HINDSIGHT’S
WD READERS WHO ARE PUBLISHED
AUTHORS SHARE WHAT THEY WISH
THEY’D KNOWN ABOUT THE PROCESS
GOING IN—AND HELP YOU SEE YOUR
OWN BOOK’S FUTURE MORE CLEARLY.

For the most part, there have been few big surprises in the process. Part of that I attribute to asking a lot of questions of established writers and seeking guidance from my agent. That said, the one thing I wish I had known all along was how many times I would need to revisit the manuscript and how much time and focus it would take. Psychologically, it feels like the book is done when you sell it, but now I see that the book was only ready to be sold. The book isn’t done until you buy it in the bookstore!

For me it’s an important distinction. The work I did on the book pre-sale was to make it the best it could be. The work I did after I sold it was to make it a story that incorporated the creative and technical feedback of the team of people supporting it. Listening and considering the feedback was a huge part of the post-sale process, and it required a good deal of my focus (and, to be honest, worry!).

This is all the more reason to love the story you write, as you will be spending a good deal of time
with your book after you sell it.
—TERI COYNE, author of The Last Bridge (Ballantine)