February 3, 2026 • 21 mins
When will you be truly satisfied with your novel? How will you know when you’ve succeeded?
How will you know when you’re done?
Will it be when you LOVE your book? When you stop cringing as you read it? When you can’t think of a single change left to make?
When beta readers rave about it? When they tell you the romantic scenes made them swoon and the funny scenes made them laugh, the scary scenes gave them nightmares and the sad scenes made them cry?
When a reader tells you your book impacted them profoundly? That it changed the way they think about something that matters?
Or will it be when an agent requests your full manuscript, then returns with an offer of representation? When an editor offers you a book deal? When your book is published and you see it on bookstore shelves?
One of the most difficult editing decisions you’ll face is determining when your book is done. When you have finished, when it’s ready to share with the world, when this project you’ve poured so much of your heart into is complete.
In this episode, I’ll help you uncover the factors that matter most to you.
You’ll learn:
- How most writers I talk to define “success”
- What agents are REALLY looking for
- Why you want and NEED external validation—and when external validation becomes harmful, not helpful
- What you TRULY want for your book
- And more!
Calling your book “done” will always be a challenging decision. After all, art is never finished, only abandoned.
But when you know what you value most, you can chase it with clarity and determination, and celebrate when you reach it.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Interested in working with me? Fill out the form at: alicesudlow.com/contact
- Share how you’ll know you’re done: alicesudlow.com/101
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
How will you know when you'redone?
(00:02):
Will it be when you love yourbook, when you stop cringing as
you read it?
You can't think of a singlechange left to make, or when
Beta readers rave about it, whenthey tell you the romantic
scenes made them swoon and thefunny scenes made them laugh.
The scary scenes gave themnightmares and the sad scenes
made them cry.
(00:23):
when a reader tells you yourbook impacted them profoundly.
That it changed the way theythink about something that
matters or will it be when anagent requests your full
manuscript then returns with anoffer of representation.
When an editor offers you a bookdeal, when your book is
published and you see it onbookstore shelves.
(00:45):
One of the most difficultediting decisions you'll face is
determining when your book isdone, when you have finished,
when it's ready to share withthe world, when this project
that you've poured so much ofyour heart into is finally
complete.
I can't make that decision easy.
But in this episode, I'll helpyou uncover the factors that
(01:06):
matter most to you so you candeclare your story done on your
terms and feel Unshakably proudof what you've created.
(02:03):
Welcome to your next draft.
How will you know that you'vereached your goal, that you've
realized your creative vision?
How will you know when you aredone with your book?
Over the last few years, I'veasked many writers a version of
this question.
I've typically phrased it likethis.
What does success look like forthis book and for your career?
(02:26):
As an author, and I've heard ofa variety of answers.
There are lots of ways thatwriters can measure their
success.
The most common response I'vegotten though is I'll know this
book is successful if it getstraditionally published.
Some writers even go a stepfurther and say they want the
book to be good enough to gettraditionally published.
(02:47):
On the one hand, I love whenwriters tell me that.
what I hear is they arecommitted to telling a great
story really well.
They want their book to be good.
They want to be proud of it.
They want readers to love it.
They want to present it to theworld in a polished,
professional way.
They are serious about theirwriting.
and on the other hand, it makesme feel stressed and a little
(03:11):
afraid for those writers.
I'm afraid because they'repending their measurements of
success on factors they can'tcontrol.
And that's just a recipe fordisappointment, for pouring your
absolute best into a projectthat you're passionate about,
and then still feeling like youfailed.
but at the same time, I get it.
Art is subjective as the adagegoes.
(03:33):
Art is never finished, onlyabandoned.
in fact, the full quote is fromPaul Valerie, and it's
particularly relevant for thoseof us working on novels Here it
is.
In the eyes of those whoanxiously seek perfection.
A work is never truly completed.
A word that for them has nosense, but abandoned and this
(03:55):
abandonment of the book to thefire or to the public, whether
due to weariness or a need todeliver it for publication is a
sort of accident comparable tothe letting go of an idea that
has become so tiring or annoyingthat one has lost all interest
in it.
In other words, a book is done.
When it is published or when theauthor quits working on it.
(04:19):
And since you're not going tomeasure your book's success by
the fact that you gave up on it,the logical marker of success of
doneness is publication.
On its own.
That's not a problem.
Of course, your book is still inprogress before it's published
and after it's published.
There's a finished, finalized,immutable version of it out
there in the world for readersto engage with.
(04:40):
There's a clear line ofdemarcation between in progress
and done when done means thewords are printed on pages and
bound together.
The problem is when traditionalpublishing gets wrapped up in
this, when getting published,stops being about the printing
of the words on the page andstarts being about winning the
approval of gatekeepers.
(05:01):
When writers tell me, I'll knowthis book is successful, when
it's traditionally published,they aren't pinning its success
on the printing of the wordsonto the page, nor are they
pinning it on the impact that itwill have on its readers or even
on how they themselves feelabout what they've created.
Rather they're pinning itssuccess on external validation
(05:23):
from a select group of industryprofessionals.
They want an agent to choosethem, an acquiring editor, to
tell them when their book isgood enough, a traditional
publisher to give them a seal ofapproval in the form of the
publisher's callon on the bookspine.
In other words, they will knowthey're successful when someone
else tells them they're goodenough and honestly.
(05:45):
Even that isn't the root of theproblem.
You are writing stories with theintent of sharing them with
other people.
You want other people to readthem, and you want those people
to have a certain type ofexperience when they do, and you
need someone else to read yourwords and tell you whether
they're landing that way or not.
You cannot know how your wordswill impact other people without
(06:06):
sharing them with other peopleand getting feedback.
So wanting someone else to readyour writing and respond in a
certain way is not the problem,even when that someone else is
an agent, and the way that youwant them to respond is by
offering representation.
So why am I afraid for thosewriters?
Where does the problem lie?
(06:27):
The problem is in the goodenough.
You'll know you're successfulwhen an agent indicates that
your book is good enough.
The assumption here is that whatthe industry gatekeepers define
as good enough aligns with yourintentions for your book.
This is simply not true.
(06:49):
Yes, agents set a very high barfor the manuscripts they choose
to represent.
Yes, publishing is extremelycompetitive and you need to put
your best foot forward in orderto have a solid chance of
landing a publishing deal.
But what gatekeepers are lookingfor.
Does not necessarily align withyour truest, most honest
(07:09):
definition of creative success.
Gatekeepers are looking forbooks they can sell.
That's it.
When we get down to brass tacks,that's the goal.
They are looking for productsthat they can sell, ideally once
that are a low risk investmentfor a high probability of
return.
This does not mean that they arelooking for groundbreaking news
(07:31):
stories.
It does not mean they're lookingfor excellent writing.
It does not mean they're lookingfor controversial perspectives
or hard to swallow messages thatsociety desperately needs.
It means they're watching themarket to see what book buyers
are currently buying, andthey're looking for books that
they believe they can sell tothose buyers.
(07:52):
They are thinking, what is themaximum number of buyers I can
sell this product to?
And sometimes those things alignwith excellence and
groundbreaking stories andcontroversial perspectives and
hard to swallow messages.
But that's not the thing they'relooking for when they're looking
for books to publish.
They're looking for a productthey can sell and that they can
(08:12):
maximize the sales.
I have asked a lot of writershow they define success.
And not one of them has eversaid to me that they will know
they're successful when theymaximize the number of buyers
they can sell their product to.
In fact, when I dig a littledeeper beyond simply getting
published, they say things likethis, I have something I want to
(08:35):
say and I wanna say it in thebest possible way.
I want to get this book in kids'hands so they can change how
they engage with the world.
I want to write this kind ofstory that I would be obsessed
with.
the kind you keep thinking aboutfor a long time after you read
it.
I want this book to resonatewith people.
(08:55):
I'm an expert in a field thatmakes most people's eyes glaze
over, And I want to translate myexpertise into a story that will
make readers care about thistopic as much as I do, I want my
readers to love my characters somuch.
They create fan art of them.
I want to write the book that Ineeded to read when I was
(09:16):
younger.
I want to create something.
I'm proud of the way thatindustry gatekeepers define good
enough.
The way that you define goodenough are not the same.
It's crucial that you know thatbecause it is possible to craft
an outstanding book thatfulfills your creative vision
(09:36):
and still not get traditionallypublished.
And it's possible to get a booktraditionally published and feel
disappointed, unsatisfied, alittle uncomfortable about the
book that you wrote.
After all, you do havestandards.
You don't wanna fling your firstdraft step on Amazon and hope
that readers stumble acrossthem.
You have good taste and you knowthe difference between the books
(09:58):
that you love and the books youdon't.
And you want to write one of thegood ones.
You want your book to be goodenough because you want it to be
good.
You care about your story, andyou want to tell it well.
You want it to impact readers ina certain way, and therefore you
have to get outside feedback inorder to know whether it's
achieving that or not.
(10:19):
But you must understand the waythat industry gatekeepers define
good enough, and the way thatyou define good enough are not
the same.
You want something more thanwhat industry gatekeepers will
ask of you.
They want a sellable product.
You want something greater.
(10:40):
Deeper, more personal, moreprofound, something less
tangible, less superficial, lessdirectly tied to a dollar
amount.
And I want you to know what itis that you truly want.
I want you to know what successtruly looks like for you so you
can chase after it with all ofyour heart and not be lured off
(11:01):
track by the fool's gold ofsomeone else's profit.
And so I started asking writersa different question.
Let me walk you through a littlethought experiment.
In fact, I encourage you toclose your eyes if you're not
driving, and it's safe to do so.
Of course, really visualize thisas I walk you through it.
(11:22):
Picture the manuscript on yourcomputer exactly as it is right
now today.
Got it in your mind.
Great.
Tomorrow your dream agent callsyou and offers representation.
She's got an editor lined upalready at your top choice
publisher.
(11:42):
The editor loves it.
The publisher loves it.
They give you a huge advance anddecide to fast track the book's
release.
They send it straight to theprinter without making one
single change to the entiremanuscript.
The words you've written as ofright now, go from your computer
straight to the printed page.
First week, a hundred thousandreaders read your book and they
(12:05):
love it.
You take a trip up to New YorkCity and when you're walking
through Times Square, you seeyour own face and your book
cover lit up on a billboard.
The exact manuscript on yourcomputer right now today is
tomorrow's smash Hit of theyear, and everyone is talking
about it.
(12:25):
How do you feel?
My guess is.
You don't feel pure bliss.
You might feel uncomfortable,confused, a little embarrassed.
You might feel disappointed likeyou missed your shot because you
want to, to send that story intothe world as a masterpiece, but
(12:47):
instead, it's out there inwhatever state it's in right
now.
My favorite response so far hasbeen when a writer told me he'd
feel serious doubts about thetaste and judgment of all those
people who loved the book, dothey really have so little
discernment to recognize when abook just isn't ready, how do
you feel?
(13:07):
Notice whatever feelings come upand then explore them.
Why do you feel that way?
What makes you feel embarrassed?
What makes you feeluncomfortable?
What makes you feeldisappointed?
What is the gap between whatyour manuscript is right now and
what you want it to become?
Can you name the shape of thatgap?
(13:29):
What's missing?
What needs to be true for thatgap to close?
Now, one more thought.
Experiment, Close your eyesagain if you're not operating
heavy machinery.
This time, imagine yourmanuscript finished truly
complete.
You are incandescent,inexpressibly, proud of what
(13:49):
you've created.
You have realized your creativevision on the page.
You love it so, so, so much.
You've taken the movie thatplays in your imagination and
you've brought it to life inwords.
You are perfectly satisfied withevery aspect of it, and you
wouldn't change a singlekeystroke.
You've dreamed of getting thisbook traditionally published for
(14:12):
a long time, but now that it'sfinished, the years that it'll
take to get it on bookstoreshelves seem far too long to
wait.
You want this in reader's handsnow, and so you save it as a
PDF.
You drive to your neighborhoodstaples and you print a hundred
copies and binds them withbinder clips.
You go out on street corners andyou hand your manuscript out to
(14:33):
anyone and everyone you see.
You feel like if yo-yo Ma spendsan afternoon busting in the town
square, the people who pass, youare lucky to get to encounter
your art today and you are soexcited to share it with them.
What would need to be true aboutyour manuscript for you to feel
this confident in it?
(14:55):
My guess is your gut is tellingyou the plot holes would need to
be filled and the climax wouldneed to be chef's kiss
satisfying.
The scenes would need to beunputdownable and make your
readers feel big.
Feels the line by line writingwould need to be powerful,
evocative, voicey.
(15:16):
The characters would need to beso lifelike.
We imagine they're real.
The meaning, the underlyingpurpose that drives you to tell
this story would need to shinethrough.
Not as blunt didactic preaching,but as a subtle, nuanced
invitation that will resonate inreader's minds and hearts long
after they close the book.
(15:37):
What is your gut telling youwhat would need to be true about
your manuscript, for you to feelso proud of it that you hand out
the PDF on street corners?
You can open your eyes now.
I'm curious.
What you uncovered in thosevisualizations.
In one scenario, you had all theattention and validation of
(15:59):
traditional publishing, but youwere probably cringing in the
other.
You were so proud and excitedabout your story that you
self-published it as a PDF onthe street.
What did you discover about whatyou want for your story?
What do you truly value?
What will make this book trulysatisfying to you?
(16:23):
There is no wrong answer Hereyou alone get to decide what you
want your story to be.
You alone, Get to define whatsuccess means to you.
You alone get to decide when youwant to share your story with
the world.
What matters to me is that youknow what your answer is because
(16:43):
I don't want you to go chasesomeone else's definition of
good enough and then find thatthe billboard in Times Square is
unsatisfying because theirdefinition of good enough
doesn't match yours.
My friend Kim Kessler calls yourgood enough.
You are minimum viable, proud.
It's the thing, your book mustbe the thing it must do, the
(17:04):
qualities it must have in orderfor you to be satisfied with it.
what will truly make you proudto share your story with the
world.
I want you to know that whateveranswer came into your mind as
you think about that question,that is a worthy goal.
Your answer is a worthy goal,and I want you to chase that
(17:28):
above all.
beyond anyone else's approval oraccolades.
Can I be honest?
This podcast episode was reallyhard to write.
Some episodes just flow.
This one was like pulling teeth,even though these are all
thoughts that I have beenmulling on and developing deep
conviction about for years.
(17:49):
So about a quarter of the waythrough, I started taking
screenshots of my script andsending them to my colleagues,
Kim and Brannan.
I asked them, If you have spaceto read, could someone come
behind me and check that this ismaking sense?
I'm about to write about how theissue is when you start tying
done up in gatekeepervalidation, and I'm finding this
whole episode very difficult towrite.
(18:10):
So I've decided to go lookingfor external validation in, And
they didn't reprimand me or callme a hypocrite.
Instead, they helped me teaseout the ideas that I really
wanted to convey in this episodeand confirmed where those ideas
were coming through.
The thing is, it's totallynormal to want reassurance, And
(18:31):
it's an immutable fact of thecreative process that you need
outside feedback in order toknow whether your intentions are
landing.
You can't know how readers willrespond to your writing unless
you share it with them.
Validation that your intentionsare coming through is crucial.
You're not going to stop wantingvalidation because you want your
(18:52):
work to matter, But you have togo to the right sources to get
it, sources that share yourcreative vision and can help you
determine whether you'veachieved it.
Those sources aren't agents.
Agents are only validatingwhether they believe they can
sell your book to editors andthen to readers, not validating
(19:13):
whether or not you have realizedyour creative vision.
Rather, you need coaching tohelp you determine what your
vision is and own it withconfidence, and you need editing
to make sure that vision reachesthe page.
If you are feeling the way thatI was when I was sending Kim and
Brandon screenshots, if you'refeeling like you've written a
(19:34):
lot of words, but you're notsure if your vision is coming
through, if you're feeling likeyou've spent an age and a half
on your novel and you both wantit to be done, and you have a
gut feeling that it's not readyyet.
If your minimum viable, proud iseating at you and won't let you
settle for an agent's goodenough.
(19:54):
if you really, really, reallywant a creative partner to join
you in your story and show youwhat it needs to make it truly
excellent, Then reach out andlet's talk.
Go to Alice sudler.com/contactand fill out the form to tell me
about your story.
That's alice sudler.com/contact,and of course, that link is in
(20:17):
the show notes as well.
