Getting a book completed and ready for market is a daunting task. Most authors spend hundreds of hours polishing and pulling together their work and are remotely exhausted when they finish. Once the book is "done", many indie authors make the fatal error of publishing too soon. I've been reviewing books for years and proofing copy for writers, and the one thing that I can promise you is that your manuscript is NOT ready when you think it is. I have a rule when I complete a novel. I set it aside for one week and then read it again...for at least the fifteenth time. After that final read, I send it to five trusted people as Beta readers. These need to be people you trust and who will give you an honest opinion, not just tell you that the work is "great". 

If you don't have anyone like this (and they need to have some knowledge of scene and sequel and grammar, etc) then you need to contact some reviewers to ask for help. One of the greatest places to find honest feedback like this is on Goodreads or Facebook. Join a group and ask for help--you'd be surprised how many people don't mind reading a book for free in exchange for their review.

Once you collect your feedback, take an honest look at your work yet again. Most books that I review from unknown authors have not one or two but hundreds of errors that stick out like a sore thumb. It is very distracting to me as a reader when the writing has these problems. Many people will simply not finish your book; and that doesn't help you at all. You need people reading your work and talking about it, so make sure what you create is worthy of their time. Think about how busy you are and if you'd want to waste your valuable moments on something sloppy. 

Here are a few tips to help you become more successful:

1.) Take a writing course. You'd be surprised how much you can learn from classes like these. This will be a very productive use of your time.

2.) Take an English class or brush up on basic rules. A great way to do this is get a copy of an ACT prep booklet for English. These review very valuable rules that you will need to fully understand in order to keep your writng clean and free from errors.

3.) Keep writing. If you want to get better at something, it takes practice. Every time you write, you will get better, if you work at your craft. One of the worst things new writers do is write one novel and then expect it to sell. Write for the sake of writing and do it to get better...not necessarily to sell.

4.) Build a platform. If you are famous and write a book, it usually sells. That's because you already have a platform. When no one knows you, why should they buy your book? Find ways to creatively build your name and brand. One writer I knew took a character from one of her books and began a Twitter handle with her. The character grew in followers and eventually helped sell her books. 

5.) Contact local radio stations and TV studios with ideas that are relevant to your story. I landed a TV spot to discuss organ donation in relation to my first successful and award winning novel. The sales for that month increased exponentially from that one spot and the clip on my website and Facebook page still generate sales to this day.

6.) Make sure what you produce is as mistake free as possible. You will need at least five to six full hard edits before you really get to work. It is not something you should rely on to do yourself. Paying for professional editing may be well worth your money. A reader will make a decision within a few lines whether or not your book is worth their time.