Should I Publish my Book? When is the Right Time to Publish a Book?  Should I Wait or Rewrite it?

Should I Publish my Book? When is the Right Time to Publish a Book?  Should I Wait or Rewrite it?

Should I publish my book? This article hits home hard because I’m one of those writers that never feel that the time has come to let it go.
This should be simple, right? You’ve finished writing it. Then, you’ve revised it. You’ve edited and proofread it. Everything is ready. But then you look at it and think:

1. I don’t think it’s quite ready yet. I should change it a bit, shouldn’t I? Should I publish my book?
2. Why not rewriting it in a different point of view? I think it would be much better.
3. The world is not yet very well constructed. Maybe I should change some things…

The list goes on…

You have to stop it. Now.

The truth is, should I publish my book? Yes, because you are never going to be fully satisfied with your story.

I always remember a quote that I heard somewhere (and I’m not even sure if it is like this): even Homero would have changed a comma from the Odyssey.

When is the right time to publish a story? Should I publish my book?

When it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. When you’ve edited and polished it. When you thought from the first time: okay, it’s done. This is the right time to do it.

If you continue to edit it forever, I promise you that you will give it up. You’ll want to put in inside your drawer and never look at it again.

You are never going to feel that this is totally ready for publication.

Should I publish my book? This post is for you if you think any of the following:

1. I want to wait until the story is right.

Believe me, you’ll never feel like this. Nobody does. Especially if we are quite a perfectionist like me.

2. I want to have a larger following before releasing it.

This one makes sense, however, one thing leads to another. How are you going to find readers if you don’t release your story to the world? How are you going to increase your following if they have nothing to read from you as an author?

3. I think it will be better after I change some scenes.

It won’t. If it is finished, edited, proofread, and polished, let it go.

Believe me, it’s a never-ending cycle. After you’ve rewritten these scenes, you will want to do others, rewrite others, change completely a character. Don’t do that. I mean it. Publish this one. And, then, if you want, write another story with those scenes you had in mind.

4. I am afraid it is not good enough. I don’t want to waste a good story. It will probably be my best-seller, the story of my life, so I don’t want to let it go now.

You have to. Because if you don’t, you will never improve.

Success comes from the most unexpected places.
You can’t predict if something will be successful or not.

You can’t know when is the right moment.

You have to let it go for it to have a chance in the world. Because the right moment will most likely never come. You are never going to feel that it is enough.

Should I publish my book? Why do you have to release it now? Now that is finished:

Because you are never going to improve if you don’t publish it and move on.

The only way for a writer to get better is writing.

If you are stuck forever in this one story, you are never going to evolve, try new things, do new stuff.

You have to be brave enough to let it go.

What Neil Gaiman says about the matter:

“People don’t normally list sending a story out into the
world as one of those acts of bravery up there with
standing up to armed robbers or wild dog attacks.
But really, they really are.”, Neil Gaiman.

You have to be brave enough to publish it.

Stop changing it.

If you don’t, you’ll never give it the chance to become something.

It’s like having a baby, helping him to grow, watching every step of them, and then, when they are an adult, and it comes the time, you have to let them go to the world. Because they don’t belong to you. They belong to the world, and to themselves.

Books are like this.

Should I publish my book if I’m afraid of being rejected?

Everybody is.

Even Neil Gaiman. Stephen King. J.K. Rowling, you name it.

But what if they let it stop them?

What if they thought “oh, Harry Potter is not ready yet, I’m going to rewrite it to Harry’s point of view now”.

We would never have Harry Potter.
It is not perfect, it has flaws and mistakes, but it changed lives. And that was only because J.K. was brave enough to allow Harry to go to the world.

“As a writer, you’re always going
to be rejected, and that’s basically
healthy.”. Neil Gaiman

Summing it up

When is the right time to publish a story? Should I publish my book?

When it’s done. It is written, revised, edited, and proofread. Promise me you are not going to change it anymore. Promise me now.

I’m afraid of failing. I should wait.

No, you should not. It is ready, so go out there and publish it. Stop changing it. Move on. Start another story. You have to let it go to evolve, otherwise, you’ll be stuck forever, and you are never going to get better, I promise you. It will make you frustrated and sad. You are never going to be the writer you want to be.

Don’t be afraid. I know it is scary, and I know you have to be really brave to do it, but you have to give your story the chance to be read. The chance to touch people. Your story doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to the readers, the people that it will touch, and change lives. Let it go. Let it become what it is meant to become.

I wish I had read this when I was younger. Because I was too afraid. I would end it and “wait for the right time”.

It will never have the right time.

Do it now.

If you were waiting for a sign, this is it! Do it! Now!

You also can read here how to publish on Amazon and be successful! I think it can really help you.

That’s it. If it was helpful for you, consider joining us below. You’ll get a free Facebook list with all the Writing groups I’m a part of so you can find other writers and share your work. As always, don’t hesitate to contact me!

Leave me a comment! Did I help you? Did you do it?

If you did, tell me, and I will help you promote your book. Because you deserve it. You were brave enough to let your story fulfill its destiny.
Congratulations.