Is It Time to Let the Manuscript Go? A Self Editing Checklist

How do you know when a manuscript is ready to publish? That’s a question I’ve been asking a lot lately as I edit and tweak and rearrange paragraphs one last time in The Book (now safely in the hands of the copy editor, on track for a mid-June release). Judging my own work is hard—and I judge books for a living.

Time to self-edit

When you’re deciding if it’s time to step back and let go, the first set of questions should be developmental. Does the work hold together as a single piece? Is it miss...