/lit/ - Literature

So I wrote a novel.
I wanted to write this novel for years and years and had the outline for the major plot events for ages. After writing a lot of unrelated short stories I finally got the courage to write it.

Wrote it on weekends and stuff aimed for a chapter a week but ofc many weeks I was busy/lazy.

I only got one friend to read it fully. He gave a vague review and mostly just critiqued stuff like maybe moving some chapters around. Other friends started it, some said they liked it, but they didn't finish it. I think its because it lacks some of the conventional story structures so its not as "page turning", also who the fuck reads now adays. If it was an audiobook I bet they would have finished it though maybe.

Anyway, I just want someone to read it who's experienced and can tell me if I should bother to deep dive and edit it enough for publication attempts. I'm a programmer and I work in gamedev and I could easily make games in my spare time instead of continue this novel.

So wondering if this novel has potential or I should quit and work on games which are way easier to get people to try and also publish.

I looked into "publishing agents" a bit but all the sites are like "Oh to be taken seriously you should make a website and start a following and edit the fuck out of your novel and blah blah" but I literally just want to know if it even is worth spending tons of hours editing. I would rather just pay someone credible like $50 to read it and give real feedback.