to make this step as seamless as possible. Once your query letter and sample are polished (Copyedited! Copyedited! Copyedited!) you can press the “send” button, and away you go!

This is the part every author dreams of. You’ve written a manuscript, poured blood, sweat and tears into the revisions, researched the agents…and now, someone has told you that your work is good enough to warrant representation, and hopefully, good enough to sell. But be careful! Don’t make a hasty decision. If an agent (or multiple agents) offer you representation, do your research. Consult publishersweekly.com for a list of their recent sales, the editors they have connections to, and the sums they usually collect. Reach out to current clients of theirs and see, off the record, what their experience is like working with them. And of course, let the other agents know that you have options so they will expedite their process.

If steps 5-8 do not go as smoothly as possible, do not dismay. If your process takes a turn (you need to do a complete re-write after a third revision, a sensitivity reader points out a flaw in the characterization that you cannot overcome…) step away from your manuscript again and instead, surround yourself with books and TV both in the same vein as your work, and completely different. If you’re writing historical romance, watch a sci-fi TV show. If you are writing a YA contemporary novel, read a few fantasies! Mix things up—sometimes spending too much time on one thing can cloud your creativity, whereas immersing yourself in variety can be surprisingly inspiring.

Start a new project. No matter what has happened by this point, NaNoWriMo will feel like a million years ago (or maybe just a year). You will be weary, and maybe even a bit jaded. Or, fingers crossed, everything has gone your way and your agent has sold your book! Either way, start something new. Remember how good it feels to have a new idea, to flesh out a world, and make characters come to life. The true test of a writer isn’t whether they are published, but that they write, no matter what.

via GIPHY
How did your NaNoWriMo go this year?