Are You Ready? 7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire an Editor, Hit Upload, Or Start Marketing Your Book.
Writers are always asking me some version of this one big, anxious question: “Am I ready?”
Am I ready to invest the time in writing a book?
Or, for those who have already started, am I ready for an editor?
And underneath everything, they wonder, am I ready for publishing?
Am I ready for marketing?
Then, lurking somewhere in the back of their mind is this gigantic fear: “What if I invest a lot of time and money, and my book doesn’t sell?”
I could write a book to answer all those questions. Instead, I thought I’d give them a shot here, on the blog. This week, I have 7 practical questions to ask yourself—before you hire anyone, sign anything, or click publish.
❓Question 1: Is my idea worthy of a book?
Many writers come to me with an idea about a powerful topic or area of expertise, but not yet a clear book‑shaped idea. The difference is in your focus and the promise you make: a book makes a specific promise to a specific reader, in a specific genre.
Here are the main genres in writing today: nonfiction (encompasses a lot of writing, including memoirs, self-help, business books, and creative nonfiction), and fiction (yes, all of your cozy mysteries, romances, sci-fi or horror novels, coming of age novels, and many other kinds of writing) – think classics for literary fiction (Wuthering Heights– romance but much more than that, also, think Grapes of Wrath, dystopian before there was dystopian, and A Tale of Two Cities, which is much more than a tale, isn’t it?).
Understanding the genre you’re writing in is a giant step forward. Today, romantasy – combining romance and fantasy – is quite popular.
To determine whether or not your work or idea is ready to be a book, to go to the next step of hiring an editor, or to think about publishing and marketing, try this quick test:
For nonfiction, can you finish this sentence in one breath: “My book helps [specific reader] go from [starting point] to [ending point] by [how you do it]”?
For fiction, ask yourself this: “Does my story entertain the reader without being didactic; are my characters true to life; what do I want the reader to feel at the beginning and then at the end?”
Now, can you name 3–5 comparable books and say, in one line each, how yours is different? (Jane Friedman has an excellent post on comps that can help here.)
If your answers feel vague or generic, you’re probably still in “topic” territory—which is fine, but it means you may need more development before you move forward.
❓2. Am I ready for an editor yet?
I’ve written about the different kinds of editors before, but let me repeat here: “Editor” is not one job; it’s several. A lot of frustration and wasted money will come from hiring the wrong kind of help for the stage you’re in. Read more about my work as a developmental editor in my blog post from August of 2025.
Broadly, think in layers:
⚫ Big‑picture feedback: concept, structure, narrative arc, argument, clarity for the reader (this is developmental editing, manuscript evaluation, or book coaching).
⚫ Sentence‑level refinement: voice, rhythm, word choice, consistency (line or copyediting).
⚫ Fine‑tooth cleanup: typos, punctuation, formatting (proofreading).
Frankly, I think working with a developmental editor from day one saves a lot of time and effort, too.
Your book coach, who may also be your dev editor (like me!), can guide you on being ready for this step.
❓3. Have I answered the why?
The big, big, BIG question is always, “Why would a stranger choose my book over all the other books out there?”
Most first-time authors know why the book matters to them, but struggle to articulate the reader’s urgent reason to pick it up. Notice the word ‘urgent’ – when a possible reader finds your book, on Amazon, your website, or a dozen other places, you want them to say, “I need to read this book!” Like I did last week for a series I saw advertised on Facebook.
It fit the bill. A sci-fi series with a dog in it. I bought the first five. The dog sold me.
Ask yourself:
⚫ Can I state, in one sentence, the core transformation, insight, or experience my reader walks away with?
⚫ Can I name the primary emotion I want them to feel at the end: relief, hope, clarity, courage, recognition?
If you can’t yet see that throughline, an early-stage developmental conversation will help more than an edit. For more on how to create a throughline, read Tom’s post, Throughline: The “Wiring Diagram” for Building Your Book.
❓4. What do I know about getting my book published?
“Traditional or indie publishing?” isn’t really a moral choice; it’s a strategic one. You are the CEO of your book. It’s your decision on how to get that book into the public domain.
Before you commit, get honest about:
⚫ Your primary goal: credibility, reach, revenue, lead generation for a business, creative satisfaction, thought leadership, and an introduction to paid speaking engagements.
