What I do after finishing a manuscript

The journey from first draft to the book that reaches your hands

A few months ago, after countless early mornings, litres of coffee and pages struck through, I put the full stop on the first draft of my second novel.

I can't reveal the title yet — I'm keeping it up my sleeve like a good magic trick — but I can say it will see the light in the last quarter of the year, and that it is a work of historical science fiction with thriller overtones… and an alien invasion that leaves nothing standing.

Today I want to make use of this in-between moment, the gap between “I've finished writing” and “it's on sale”, to set out the steps I follow to take a manuscript from its rawest form to a book ready to be devoured by readers.

Because writing is only half the road. The other half is polishing, refining and turning those pages into something fit to compete with the best you can find in a bookshop.

1. The alpha reader: the first leap into the void

When you finish a first draft, the temptation is to run and publish it. Mistake.

At that moment your manuscript is like a marble statue fresh from the chisel: it has a shape, but it still needs precision work. That is where the alpha reader comes in.

An alpha reader is someone you trust who reads your story before anyone else and gives you their first impressions. It isn't about correcting grammar or style, but about spotting the big problems: does the plot hold together? Are the characters credible? Does the pace grip, or does it sag in places?

In my case I always look for someone who reads with passion but won't do me any favours: I need brutal honesty, not empty praise.

The alpha reader is that first mirror that hands you back the reality of your story.

2. The beta reader and the reader's report: the fine scalpel

After applying the corrections the alpha reader suggests, it's time for the next level: the beta reader.

Here we are no longer talking about a friend or an acquaintance, but about a professional in the trade — usually an editor — who writes a reader's report.

That report doesn't stop at “I liked it” or “I didn't like it”. It analyses the structure, the development of the characters, internal consistency, the narrative voice and other elements a writer can miss when they are too deep inside their own world.

It is like a medical diagnosis for your novel: it tells you which organs are healthy and which need surgery.

3. Copy-editing and line editing: the tailored suit

This is where the cosmetic surgery of the text begins. Copy-editing hunts down every typo, every unruly comma and every accent that seems invisible to the author.

Line editing goes a step further: it polishes the prose, removes repetition, adjusts the rhythm of the sentences and makes sure the narrative voice is consistent from beginning to end.

Not just anyone can do this. Not even the author, however much grammar they know.

Why? Because when you have written the text, your brain tends to “autocomplete” what it already knows. You need fresh, trained eyes to guarantee a professional result.

In my case I always commission this work from a publisher or a professional editor I trust. It is the difference between delivering a book that is “fine” and one that shines like a diamond.

4. Production: from manuscript to object of desire

Once the text is right, the most visual and tangible phase begins. This is typesetting, cover and back-cover design, writing the blurb and all the work of presentation.

Typesetting is not just “making the text look nice”: it affects legibility, reading rhythm and the reader's experience.

The cover, for its part, is your book's calling card. It is what makes someone stop, pick it up and read the blurb. And that blurb… well, that is where the first sale is won or lost.

For my next release, I can say the cover will be a blend of history and science fiction, with a visual nod to the alien threat. A balance between mystery and anticipation.

5. Marketing: getting the book where it belongs

Last but not least, there is the marketing strategy.

An immaculate book is no use if nobody knows it exists. Everything comes into play here: from planning on social media and advertising on platforms like Amazon Ads to organising launches, interviews and collaborations with blogs or podcasts.

At this point, promotion isn't only about selling a book. It is about selling an experience, a story the reader wants to live.

My aim with this new novel is that when you read it, you feel you have travelled in time, breathed the tension of a world on the edge of collapse and looked up at the sky with a mixture of fascination and fear.

A craftsman's work

People sometimes ask me whether this whole process isn't too long. My answer is simple: if I want my readers to get the best, I can't skip steps.

Publishing a book is like launching a spacecraft: you can save money on the paintwork, but if you don't tighten every bolt, the mission fails.

My second novel is now on that final straight. The engine is running, the countdown has started, and soon I'll be able to share more details.

Until then, I'll keep working so that when you open the first page you hold in your hands not just a story, but a reading experience that competes with the best in the genre.

I promise you that the day it reaches your hands, it will be because I have been through every one of these steps without shortcuts. And that, believe me, is the best gift I can give my readers.

If you want to be the first to know the release date and to get exclusive content about the process and the story, follow me on social media and subscribe to my mailing list right here.

See you next time!

© 2026. All rights reserved