If you self-publish your book, you might sell 1 book and you might sell 1,000 books.
If you sign with an agent and sell your book to a traditional publisher, you might sell 1 book and you might sell 1,000 books.
Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, your book is going to be competing with the big dogs.
Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, your book is going to have readers who love it and readers who hate it. Go read the reviews of some of your all-time favorite books to see what I’m talking about.
Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, you need to have conflict, interesting characters…and LUCK to sell your book to readers who aren’t family members.
No matter how many editors you hire, somebody at some point is going to pick your book apart and tell you your writing is amateurish and not to give up your day job. Go read the reviews of some bestselling authors to see what I’m talking about.
Who are you going to let determine whether or not your book is good enough for publication?
One of 50 busy editors in NYC?
Your critique partner?
The judge from a contest?
I like to assume YOU, whoever you are, are smart enough to know if your book has been edited. Have you received feedback from readers, agents, editors? Having a few relatives look over your book isn’t going to cut it.
If you’re still not sure, start submitting to contests, agents, editors and see what they have to say. Is there some interest there? Are you getting feedback?
If you have been at this writing gig for a while now and you’re still not sure if your story is good enough, then it probably isn’t. Put your novel away for a while and read it again in a few months. If your story doesn’t hold your attention, it probably won’t hold anyone else’s either.
Most importantly…keep writing, revise and rewrite, and believe in yourself!
"This morning I took out a comma and this afternoon I put it back in again."
--Oscar Wilde