How to Tell if your Novel is Ready to be Published: 20 Questions to Ask (Part 1)

I’ve been pouring my blood, sweat, tears (and moooore tears) into my work of fiction for years. But I’m not sure if it’s ready for the public eye yet.

I’ve edited my story, rewritten it, burned it and started over, and re-edited it again. I think it’s ready, but how do I know for sure if my novel is ready to be released??

What writer hasn’t been harassed by feelings of self-doubt or plagued by endless what-ifs?

If you’re a writer who has faced these questions and more, then you’re at the right place, bromigo.

What I’ve provided is a list of questions every writer needs to ask themselves before they launch their book. Now, I know it seems like the LAST thing you need is more questions breathing down your neck, causing you to sweat harder. But I promise you, this list of questions is meant to help you deduce, consciously reflect on your work, and move forward in your writing career.

So take a deep breath, and take the plunge:

1. Does your novel’s plot follow the three-act structure?

The three-act structure is a basic formula or outline that every best-selling novel uses. What exactly is the three-act structure you ask?

It divides your story into three parts, each section addressing specific storytelling elements and requirements.

Here’s a visual to represent what this structure is and how it applies to your novel:

Thing is, if your story lacks this vital structure, readers can sense it. And even if they can’t put their finger on it, they’ll feel that your story has weak structuring. (Yikes).

For more details, check out my article discussing the three-act structure in depth

    2. Does your opening chapter begin with a bang?

Now, I don’t mean that your opening scene should be a car chase, a shoot-off showdown, or anything else literal. No, I just mean that your intro should NOT include the following things:

• A long, drawn-out backstory or origin story about any character
• A description of the weather
• A dream sequence

These three no-no intros are 100% guaranteed to lose readers on page one. Why? Because they are uninteresting, unengaging, or they are a flat out lie- plain and simple.

So what should your intro include? Remember that your reader isn’t invested in your story when they start reading it. So your first sentence should intrigue the reader, represent the narrative voice of the story, and set up the scene.

In the words of Stephen King, “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.”  

That being said, your opening chapter should include:

• Your protagonist, or some, if not all of your main characters
• A glimpse of your story’s setting or world
• A solid set up for the story’s main conflict

For more tips check out my article discussing how to write a killer first chapter

    3. Does your world strictly follow the structure you’ve set up for it?

This applies especially if you’re writing a sci-fi, fantasy, or dystopian novel. Why? Because these genres provide the reader with a completely new world, or Earth reimagined.

That means you will have natural and man-made laws unfamiliar to us introduced in your story. So the cultures, the lands, the planets, the weather, the creatures you share with us should follow a structure appropriate to your fictional world.

What do I mean by this? Well, let’s think about Earth’s natural laws for a hot sec:

During the month of December in New England, it tends to snow. A LOT and often. And in July, it’s blistering hot.

North America experiences a change of seasons– four to be exact. Whereas places like Colombia, South America, Egypt, Africa and Antarctica only ever see one season.

Swallows fly south for the winter. Fish swim in schools. Bats use sonar to detect prey. Lions hunt in packs (Actually, lionesses. The boys don’t wanna chance breaking a claw 😉 )

If you drop something, it doesn’t float up into the sky, it falls to the ground- thanks to the law of gravity.

These facts about our planet never change. They are consistent natural laws that represent planet Earth.

So, if on your planet of Epthra it rains donuts and sprouts pizza-trees, then it better always do precisely that (and not just because I’ll be moving there asap).

See, readers don’t much like when a writer breaks a law he’s set in place for his fictional world. It feels like a lie or a cheap getaway move. No one will be quicker to call foul than your reader, so don’t disappoint. Take notes to keep track of your world’s laws if you must. Set up a fascinating world, then stick to it.

For a thorough breakdown on world crafting, natural laws, and how to build your world to satisfaction, check out my article here discussing natural and man-made laws and how they affect your story

   4. Does your novel present continuous conflict?

What’s the difference between having one big problem and a series of obstacles?- well to put it frankly, one is more interesting than the other.

Don’t get me wrong: every great main character out there faces ONE BIG PROBLEM. But that one looming problem isn’t the only challenge they face in the whole story.

