How Close Is Close Enough (Part II)

popmuze · Oct 31, 2005

For those lucky enough to have gotten their novels published, how much rewriting did you have to do once the manuscript was accepted?

James D. Macdonald · Oct 31, 2005

1) Luck has less to do with it than you'd think.

2) It's varied from Almost None to Whole Bunches. Depends on the book, depends on the editor.

Jamesaritchie · Oct 31, 2005

popmuze said:
For those lucky enough to have gotten their novels published, how much rewriting did you have to do once the manuscript was accepted?

Ever heard the expression "The harder you work, the luckier you get?" Luck in writing usually comes after you're published. Getting published takes talent and skill, not luck.

As for rewrites, I wasn't asked for any changes at all with my first novel. In nine tries, the only thing approaching a rewrite I've been asked to do was to remove a character from one novel. The editor thought the character was extraneous, and in reading the thing again, I agreed. Pulling him out wasn't much work at all, which further proved he wasn't needed.

But I don't think this has anything to do with how close you have to come. You have to come close enough for the editor to see the promise of the novel, and the parts of the novel that are right need to give the editor reason to believe you can make any changes he requests. That's about it.

unthoughtknown · Oct 31, 2005

Jamesaritchie said:
You have to come close enough for the editor to see the promise of the novel

That comment rang bells for me...

maestrowork · Oct 31, 2005

Luck comes in this way: the right book at the right time with the right agent/editor. However, it only means you get to be read faster. Otherwise, it's hard work. No amount of luck is going to compensate for a badly written book. But a little luck could make things happen a bit faster.

popmuze · Nov 1, 2005

Okay, luck was a poor choice of words.

I'm just trying to get an idea of how much editing generally takes place these days from the author's final draft to what gets published.

From my personal experience of three published novels, I'd say the first, which was accepted based on a few chapters and an outline, virtually wrote itself in four months, which few changes. The second, with the same publisher, had a tremendous amount of editing, with lots of letters going back and forth, and came out with some of the problems still unresolved. But it got better reviews than the first. The last seemed a bit easier, but by then I'd decided to go back to non-fiction. I called it my "contractual obligation" novel.

victoriastrauss · Nov 1, 2005

James D. Macdonald said:
1) Luck has less to do with it than you'd think.

2) It's varied from Almost None to Whole Bunches. Depends on the book, depends on the editor.

Yup. Same for me.

I totally rewrote my first novel under the tutelage of an exacting but discerning editor, switching it from third to first person and making a host of other changes. That book really needed it, and I learned a huge amount from the process.

I also had to substantially rewrite my third book, but for different reasons. I sold it on a partial and a synopsis, and between selling it and finishing it, staffing at the publisher changed. I was given the choice of rewriting to current preferences or being released. I chose to rewrite. It's my least favorite of all my books, and the only one that has gotten a number of poor reviews--but it also got a star from Booklist and was a chosen as a NY Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Go figure.

For the rest of my books, the editing has been more on the order of tweaking--and I am always asked to cut. Sigh.

- Victoria

How Close Is Close Enough (Part II)

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Jamesaritchie

unthoughtknown

practical experience, FTW

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess