The Reluctant Author’s Guide to Revisions

So, you’ve finished the first draft you were writing. Congratulations! It takes a lot of effort and discipline to get this far. Take time to acknowledge the work you put in, celebrate its completion, and take a break in order to give yourself some distance from the work.

Maybe you’ve done this. Maybe that break has taken a little too long now, and you’re reluctant to get back to work on your project. Maybe you’re scared to begin editing it, or you aren’t sure how to start.

That was me not long ago after I’d finished the first draft of a manuscript. Even though I edit and write as my job, I got stuck this time around and wasn’t quite sure what to do next. It took time to get moving, but this is what I did, and these are some of the things that worked for me. Maybe they’ll work for you, too.

1. Get feedback: If this is your first book, or if it’s a different type of project from the ones you’ve written before (like this manuscript was for me), feedback from an objective outside source can be especially helpful to give you a sense of your book’s pros and cons. I recommend reaching out to people with expertise in the area you’ve written about and asking them to review your manuscript. Both written and oral feedback can be helpful, as is getting multiple opinions—one person will catch issues that another person misses. It can also be useful to find a reader or readers who aren’t as familiar with your subject. These people can point out areas that are confusing, where your writing will benefit from further clarification.
2. Get focused: What’s your book about? Do you know your project’s topic and key messages, or have these changed while you were writing? Feedback can help you see what others perceive your book’s focus to be. Another way to get a sense of this is to reread your book and write a summary or blurb about it, highlighting the main points of what you read. If the book you’ve finished is different from the book you set out to start, your revisions will need to either build on the new focus or build a bridge back to the old one. If you’re writing on contract, your book might need some revisions to make sure that it still follows the focus you were asked to write about. Either way, there are ways to make a change of focus into an advantage.
3. Take out unnecessary things: As you were reviewing your book’s focus, you or others may have found that parts of it distract from the main idea. If something seems off-topic and doesn’t add to the point you’re making, it may not belong there. Make sure you save your draft, and once you’ve done that, don’t be afraid to cut the unnecessary bits. These might be chapters, topics, or sentences.
4. Boredom-proof your book: Are your readers bored at any point? When you reread your manuscript, are there places where you’re bored? Your intended audience is interested in your topic, but that doesn’t mean that you will automatically have their attention. A book still needs to be engaging and relevant. A boring section might be overly dry; if that’s the case, liven up the language and try adding examples. It might mean that an explanation is too long—if so, condense it. It might be confusing—if so, work on clarity. Ask yourself why this section reads as boring—and rewrite it until you’re interested in reading it again.
5. Add more when needed: Just as rereading and getting feedback can show you where you need to cut things, it can also show you places where you need to expand. Identify these places and then identify what they’re missing. Do they need more explanation or more examples? Do some of your ideas need to be connected more closely? Do you need to do more research? Once you know what you’re missing, work on adding it in.
6. Check spelling, grammar, and flow: Once you’re happy with the changes you’ve made to the content, take a look at the technical aspects of your manuscript. Use a spelling and grammar checker, along with your own eyes, to ferret out typos. Work on smoothing out your sentences. If you have an editor, they will help a lot with this too, but they’ll also be thankful if you take the time to reread your manuscript and edit out the errors and clunky bits you spot!
7. Vary your writing routine: Sometimes a boring routine is a factor that gets in the way of writing. If that’s the case for you—if you’re dreading sitting at that same old desk where you wrote your first draft, for example—try something new. Put on music that creates an enjoyable space for writing, whether it’s energizing or calming. Write in a different place, whether that’s a café, a quiet retreat, or a room full of other writers working simultaneously. Write at a different time from the usual. Try printing out your pages, rereading them, and editing them longhand. Sometimes changing the way you write is all you need to get into that editing headspace to make your writing the best it can be!
   

Revising your book can be an anxiety-inducing prospect, but it doesn’t have to be. The tips above will help you complete a book that brings your ideas clearly into the world and puts your best foot forward.