Take Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games for example. Katniss faces the oppression and unjust rule of President Snow and all in the Capitol. That form of government has been keeping a vast divide between the rich and the poor, providing ample room for a revolution to spark. And Katniss is the first to create sparks.

But simply surviving the iron fist of President Snow isn’t her one and only problem. In fact, surviving the Hunger Games isn’t her one and only problem either. Katniss faces a series of trials- some outside the Hunger Games- that test her character, her strength, her heart, her mental stability and sooo much more.

“But Rae, that was The Hunger Games. The whole point was to have Katniss go through a series of trials. My story doesn’t throw a life or death game at my character, so ya know, this shouldn’t apply to me.”

That’s fair. But here’s the thing: it actually does apply. How?

Well, I’m not saying you must write a storyline exactly like the one found in the Hunger Games— Nooooo.

What I am saying is that life or death should continuously face your character. A series of new conflicts should test your main character to the limit, proving to us- the reader- that they are in fact a hero.

As James Scott Bell puts it, “A story without tests that threaten your character with psychological, physical, or professional death is a story of weak wills.” And no one wants lukewarm conflict!

So ask yourself again: have you set up one or several roadblocks to keep your M.C from achieving his goal?: the answer should really be both! One big problem looms over your character, but a series of smaller problems should test your character’s ability to face the big trial. Continuous conflict like this keeps readers glued to the pages.

For more tips on creating conflict check out my article here on how to undeniably raise the stakes for your characters

5. Is your story’s message clearly and accurately represented in your novel?

“First of all, what is a message, Rae, and why should my story have one, to begin with?”

Great question, you sweet pineapple you.

A message is found in every classic or best-selling novel whether you know it or not. A message is an age-old adage or life lesson representing a specific worldview the author wants to be expressed to the reader.

All stories are just a series of messages told in different ways.

So for example, the message, “Looks can be deceiving” can be found in stories like Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Edward Scissorhands, or even Little Red Riding Hood.

So how does your choice of message affect your storytelling process?

Well, let’s take the story of Cinderella for example. The story’s message was, “Love conquers all.”

What if instead of Cinderella marrying the prince and leaving her horrible stepmother and stepsisters in the dust, Cinderella remains locked in the cellar and the missing shoe just so happens to fit Cinderella’s nasty stepsister? And what if the prince marries her instead, leaving Cinderella to cry in her pie for the rest of her life?

Well, that would mean the message of the Cinderella story was a complete lie. It would also mean there would be a ton of disappointed readers using this book for kindling instead.

Why? because that was not the promise carefully crafted at the beginning of the novel. But Cinderella does get swept off her feet by the prince, leaving her horrible stepfamily eating the dust of the enchanted carriage. This leaves us satisfied because the message the story promised comes to fruition in the end. We believe in love, miracles, and we are given hope of finding true love in our own lives.

So, don’t build up your audience at the beginning for one sort of story and then end it with an altogether different one!

6. Does your protagonist have a primary and personal objective?

Now this one is vital because a goal is your M.C’s purpose for being in your novel. However, he/she can and should have two kinds of goals:

• An overarching goal that affects more than just himself

• And a personal goal that has the potential to derail the overarching goal.

Let’s take Rey from Star Wars for instance.

Rey wants to join in the rebellion and fight for the rebel cause. That’s a good solid overarching goal which helps more than just herself, naturally inserting her into the Star Wars storyline. However, to have that one overarching goal alone would keep Rey at a one-dimensional level, thus making her a snooze fest of a character.

Rey has a second, personal goal, that actually causes her to be temporarily sidetracked from her main goal- even tempted away from it. Rey wants to find her place in this cause- who her parents are, who she is. And she not only goes to a sketchy “dark side” kinda place to figure that out, but she even dares to trust in a dude who was once considered her enemy for friendship.

Two lost souls look to one another for support and momentarily sidestep their focuses.

See how that goal conflicts Rey on a personal, emotional, mental, and moral level? That personal goal even distracts her from her main goal. That sort of twisted vine keeps us audience members fascinated and engaged. It also makes Rey a relatable character with believable motives, to boot! 😀  

7. Does your protagonist have flaws?

Why should your hero be flawed? Aren’t heroes perfect people who do no wrong and neither fart nor break a sweat??

