Time to Share Your Manuscript?

You’ve written thousands of words, maybe tens of thousands. Your story or subject is all there, and you’ve been staring at the screen wondering... is it ready? Is it time to ask someone else to read it?

Sharing your manuscript for the first time is a big step. It can feel vulnerable, exposing, even a little nerve-wracking. But good feedback, at the right moment, can elevate your writing and help you see it with fresh eyes. So how do you know when that moment has come?

Here’s a checklist to help you decide if your manuscript is ready for feedback:

✔ You’ve completed a full draft. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to have a beginning, middle and end. If you're still jumping between chapters or writing new scenes, give yourself a little more time.

✔ You've read through it yourself at least once. It’s tempting to hand it over the minute you finish typing "The End," but your future self (and your reader) will thank you if you take the time to catch any obvious errors, plot holes, or places where you lost track of what you were trying to say.

✔ You can summarise what your book is about. This might sound obvious, but being able to describe your book in a sentence or two shows you have a clear idea of what you’ve written and what you want it to be.

✔ You know what kind of feedback you want. Are you looking for big-picture feedback (plot, pacing, structure)? Line-by-line polish? Or just a general gut reaction from a fresh pair of eyes? Being clear about what you want helps the person reading your work to focus and respond meaningfully.

✔ You’re open to suggestions. This one’s big. If you’re too close to the material or feeling too protective of your words, it might be worth sitting with the draft a little longer. Feedback only helps if you're ready to hear it.

✔ You’re stuck and can’t move forward. Sometimes you just need a thoughtful outside opinion to unstick a chapter, a plot point, or a voice that isn’t quite landing. If you feel like you’ve done all you can, this might be the perfect time to invite feedback.

What If You’re Not Sure?

You don’t have to do this alone. At Turtle Tree Press, we offer manuscript consultations designed to meet you where you are. We’ll review your work with care and clarity, offering honest insights and practical suggestions to help you move forward with confidence. No harsh critique, no confusing jargon - just useful advice from a team that genuinely wants to help your book succeed.

If you’re still wondering whether your manuscript is ready, that’s okay. A consultation can help you figure that out too.

Your story matters. Let’s make it the best version it can be.