After sharing your manuscript with friends, family, beta readers, and your writing community, you may be wondering what to do next. Trust me, I’ve asked myself that countless times.
Here are some of your options:

• Congratulate yourself on writing a complete novel and move on. It’s a huge accomplishment, and you more than likely have more stories to write.
• Seek out an agent for traditional publishing.
• Explore hybrid publishing, where you pay a company to publish your work.
• Self-publish. Throw it on Amazon and beg everyone you know to buy it.
• Share your manuscript in segments on your blog, Patreon, WattPad, or Substack.

I am going down the traditionally published path. It’s not easy. I’ve had to do tons of research to identify the right agents to contact, write a well-crafted query letter that includes a captivating hook and comparable titles, and create a synopsis (a brief summary of the story) in case it’s requested. And of course, be ready for rejections.

It certainly takes some patience, and the understanding that getting an agent will happen when it’s supposed to happen. In the meantime, while I wait for that perfect-for-me agent to arrive, I am working on a new novel, reading, joining other writing groups, and learning new things.