What makes a hero someone we look up to is a person who fights impossible odds and comes out the other side a better person. They are selfless and awesome and best of all- they are imperfect. They have serious flaws which make them relatable- someone readers can believe in and see themselves in. And that’s the beauty of giving your hero imperfections.

A true hero fights through his ugly traits by facing challenges that test those flaws. And through that process, they become the hero we believe in. Through their battle, they give us hope to face our own.

A protagonist without flaws is just a strip of cardboard. And no one can relate to cardboard.

   8. Are your side characters fulfilling their role?

Every character in the story must be there to support the plot. Their actions, their lives, their decisions all have to motivate the plot, otherwise, they are just talking heads.

That being said, they should be more than cogs in a machine. Side characters have two purposes:

• Motivate the plot
• Create a sense of fellowship

So how do you create a sense of fellowship for your Main Character? You give him friends, frenemies and even romantic interests.

But in order for the reader to appreciate this camaraderie, the reader should get to know the characters, their flaws, goals, struggles, and desires as well.

Their personality should influence the plot for the better or the worse. In that way the reader respects the character’s presence in your story. But by giving your character his own journey and arc and screen time, the reader grows to love him as much as he loves the main character.

Side characters aren’t just story garnish. They are at least the starch or the vegetable, so treat ‘em like one!

9. Does your villain or antagonist have a believable motive?

Can he just be evil for the sake of being evil?

Here’s the thing. Villains who just want to muck things up for the hero are NO BUENO. They are NOT interesting.

First of all, as John Rogers says, “You don’t really understand an antagonist until you understand why he’s a protagonist in his own version of the world.”

Secondly, we as your reader need to understand WHY this villain or antagonist will kill or accomplish some other great evil to achieve his goal.

Let’s take Thanos for example.

Thanos’ original goal in the Comics was driven by a love for Death- portrayed by a woman. He wants to vanquish all life in an effort to impress her. But the directors took it in a different direction. And I applaud it. Why? Because the Thanos we saw in Infinity War was much more complex than some galactic thug looking to land a hot date with Death.

Thanos’ overarching goal remained the same: he wanted to collect the Infinity stones for the Infinity Gauntlet. But why? Did he want to be the most powerful personage in the universe? Sure. Was he more than willing to destroy those who got in his way? Yeah. But there was much more to it than that.

His desire to achieve great evil wasn’t fueled by anger, it wasn’t fueled by hatred. No, his desire was actually fueled by honor — rather what he believed was true honor. Now, how does that work?

Thanos has seen the tragedy of overpopulation first hand, and it’s his quest to wipe out half of all life across existence in an effort of saving the finite resources in the universe. With fewer mouths to feed, more people can eat to satisfaction.

It almost sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? To him, he’s doing the galaxy a service. He practically views himself as philanthropic- a sort of “savior” figure. He’s saving future generations from starvation.

His character is further deepened by sincere love for his daughter- a girl he saved (ahem, *kidnapped*) from one of his own mass annihilations. And he makes a personal sacrifice to achieve his goal, further cementing his belief in his “good cause”.

Do you see how complex and intriguing this conflicting goal makes Thanos’ character? He’s not just trying to wipe out the Avengers and all of mankind while cackling madly. No, he believes in his cause, and in his own twisted way, he sees it as heroism.

10. Do your characters experience arcs?

What in the heck is a character arc?

It’s a change, to put it simply. Some changes aren’t good, and some are for the best. Either way, your character follows a journey that eventually leads him to face his ultimate struggles, doubts, fears, imperfections head on and make a choice.

Will his journey have changed him enough to make him face his obstacle head on and come out the other side a new man? Or will he fail?

Every character, even the villain should face an arc– a defining moment that changes his character or forces him to revert back to the man he was at the outset.

Well, friends! Have these ten questions forced you to take a second look at your novel? What if you thought you were ready to publish but you found some gaps that need your attention? Don’t panic, baby, that’s a good thing!

Take time fixing those gaps and you’ll find your story is that much closer to being released.

Now, this is just part 1 in a series. Next week, the second half of this series will conclude with Questions you should ask: Editing and revising and Beta Readers.

Stay updated with each week’s article by subscribing to the newsletter! Have more questions you would like answered? Leave one in the comments section below, I’d be happy to do my best in answering it!

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