“Is this manuscript in the best possible shape? Do I believe it is ready to sell, or am I just testing the waters? Is it completed?”

The folks over at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency have one of the sharper looking web sites in the industry, and are generous enough to offer would-be authors guidelines for crafting an effective submission. They’re the source for the quote above. Good questions! I’ve been asking myself the same things for months. Yes, of course, I think the manuscript is ready, or I wouldn’t be tracking down you slick-talking agency types. Saleable, even! But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be better…