When Should I Try to Publish?
The decision to publish is a huge one for any author. You’re putting yourself out there in a way that you’ve never done before, facing cold rejection in the process, after all! It’s a daunting decision to make - when are you ready to publish? When should you take that leap? Well, ask yourself the following questions, and your answers should lead you to a conclusion!
How proud are you of your work? This is pretty straightforward. If you feel that you’ve done a particularly good job with a piece, it makes sense to want to share it on a professional level. If you would like to brush it under the doormat and forget about it, why would you try to take it further? There are a couple nuances to keep in mind here, however, the first of which is: in what way are you proud of this piece? Are you proud because you’ve improved as an author, but still don’t feel that your material is publish-worthy? That’s completely fine! Keep working hard.
Are other people telling you to publish? A lot of readers don't understand how difficult it is to get published, so this is perhaps not the best thing to rely on, but it does say something if you've got a large fanbase, the majority of which is begging you to take your book further. Try to pay attention to what people are telling you without being prompted - for example, your friends or family members might feel compelled to tell you yes if you ask them if you should publish. Your online readers, however, have no such personal obligation, so what they say is usually based solely on your material.
Are you at a good place in your life to publish? If you're struggling with something in your personal life or need to focus on your education, then you don't have the mental energy to focus on publishing. Taking your book to the next level is an exhausting process, one that will take a lot of time and effort. It's up to you to be the judge of whether or not that's a task you can tackle right now.
Are you prepared for everything publishing will bring? Publishing won't just mean making money off of your book. It'll bring reviews, not all of which will be positive. It might even bring scrutiny into your life. You have to make sure you're prepared for all of that.
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I don't mean to freak you out with this article - I just wanted to give you some questions to consider! Whenever you choose to begin publishing, perseverance and hard work will lead you to your goals.
