[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here]

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This month’s post is all about taking that step, finding that courage and sending your polished manuscript off into the publishing world.

I am the last writer to give personal advice on this topic. I do, however, have tips I’ve pieced together from a few articles from the experts on how and when to take the risk.

• Stop the What-ifs and the “empty bucket” thinking. This is a phrase from my 8- year old son. He constantly talks about filling the bucket, and not letting bad words and phrases into your personal bucket in the first place. Persistence should be your guide, along with the belief that one day, with hard work, you too will do what you really want to do.
• Read your entire manuscript out-loud to tighten grammar and clunky sentences. I just downloaded a great APP for my I-Phone. It’s a pdf voice reader. I haven’t tried out the app yet, but I’m anxious.
• Read your manuscript out loud to others who will listen.
• Send your manuscript to other writers and folks with editing experience to help you tighten up what you might not have noticed at this point.

Based on the steps above, if you feel like your story is great, you’ve caught all the kinks and have had others review it, then I firmly believe it’s time to try. Prepare your submission standards like the premise, the log-line, the query and the synopsis.

I do wish you all the best in your dreaming and writing. If you have a great tip to share for knowing when the time is right to submit, I’d love to hear it. Here’s a link to the one of my favorite articles from Writer’s Digest from the author of Blood and Salt, on how she began her submission process the second time around.

P.S. Thank you to the group, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the founder of the group, and of course all the awesome hosts this month:
Beverly Stowe McClure
Megan Morgan
Viola Fury
Madeline Mora-Summonte
Angela Wooldridge
Susan Gourley