Also, I would really love tohear what came up for you in
those couple of visualizationexercises.
How did you feel about themanuscript on your computer
today being published exactly asis?
and what came up for you whenyou imagined a manuscript you're
so proud of that you go pedal iton street corners?
(20:38):
I would love to hear What youranswers are, so head to alice
sudler.com/ 1 0 1 and let meknow in the comments what came
up.
I'm very curious.
I'd love to hear, I believe inthe story that you're telling.
I believe in your capacity totell it.
I believe that it is so muchmore important than simply a
(20:59):
product that someone can sell.
I believe that you are worthy ofyour minimum, viable, proud, and
it is worth the effort that ittakes to achieve.
I hope you believe that too.
Until next time, happy editing
How will you know when you'redone?
(00:02):
Will it be when you love yourbook, when you stop cringing as
you read it?
You can't think of a singlechange left to make, or when
Beta readers rave about it, whenthey tell you the romantic
scenes made them swoon and thefunny scenes made them laugh.
The scary scenes gave themnightmares and the sad scenes
made them cry.
(00:23):
when a reader tells you yourbook impacted them profoundly.
That it changed the way theythink about something that
matters or will it be when anagent requests your full
manuscript then returns with anoffer of representation.
When an editor offers you a bookdeal, when your book is
published and you see it onbookstore shelves.
(00:45):
One of the most difficultediting decisions you'll face is
determining when your book isdone, when you have finished,
when it's ready to share withthe world, when this project
that you've poured so much ofyour heart into is finally
complete.
I can't make that decision easy.
But in this episode, I'll helpyou uncover the factors that
(01:06):
matter most to you so you candeclare your story done on your
terms and feel Unshakably proudof what you've created.
(02:03):
Welcome to your next draft.
How will you know that you'vereached your goal, that you've
realized your creative vision?
How will you know when you aredone with your book?
Over the last few years, I'veasked many writers a version of
this question.
I've typically phrased it likethis.
What does success look like forthis book and for your career?
(02:26):
As an author, and I've heard ofa variety of answers.
There are lots of ways thatwriters can measure their
success.
The most common response I'vegotten though is I'll know this
book is successful if it getstraditionally published.
Some writers even go a stepfurther and say they want the
book to be good enough to gettraditionally published.
(02:47):
On the one hand, I love whenwriters tell me that.
what I hear is they arecommitted to telling a great
story really well.
They want their book to be good.
They want to be proud of it.
They want readers to love it.
They want to present it to theworld in a polished,
professional way.
They are serious about theirwriting.
and on the other hand, it makesme feel stressed and a little
(03:11):
afraid for those writers.
I'm afraid because they'repending their measurements of
success on factors they can'tcontrol.
And that's just a recipe fordisappointment, for pouring your
absolute best into a projectthat you're passionate about,
and then still feeling like youfailed.
but at the same time, I get it.
Art is subjective as the adagegoes.
(03:33):
Art is never finished, onlyabandoned.
in fact, the full quote is fromPaul Valerie, and it's
particularly relevant for thoseof us working on novels Here it
is.
In the eyes of those whoanxiously seek perfection.
A work is never truly completed.
A word that for them has nosense, but abandoned and this
(03:55):
abandonment of the book to thefire or to the public, whether
due to weariness or a need todeliver it for publication is a
sort of accident comparable tothe letting go of an idea that
has become so tiring or annoyingthat one has lost all interest
in it.
In other words, a book is done.
When it is published or when theauthor quits working on it.
(04:19):
And since you're not going tomeasure your book's success by
the fact that you gave up on it,the logical marker of success of
doneness is publication.
On its own.
That's not a problem.
Of course, your book is still inprogress before it's published
and after it's published.
There's a finished, finalized,immutable version of it out
there in the world for readersto engage with.
(04:40):
There's a clear line ofdemarcation between in progress
and done when done means thewords are printed on pages and
bound together.
The problem is when traditionalpublishing gets wrapped up in
this, when getting published,stops being about the printing
of the words on the page andstarts being about winning the
approval of gatekeepers.
(05:01):
When writers tell me, I'll knowthis book is successful, when
it's traditionally published,they aren't pinning its success
on the printing of the wordsonto the page, nor are they
pinning it on the impact that itwill have on its readers or even
on how they themselves feelabout what they've created.