⚫ Your timeline: are you willing to spend 1–2 years querying and on submission, and 1-2 years more before publication, or is it better to have this book in your ecosystem sooner?
⚫ Your desire: to be the CEO and have final choice of things like cover design, pricing, length, and when the book is released.
Knowing your likely path now helps shape structure, length, and even which “extras” you include in the manuscript. Tom has a detailed blog post, including numbers, for a quick read. You’ll want to take notes.
❓5. What’s my realistic budget for editing, design, and production?
Every book costs something: money, time, or both. For indie publishing and many hybrid paths, you are, in effect, the publisher, which generally makes you responsible for editing, design, production choices, and marketing.
We’ve met too many authors who didn’t understand this part of their writing journey. These authors signed with hybrid publishers or even small-press publishers, and while they got some editing, it was sometimes not that good (IMBO – in my bold opinion), and the design and marketing were nonexistent.
This is why we caution all authors to READ their contract, out loud, before signing.
Before you start shopping for vendors, take a few minutes to sketch a simple budget:
✒️ Professional editing (often the largest investment).
📔 Cover design and interior layout.
💲ISBNs, formatting, and any permissions or image fees.
🖨️ Initial print run or print-on-demand setup.
💲💲💲 Marketing (this is time and $$$ intensive)
For print and wide distribution, IngramSpark’s ecosystem is one option, but KDP is probably the most used and well-known at the moment. Like KDP, IngramSpark offers guidance on uploading your prepared manuscript to their site.
You can, of course, just schedule an Ask Me Anything session with me to decide where to put your money. Yes, I want you to work with me, but in these sessions, I only answer questions; I don’t sell.
❓6. Good grief, what about marketing?
I put the ‘good grief’ in there because this is the step that trips up most writers. You cannot skip this step. Hoping a publisher, publicist, or “someone else” will handle the visibility part for you is a path to disaster. You heard it here, right now, but I am not the first or only book coach to tell you this.
The good news is that you don’t need to do everything; however, you do need to commit to something:
What is one primary channel you’ll actually show up on (newsletter, podcast guesting, LinkedIn, Instagram, local speaking, etc.)?
Where can you find one or two specific reader communities to join – remember, this means engagement, not lurking (email list, groups, organizations, associations, local connection sites like Meetup and Nextdoor, and local networking groups, they love authors!).
What is one way you will consistently invite people back to the book (lead magnet, talk, workshop, resource on your site)?
Book marketing checklists from smart people I know who do what I do emphasize that consistent, author-driven outreach beats one big launch spike that fizzles. Not that you shouldn’t do a launch. They’re fun and a great way to announce the release of your book.
Thinking this through before publication lets you build the book to support your marketing (back-of-book offers, website integration, series potential) rather than trying to add it all on after the fact. Here’s a truth: premarketing builds success.
I found this wonderful blog post, “110 Book Marketing Ideas,” on Smith Publicity, which you might want to check out. I especially like their list under Work Your Network.
❓7. What do I need from an editor besides “fix my book”?
Finally, ask yourself what kind of relationship you want with me. Or someone like me. It’s not only about the deliverable. Well, yes, it is. The book is what it’s all about, but getting to the book is important, too.
Good developmental editors will work with you on:
Clarity of scope: This involves understanding tone, voice, flow, purpose, audience, and the results you want for your book. I particularly like Jane Friedman’s outline of what a developmental editor does. An important point she makes is that this is a collaboration between you and your editor.
Alignment on genre and goals: Find an editor who has worked with your kind of book—memoir vs. how‑to vs. thought leadership vs. novel? If you find an editor you like who hasn’t necessarily worked on your kind of book, but you ‘click’ with that person, give them a chance.
Communication style: Some editors are blunt, others are gentler. I am in between.
A good developmental partnership is less “manuscript repair shop” and more “trusted thinking partner” who helps you make efficient decisions, avoid writing 60,000 words in the wrong direction, and keep your momentum through the messy middle.
(yes, there will be a messy middle, trust me)
A quick self-check
If you’ve answered these questions and you’re still staring at your draft, wondering, “What do I need, right now?” that’s the kind of problem I solve every day with Master Book Builders.
Ask me anything in the comments, and I’ll reply as soon as I can. Or DM me on LinkedIn. I’m there every day.
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