Congratulations on finally finishing your book! What a good feeling it must be. Take a step back from your manuscript. Give yourself permission to celebrate and relish in this accomplishment. It is no small feat. Of the 81 percent of people in the United States who desire to write a book, only 2 percent actually do. You are a two-percenter, friend! Let that settle in, ‘cause when your feet land back on Earth, you’ve got more work to do.
Revising (or self-editing) is the next step in the process after you’ve gotten the first draft of your manuscript written. It can involve several levels, which all begin with you.
Write without fear. Edit without mercy.
REVISING: LEVEL 1—Editing Yourself
After you’ve written everything as you see it should be written, take some time away from the manuscript, several days and maybe a few weeks. Come back to it with fresh eyes. Put yourself in the mind of your ideal reader. Read it aloud. Make the changes necessary to make it as easy to read and follow as possible.
The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.
—Zadie Smith
This step may go several rounds until you feel it’s as good as you can get it. If you are a perfectionist, you may need to move yourself to level 2 before you think you’re ready just to get out of your head and hear from others.
Be hard on your not on yourself.
—Amy Tan
Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you revise (especially if you’re writing nonfiction):
Is my purpose clear overall and in each section?
Is it clear who I am writing to?
Have I developed the right structure?
Is my voice appropriate for the response I desire?
Am I providing the reader with clear takeaways?
Am I utilizing various techniques effectively to bring my points across—narrative/stories; facts, data, or statistics, anecdotes, or my own experiences? I recommend trying out the REST method if you need help strengthening this area.
Adapted from “REST Written Response Writing Strategy anchor chart,” TeachersPayTeachers.com, https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/REST-Written-Response-Writing-Strategy-anchor-chart-2193240 and "REST Writing Strategy," South Dade Senior High School, https://sdshs.net/.
Is my word count about right for the genre I’m writing in? Need a clue on this? Click here.
Have I properly cited my sources?
Have I fairly represented the people or people groups I’ve included in my book?
For fiction and memoir authors, your questions can be similar but you will also consider:
How clear is my overall theme?
Are my characters developed well? Are they believable? Do they have depth?
What is my plot arc?
Is there the right amount of action and suspense/intrigue?
How effectively have I used the elements of story?
Click here are more ideas on what you should be asking yourself as you revise your fiction work.
REVISING: LEVEL 2—Getting Outside Feedback
After you’ve done all you can, you may decide to reach out to an editor for a manuscript critique to learn from a professional what are the strengths and weaknesses of your piece.
Other options for objective feedback include utilizing beta readers, canvassing your writer’s group, or soliciting the help of a sensitivity reader. You can invite them to read passages you’ve found the most difficult to tackle or they can read the whole manuscript.
I’m partial to the manuscript critique from a professional editor, however, any of these options can provide more feedback to guide you through the next round of changes. The key is to get informed feedback—request readings from people who read, write, or work within the genre you are writing and who know how to give constructive feedback.
REVISING: LEVEL 3—Working with an Editor
After making the changes you deem necessary as discussed in the level 2 revision process, you may feel it’s a good time to submit to an editor for editing. If you are seeking traditional publishing, you may find that having your book proposal edited at this time will be good too. If you are writing fiction, you’ll want to have your full manuscript professionally edited upon submission. If you are writing nonfiction, you may find that having your book proposal and sample chapters edited is enough.
You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.
—Arthur Plotnik
There various stages of editing that I have listed and explained here. Developmental and/or substantive or content editing is what’s needed in preparation for pitching to agents and editors. As an independent author, you will want to go through all three phases of the editorial process before you publish your book:
Development or substantive editing
Copyediting
Proofreading, which happens just before the file goes to press
In relationship to our discussions here, at each stage in the editorial process be ready to make even more changes, fewer and fewer though they may be as you get closer to publication.
Many first-time authors don’t realize how involved revising can sometimes be. In her Masterclass, author Amy Tan talks about a conversation she had with a new author who was distraught after getting notes back from an editor—for a second time—asking for further revisions. In response, she says to us viewers, “I revise about one hundred times. For every page you see in my book, you can figure that I have revised it that many times.” I imagine she is talking about doing this before her editor sees it.
Revising your work can feel overwhelming at times but consider your end goal—impacting the lives of readers in some significant way, achieving a lifelong goal, getting your expertise fixed in one place, or answering to a higher purpose God has spoken into your life. Let that goal stand before you as a beacon and a motivator to do all you can to honor it with excellence and responsibility. Your revision process is all that played out in action.
Additional Reading
“Show, Don't Tell: Tips and Examples of The Golden Rule” by Reedsy.com
“What Role Should Dialogue Play in a Personal Narrative?” by Melissa McDonald
“10 Keys to Writing Your Story Well” by Jevon Bolden
“Self-Editing: It's a Thing and Here Are 21 Tips to Help You Do It Well” by Jevon Bolden