Rather they're pinning itssuccess on external validation
(05:23):
from a select group of industryprofessionals.
They want an agent to choosethem, an acquiring editor, to
tell them when their book isgood enough, a traditional
publisher to give them a seal ofapproval in the form of the
publisher's callon on the bookspine.
In other words, they will knowthey're successful when someone
else tells them they're goodenough and honestly.
(05:45):
Even that isn't the root of theproblem.
You are writing stories with theintent of sharing them with
other people.
You want other people to readthem, and you want those people
to have a certain type ofexperience when they do, and you
need someone else to read yourwords and tell you whether
they're landing that way or not.
You cannot know how your wordswill impact other people without
(06:06):
sharing them with other peopleand getting feedback.
So wanting someone else to readyour writing and respond in a
certain way is not the problem,even when that someone else is
an agent, and the way that youwant them to respond is by
offering representation.
So why am I afraid for thosewriters?
Where does the problem lie?
(06:27):
The problem is in the goodenough.
You'll know you're successfulwhen an agent indicates that
your book is good enough.
The assumption here is that whatthe industry gatekeepers define
as good enough aligns with yourintentions for your book.
This is simply not true.
(06:49):
Yes, agents set a very high barfor the manuscripts they choose
to represent.
Yes, publishing is extremelycompetitive and you need to put
your best foot forward in orderto have a solid chance of
landing a publishing deal.
But what gatekeepers are lookingfor.
Does not necessarily align withyour truest, most honest
(07:09):
definition of creative success.
Gatekeepers are looking forbooks they can sell.
That's it.
When we get down to brass tacks,that's the goal.
They are looking for productsthat they can sell, ideally once
that are a low risk investmentfor a high probability of
return.
This does not mean that they arelooking for groundbreaking news
(07:31):
stories.
It does not mean they're lookingfor excellent writing.
It does not mean they're lookingfor controversial perspectives
or hard to swallow messages thatsociety desperately needs.
It means they're watching themarket to see what book buyers
are currently buying, andthey're looking for books that
they believe they can sell tothose buyers.
(07:52):
They are thinking, what is themaximum number of buyers I can
sell this product to?
And sometimes those things alignwith excellence and
groundbreaking stories andcontroversial perspectives and
hard to swallow messages.
But that's not the thing they'relooking for when they're looking
for books to publish.
They're looking for a productthey can sell and that they can
(08:12):
maximize the sales.
I have asked a lot of writershow they define success.
And not one of them has eversaid to me that they will know
they're successful when theymaximize the number of buyers
they can sell their product to.
In fact, when I dig a littledeeper beyond simply getting
published, they say things likethis, I have something I want to
(08:35):
say and I wanna say it in thebest possible way.
I want to get this book in kids'hands so they can change how
they engage with the world.
I want to write this kind ofstory that I would be obsessed
with.
the kind you keep thinking aboutfor a long time after you read
it.
I want this book to resonatewith people.
(08:55):
I'm an expert in a field thatmakes most people's eyes glaze
over, And I want to translate myexpertise into a story that will
make readers care about thistopic as much as I do, I want my
readers to love my characters somuch.
They create fan art of them.
I want to write the book that Ineeded to read when I was
(09:16):
younger.
I want to create something.
I'm proud of the way thatindustry gatekeepers define good
enough.
The way that you define goodenough are not the same.
It's crucial that you know thatbecause it is possible to craft
an outstanding book thatfulfills your creative vision
(09:36):
and still not get traditionallypublished.
And it's possible to get a booktraditionally published and feel
disappointed, unsatisfied, alittle uncomfortable about the
book that you wrote.
After all, you do havestandards.
You don't wanna fling your firstdraft step on Amazon and hope
that readers stumble acrossthem.
You have good taste and you knowthe difference between the books
(09:58):
that you love and the books youdon't.
And you want to write one of thegood ones.
You want your book to be goodenough because you want it to be
good.
You care about your story, andyou want to tell it well.
You want it to impact readers ina certain way, and therefore you
have to get outside feedback inorder to know whether it's
achieving that or not.
(10:19):
But you must understand the waythat industry gatekeepers define
good enough, and the way thatyou define good enough are not
the same.
