Why Most Authors Publish Too Soon

Your manuscript is done, but is it actually ready? Before you hit publish, there’s a gauntlet of editors, readers, and reality checks standing between you and your readers. Award-winning authors LL Kirchner and Tara Lush break down the alphabet soup of publishing prep—from developmental edits that cost more than your car payment to beta readers who might just run your book through ChatGPT (yes, that actually happened).In this episode we talk about what each type of edit actually does, why a developmental edit might not be right at this point in your author career, and when it is (and tips for spending way less than LL did). You’ll learn about hiring the right people for your genre. Plus, discover why Tara asks her editors to be grammar sticklers while LL learned the hard way that “grammatically correct” can still sound ridiculous. Whether you’re trying to figure out the difference between a copy edit and a line edit, or wondering if you really need to pay for beta readers, this episode cuts through the confusion.Plus, hear about LL’s childhood survival kit obsession and why Tara spent her youth spying on neighbors Harriet-the-Spy style—because apparently that’s just how Gen X rolled.Thanks for reading YOU SHOULD TOTALLY WRITE THAT! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.SHOW NOTES:Buy our books!Find Tara’s books on AmazonLL’s website has links to all the platforms for her Queenpin Chronicles trilogy and memoirsServices mentioned:The providers listed are not affiliates; we only talked about the particular services we used. Most offer more services than we have tried.Editing Services:* Red Adept Editing - Copy editing and proofreading services* The Author Buddy - Mentioned for copy edits and beta reads Beta Reader Services:* Hidden Gems Books - Beta reader service * Spun Yarn - Beta reading serviceARC Distribution:* NetGalley - Platform for distributing ARCs* Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op - Affordable NetGalley option This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com