How to get your WIP (Work In Progress) in shape… or, you aren’t done when your think you’re done!
Too many new independent authors finish their first draft and immediately publish it on KDP or Smashwords. That’s not a great idea. Books typically go through multiple levels of review and revision before they’re ready to meet the world. (“The World” includes agents and editors if you’re doing traditional publishing.) Getting input on your work from other authors and readers is critical. Here are some terms you’ll run into that are related to getting your work into the best possible shape.
Critique Group: This is a group of writers who meet on a regular schedule to review each others’ WIPs. Each writer will submit part of their work—a scene, a chapter, or whatever can be easily reviewed before the next meeting. The other authors critique the piece and provide feedback and suggestions.
This is extremely helpful, but it can also be brutal. It hurts to watch others killing your darlings! So you have to develop a thick skin. But you’re going to run into that anyway when you submit your work to an agent or editor.
RMFW has a Critique Groups page that lists existing groups in our area. If you don’t see one that fits, you can start one!
Alpha and Beta Readers: Alpha readers are people with whom you share your WIP as it’s being written. You might send them a chapter or two as you finish a writing sprint, and they give you feedback. This can be helpful if you get some comments that make you realize that you need to make a mid-course correction in your plot. (Especially if you’re a pantser!)
Beta readers review the entire work, usually just before publication. They read the entire work and look for plot holes, inconsistencies, typos, and other problems that could result in bad reviews. In traditional publishing, these readers are sent an Advanced Reader Copy (or ARC… there’s another acronym for you!) to review. Sometimes they receive this book with the expectation that they will post a review on Amazon or other book sellers. They are usually required to include a disclaimer like, “I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.”
You can think of Alpha and Beta readers as “amateur editors”. This does not mean that you shouldn’t have your work professionally edited! Professional editors can miss things too. I once did an ARC review on a thriller, and in one scene the MC (Main Character) walked into a bar (no joke!) and ordered a whiskey. Three pages later he finished his beer. I wrote to the author and told him about it. He said that the book had gone through 15 beta readers and editors and no one had caught that, and the final copy was going to go to press the next day. I hope he got to call someone and shout, “Stop the press!”
The more eyes you can have on your book before it’s published, the better.
Beta Readers Group: This like an advanced critique group. The members of the group review and dissect the “completed” work, rather than bits of the work in progress, just before submitting it to a professional editor.
I saw a panel at a virtual writers conference recently with the members of a long-standing beta readers group. They all said that they learned more than they could have imagined by having their work analyzed and critiqued by other writers. One of them said that they are now able to submit extremely clean “first drafts” to their publisher. Another said that instead of the dozens of editorial comments he used to get, he now gets four or five on his MS (Manuscript).
Street Team: Your book has been published! So how do you let the world know? One way is to call on your Street Team. This is a group of trusted readers who will post reviews on Amazon when your book is available, or post about it on their blogs and Facebook pages. They’re your Social Media Warriors.
Author Platform: Another way to publicize your new publication is on your Author Platform. This is a short way of saying “Your blog, Facebook page, Instagram page, Twitter feed, etc., etc., etc.” Building your social media network is another topic that’s beyond the scope of this article.