Congrats on writing your first novel. You are probably excited that you actually finished. The first thing you should do is celebrate or take a break from writing.

But what’s next?

As a writer, you have written a novel for only you to read.

On the contrary, you could publish your work.

Let’s face it, writing a novel takes hard work, dedication, and patience.

Give yourself credit and grace.

Take time to rest because the unfortunate part of writing a novel is that you have to put in more work.

More work that sucks

Writing your novel is one thing, but putting in extra time to edit and promote your book is a whole venture in itself.

I know it can seem overwhelming to dedicate more time, but it is so worth it. 

That moment you start re-reading your chapters, you’ll find yourself intrigued by the characters you created.

You’ll want to know what each character does next and realize that the characters take over the story. 

When that happens, you’ll feel as though the fictional character you created is a real person.

It’s too much

Throughout your editing journey, there are times you’ll want to give up and say:

It’s too much work.

Thought/Reaction: Depending on how long your story is, it can seem exhausting just looking at the pages you printed.

Result: You’ll doubt yourself before you even start the process of rereading.

Hard to read

Thought/Reaction: I don’t understand what I’ve written. 

Result: You want things to be perfect from start to finish.

It’s not how you originally planned it

Thought/Reaction: It’s not what I have in mind for the characters to do.

Result: Self-sabotage. Allow things to flow naturally in your story. 

You don’t know how to edit

Thought/Reaction: I can’t do this; I don’t know how to edit.

Result: No more effort.

Waste of time

Thought/Reaction: I could be doing other things.

Result: I want to give up.

You took time out of your schedule to write a novel. So, what makes you think you can’t take the time to polish your craft and perhaps publish it? 

Wave Self- Doubt Goodbye

Below are a few reasons why you shouldn’t give up.

1. You actually wrote a novel; the hard part is over with.
2. You realize progress is always the goal that leads to your desired results.
3. You’ve grown throughout your writing journey,
4. You are inspired to write more books.
5. You came too far to just give up.

You are in control

You set the limit on what you can and can’t do. Nothing is impossible to achieve as long as you put in the effort. 

Small, consistent habits allow you long-term results.

Editing is one thing

A big part of editing is mentally preparing yourself to get things done.

However, it is essential for you to recognize how you feel toward your writing. 

At the end of the day, you have to love what you do, no matter what others may think.

What happens after all the edits are done?

After you self-edit, hire a professional editor. It doesn’t hurt to receive feedback. 

What happens after you hire a professional?

It’s up to you to decide if you want to self-publish, hybrid publish, or traditionally publish.

Ask yourself, “What do you want as the result of writing a novel?”

If it is for others to read, then continue to learn the best techniques and tools to market your craft.

Even though it may seem like a lot, you’ll learn creative ways to get potential readers interested in what you have to say, and that is a win!

Did you forget you already won by finishing a novel?