Are you having trouble finishing your book?
I’m sharing tips and tricks during my upcoming (free) webinar! My Finish Your Book webinar takes place on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 7 PM Eastern through Orange County Library. You do not have to have a library card to join. Learn more.
All that said, I want to make sure I’m addressing YOUR specific issue during this class. So, what do you feel holds you back the most? What’s the wall you’re coming up against? What has stopped you from hitting THE END?
Let me know what aspects you’re struggling with in the comments, and I’ll be sure to specifically address your concerns.
Make sure to sign up on the Orange County page.
I’ll see you there!
~SAT
P.S. I’m also teaching one of y’all’s favorite classes in October: Tips for Writing Spooky Webinar on October 8, 2026 at 7pm Eastern: Want to write stories that delight with fright? Author Shannon A. Thompson will provide tips for writing stories that strike fear in the hearts of readers. Learn more.
P.P.S. My third quarterly newsletter is going out soon! Read exclusive insights from an agented author who also works at a Big Five. Learn more.
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What blocks me: all the distractions of the modern age (internet, social media, etc.) combined with imposter syndrome and an internal editor that keeps yelling at me, makes it almost impossible for me to write these days. Why write when you can just scroll Twitter?
All good points! Thank you for sharing. I’ll be sure to address them in my class. 🙂
For me, it’s setting up my novel and its plot so that it’s publishing friendly. I was freely writing away its first draft simply fueled by the love of the craft until I learned more about how to submit work to agents, then editors and publishers, what publishers look for, and then choosing an over-arching genre my novel falls under. My novel has a blend of various genre aspects simply by the nature of its complex characters, and I loved writing all about them and incorporating their uniqueness into the story. I was really excited about this novel thinking that it has a crazy good story. Now, I think I’m in pre-publishing shock wondering if my story is even a good story if it’s not fitting into these genre categories neatly. I’m potentially overthinking its entire plot now. I’m trying to figure out how to make my novel fit into a precise genre category, what readers expect from novels in those categories, and ensuring that my novel remains marketable/publishable. How can I not deflate when it comes to this stuff? Is there a process that can be incorporated at the early draft phases that might help things so that a novel has a higher likelihood of not just getting finished but being published?
Wow! These are all such great questions. First, congratulations on finishing your book! That is a milestone many never get to. I also understand how overwhelming the publishing landscape can be. It is constantly changing, too, so it’s hard to keep up and figure out how best to pitch your work. My first piece of advice would be to make sure you’ve had others’ eyes on it. Have you had critique partners? They can often help make sure your book is in tip-top shape. Some writers even hire developmental editors. But you don’t have to if you’re pursuing traditional publishing. If you’re self-publishing, you’ll need an editor. All that said, regarding positioning your book, consider where you feel like it would sit on a shelf. Who is beside you? Those are your comp titles. Think of one ideal reader and consider why they would love this book. I understand wanting to know early-on if a book fits into the market, but if you sat down today and wrote something for today’s market, by the time you’re done, the market’s likely changed. Any books getting published today were signed with the publisher two years ago (and likely an agent a year before that). So you’re looking at trying to predict trends 3 years in advance if trad publishing. (Self-publishing is dependent on how fast you can write.) That said, I do think it’s good to be proactive and consider where your book will generally fit before writing. I admit I’ve spiraled about publishing worries while writing before, too. It’s only natural. The best way I’ve combatted that is talking with fellow writers in the same genre and giving myself time blocks to worry about the business side (that don’t affect my writing time). I hope this helps!