I just finished a novel. What do I do next? Share with beta readers and critique partners.

You've just finished a novel. Maybe you wrote it as part of November's National Novel Writing Month. Either way, you've got this first draft happily sitting there and you're wondering… what happens next?

First, let it sit. Then sit down and do some serious revision and editing until your book is as good as you can make it on your own. Then it's time to put your baby where it belongs: in the hands of readers! I'm not talking about publishing… that's a discussion for the next post. I'm talking a...