| Is it really ready? |
Every 6.2 seconds someone in the United States decides to write a book. Okay, I made that up. But the point is, a lot of people think writing a book is easy. They think all they have to do is come up with a good idea, write it down, send it out, and decide what to wear at the Academy Awards, because their book was made into a movie too, and only a few months after it won a Pulitzer.
But every book that has earned a spot on a shelf in a store has gone through a vigorous revision process that your book hasn't. Unless you're willing to subject your manuscript to the same harshly critical evaluation, you won't be able to compete.
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| Take a look at your book | Are you dissatisfied with any part of it? Is there a chapter you're not crazy about, or a character who isn't well defined? Does your story get off to a slow start? Does the plot falter in some places? Does the ending feel contrived? Are some scenes boring, even to you?
Not sure? Pay attention to your reaction the next time a friend asks to read your book. Are you excited about showing it, or reluctant?
If you don't feel comfortable letting a friend read your book, why would you consider it ready to submit to an agent or a publisher?
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| Maybe it's not ready | Your novel is like your child. You only want to hear good things about it. You know that if you drop off a hungry, muddy, whining brat with a friend, you're not going to return in a few hours to rave reviews.
Like your child, your book has to be cleaned up and lovingly disciplined to correct the bad habits that can be annoying to others and a source of embarrassment to you.
Ask yourself, Do I feel perfectly confident that my book can't possibly be any better?
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| "The End" is just the beginning | When an artist finishes a painting, it's done. When a ball player hits the winning home run in the bottom of the ninth, the game is over and the Red Sox have lost again. But when you type those magic words "The End," all it means is that you've made it to the end of the first draft. You're only half done! Now it's time to refine your book. That means tightening, trimming, fleshing out scenes, and re-examining every single word. |
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| But I can't do it again! | How do you go over your book again when you're so sick of it you could scream?
You just do it. You have to. Writing a book is really hard. That's why most people don't do it. But you're not "most people." You said you were going to write a book, and you did it. You wrote a book!
And now you're going to write it again.
But this time you're not alone. This time you have a guide to help you through the revision process. |
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| How this book is different | There are hundreds of books on the market about writing. Books I used to buy until I noticed an unnerving trend: most books about writing are written by writers who have only written books about writing! And while they provide decent, easy-to-follow suggestions for getting started, and then tell you what to do when it's time to approach an agent, they don't offer any direction for all those months or years between the first draft and the final draft.
This is not a book about writing. This is a book about writing better. Better than you thought you could. Pushing yourself to rewrite and refine the same chapters over and over until every single sentence performs.K/div>
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| What this book promises | As you master the techniques that help you recognize and fix problems, you will not only produce a better book, you will become a better writer. |