"Put a Fork in It: Knowing When It's Done" by Ashley Holloway
A craft article
You’ve revised, reread, revised again, and then revised again again. For the thirtieth time. Perhaps you also sent it to beta readers or a critique partner for review and then incorporated their edits and feedback too. Or maybe you (confidently) sent your manuscript to an editor, only to have it returned full of red markup (oof!). But, how do you know when your manuscript is actually finished?
While there isn’t a literary meat thermometer that answers this question, it can be helpful to first ask yourself what your goal for the manuscript is. This can help you determine the level of its doneness. Asking yourself whether you are submitting it to a contest, to an open call for submissions with a publisher, or an agent? Or perhaps you are self-publishing, or hiring a freelance editor with the intent to submit down the road? Knowing your purpose, or your why is important and will provide guidance in deciding when done is done.