You want something more thanwhat industry gatekeepers will
ask of you.
They want a sellable product.
You want something greater.
(10:40):
Deeper, more personal, moreprofound, something less
tangible, less superficial, lessdirectly tied to a dollar
amount.
And I want you to know what itis that you truly want.
I want you to know what successtruly looks like for you so you
can chase after it with all ofyour heart and not be lured off
(11:01):
track by the fool's gold ofsomeone else's profit.
And so I started asking writersa different question.
Let me walk you through a littlethought experiment.
In fact, I encourage you toclose your eyes if you're not
driving, and it's safe to do so.
Of course, really visualize thisas I walk you through it.
(11:22):
Picture the manuscript on yourcomputer exactly as it is right
now today.
Got it in your mind.
Great.
Tomorrow your dream agent callsyou and offers representation.
She's got an editor lined upalready at your top choice
publisher.
(11:42):
The editor loves it.
The publisher loves it.
They give you a huge advance anddecide to fast track the book's
release.
They send it straight to theprinter without making one
single change to the entiremanuscript.
The words you've written as ofright now, go from your computer
straight to the printed page.
First week, a hundred thousandreaders read your book and they
(12:05):
love it.
You take a trip up to New YorkCity and when you're walking
through Times Square, you seeyour own face and your book
cover lit up on a billboard.
The exact manuscript on yourcomputer right now today is
tomorrow's smash Hit of theyear, and everyone is talking
about it.
(12:25):
How do you feel?
My guess is.
You don't feel pure bliss.
You might feel uncomfortable,confused, a little embarrassed.
You might feel disappointed likeyou missed your shot because you
want to, to send that story intothe world as a masterpiece, but
(12:47):
instead, it's out there inwhatever state it's in right
now.
My favorite response so far hasbeen when a writer told me he'd
feel serious doubts about thetaste and judgment of all those
people who loved the book, dothey really have so little
discernment to recognize when abook just isn't ready, how do
you feel?
(13:07):
Notice whatever feelings come upand then explore them.
Why do you feel that way?
What makes you feel embarrassed?
What makes you feeluncomfortable?
What makes you feeldisappointed?
What is the gap between whatyour manuscript is right now and
what you want it to become?
Can you name the shape of thatgap?
(13:29):
What's missing?
What needs to be true for thatgap to close?
Now, one more thought.
Experiment, Close your eyesagain if you're not operating
heavy machinery.
This time, imagine yourmanuscript finished truly
complete.
You are incandescent,inexpressibly, proud of what
(13:49):
you've created.
You have realized your creativevision on the page.
You love it so, so, so much.
You've taken the movie thatplays in your imagination and
you've brought it to life inwords.
You are perfectly satisfied withevery aspect of it, and you
wouldn't change a singlekeystroke.
You've dreamed of getting thisbook traditionally published for
(14:12):
a long time, but now that it'sfinished, the years that it'll
take to get it on bookstoreshelves seem far too long to
wait.
You want this in reader's handsnow, and so you save it as a
PDF.
You drive to your neighborhoodstaples and you print a hundred
copies and binds them withbinder clips.
You go out on street corners andyou hand your manuscript out to
(14:33):
anyone and everyone you see.
You feel like if yo-yo Ma spendsan afternoon busting in the town
square, the people who pass, youare lucky to get to encounter
your art today and you are soexcited to share it with them.
What would need to be true aboutyour manuscript for you to feel
this confident in it?
(14:55):
My guess is your gut is tellingyou the plot holes would need to
be filled and the climax wouldneed to be chef's kiss
satisfying.
The scenes would need to beunputdownable and make your
readers feel big.
Feels the line by line writingwould need to be powerful,
evocative, voicey.
(15:16):
The characters would need to beso lifelike.
We imagine they're real.
The meaning, the underlyingpurpose that drives you to tell
this story would need to shinethrough.
Not as blunt didactic preaching,but as a subtle, nuanced
invitation that will resonate inreader's minds and hearts long
after they close the book.
(15:37):
What is your gut telling youwhat would need to be true about
your manuscript, for you to feelso proud of it that you hand out
the PDF on street corners?
You can open your eyes now.
