Episode 23: Book Revision: Like Putting Together a Puzzle
Today on the show Jodi breaks down the process of revising your book. Revising is its own part of the writing process and should be done after you’ve written your book draft. A lot of author-entrepreneurs try to revise as they write. Because the two tasks use two different parts of the brain, it’s like multitasking and not doing either task well enough. (Will you make small tweaks here and there while writing? Of course. But the bulk of revision should be done after you’ve written a complete draft..)
Think of the revision stage as you putting together a puzzle. Of course it’s overwhelming to stare at a pile of 500 (or even 24 for the toddler crowd!) puzzle pieces. But when you get organized, it gets easier. First get all of the pieces spread out and face-up. Then search for the four corners, followed by any piece with an edge. Then you have a border to work with and can start working on specific sections within the puzzle.
As you work through the manuscript, ask yourself this: What do I want the reader to take away from each chapter, section, and even sentence? Be sure those takeaways all lead to the main takeaway they should have after finishing your book.
Because you’re so close to your work and have read it dozens of times (and so has your writing coach/developmental editor, if you’re working with one), it’s important to get your work in front of fresh eyes to help you identify weak spots in your narrative. This is where beta feedback enters the process. Revision and working with beta readers will help you identify areas within the text that are not clear, contain unnecessary or confusing words, need an example to strengthen your point, belong somewhere different within the book, and more.
After you have revised your manuscript, you have, essentially, a new draft. It’s entirely up to you as an author-entrepreneur, how many drafts, rounds of beta feedback, and rounds of revision are needed for your book. When you’re ready, though, hit “Send,” submit the manuscript to your editor, put up your feet, and treat yourself.
Listen here or on your favorite podcast player, and let me know what you think!