I'm curious.
What you uncovered in thosevisualizations.
In one scenario, you had all theattention and validation of
(15:59):
traditional publishing, but youwere probably cringing in the
other.
You were so proud and excitedabout your story that you
self-published it as a PDF onthe street.
What did you discover about whatyou want for your story?
What do you truly value?
What will make this book trulysatisfying to you?
(16:23):
There is no wrong answer Hereyou alone get to decide what you
want your story to be.
You alone, Get to define whatsuccess means to you.
You alone get to decide when youwant to share your story with
the world.
What matters to me is that youknow what your answer is because
(16:43):
I don't want you to go chasesomeone else's definition of
good enough and then find thatthe billboard in Times Square is
unsatisfying because theirdefinition of good enough
doesn't match yours.
My friend Kim Kessler calls yourgood enough.
You are minimum viable, proud.
It's the thing, your book mustbe the thing it must do, the
(17:04):
qualities it must have in orderfor you to be satisfied with it.
what will truly make you proudto share your story with the
world.
I want you to know that whateveranswer came into your mind as
you think about that question,that is a worthy goal.
Your answer is a worthy goal,and I want you to chase that
(17:28):
above all.
beyond anyone else's approval oraccolades.
Can I be honest?
This podcast episode was reallyhard to write.
Some episodes just flow.
This one was like pulling teeth,even though these are all
thoughts that I have beenmulling on and developing deep
conviction about for years.
(17:49):
So about a quarter of the waythrough, I started taking
screenshots of my script andsending them to my colleagues,
Kim and Brannan.
I asked them, If you have spaceto read, could someone come
behind me and check that this ismaking sense?
I'm about to write about how theissue is when you start tying
done up in gatekeepervalidation, and I'm finding this
whole episode very difficult towrite.
(18:10):
So I've decided to go lookingfor external validation in, And
they didn't reprimand me or callme a hypocrite.
Instead, they helped me teaseout the ideas that I really
wanted to convey in this episodeand confirmed where those ideas
were coming through.
The thing is, it's totallynormal to want reassurance, And
(18:31):
it's an immutable fact of thecreative process that you need
outside feedback in order toknow whether your intentions are
landing.
You can't know how readers willrespond to your writing unless
you share it with them.
Validation that your intentionsare coming through is crucial.
You're not going to stop wantingvalidation because you want your
(18:52):
work to matter, But you have togo to the right sources to get
it, sources that share yourcreative vision and can help you
determine whether you'veachieved it.
Those sources aren't agents.
Agents are only validatingwhether they believe they can
sell your book to editors andthen to readers, not validating
(19:13):
whether or not you have realizedyour creative vision.
Rather, you need coaching tohelp you determine what your
vision is and own it withconfidence, and you need editing
to make sure that vision reachesthe page.
If you are feeling the way thatI was when I was sending Kim and
Brandon screenshots, if you'refeeling like you've written a
(19:34):
lot of words, but you're notsure if your vision is coming
through, if you're feeling likeyou've spent an age and a half
on your novel and you both wantit to be done, and you have a
gut feeling that it's not readyyet.
If your minimum viable, proud iseating at you and won't let you
settle for an agent's goodenough.
(19:54):
if you really, really, reallywant a creative partner to join
you in your story and show youwhat it needs to make it truly
excellent, Then reach out andlet's talk.
Go to Alice sudler.com/contactand fill out the form to tell me
about your story.
That's alice sudler.com/contact,and of course, that link is in
(20:17):
the show notes as well.
Also, I would really love tohear what came up for you in
those couple of visualizationexercises.
How did you feel about themanuscript on your computer
today being published exactly asis?
and what came up for you whenyou imagined a manuscript you're
so proud of that you go pedal iton street corners?
(20:38):
I would love to hear What youranswers are, so head to alice
sudler.com/ 1 0 1 and let meknow in the comments what came
up.
I'm very curious.
I'd love to hear, I believe inthe story that you're telling.
I believe in your capacity totell it.
I believe that it is so muchmore important than simply a
(20:59):
product that someone can sell.
I believe that you are worthy ofyour minimum, viable, proud, and
it is worth the effort that ittakes to achieve.
I hope you believe that too.
Until next time, happy editing
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