How many revisions and proof readings are enough? I have proofed my manuscript 4X and it seems I always find something to correct––mostly punctuation and grammar. Just when I think I'm done. I'll find something that needs to be changed. I guess my question is, "When do you turn it over to a copy editor or proof reader?" I'm sure something can always be found to fix. Is it in the eye of the beholder?
How many revisions are needed?
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Okay, you will always ALWAYS find something to 'fix'
When in the words of Oscar Wilde(?), you're taking out a comma in the morning and putting t back in the afternoon...
However - have you had other people (hopefully other writers) read it over? Point out possible issues? A fresh pair of eyes can work wonders, seeing things you can't possibly on your own.
As to how many revisions etc - how long is a piece of string? As many as it takes to get it right, not so many you edit it to death. Again, this is where fresh eyes will help you.
When in the words of Oscar Wilde(?), you're taking out a comma in the morning and putting t back in the afternoon...
However - have you had other people (hopefully other writers) read it over? Point out possible issues? A fresh pair of eyes can work wonders, seeing things you can't possibly on your own.
As to how many revisions etc - how long is a piece of string? As many as it takes to get it right, not so many you edit it to death. Again, this is where fresh eyes will help you.
If, after four revisions, grammatical errors account for most of your corrections, revise more carefully (read it aloud, too) and/or figure out how to improve your eye for such errors. If you're referring not to unequivocal technical mistakes but rather to syntax and diction that could be better here and there, yada yada, that's a different story.
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Basic writing questions
Good answer. I have indeed removed a comma...and then replaced it. There are more commas when I read slowly and fewer when I'm in speed mode.
Good answer. I have indeed removed a comma...and then replaced it. There are more commas when I read slowly and fewer when I'm in speed mode.
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Get a beta. Also... how far apart have these revisions been? Did you give it a nice long rest after the first draft was finished? You could be wasting a lot of energy, if you're polishing the little stuff and not looking at the bigger picture.
Another common suggestion is to look at your manuscript from another angle, so to speak: if you usually revise on screen, print a hardcopy and red-pen it; change the font and/or the change the page size, format it paperback-style.
Yes. It isn't worth trying to find every single spelling or grammar error, or inconsistency of fact. But when to stop is a personal decision. Input from beta readers is a great help.
Lately, I found that putting the ms into the form of a single copy of a trade book, using a POD house like lulu.com, turns up new errors. Changing font, line and paragraph spacing, margins, etc, makes you see the text with new eyes. For a 200 page book, this costs about $8-$10.
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I'd say, do whatever works for you. I do four drafts and call that enough. Otherwise, I'd be trying to perfect the manuscript forever and never get anything done.
It's never going to be perfect; there are quite likely still going to be minor errors even after a book is printed (at least the first printing).
Don't keep recursively editing/proofing. Set the book aside to ferment for at least a month.
Then, edit from hard copy (you can print the ms. out 2-up, that is reduced so you print two pages on one sheet of paper, with the paper in landscape orientation to save paper).
Don't keep recursively editing/proofing. Set the book aside to ferment for at least a month.
Then, edit from hard copy (you can print the ms. out 2-up, that is reduced so you print two pages on one sheet of paper, with the paper in landscape orientation to save paper).
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When you are down to nitpicky details and you are finding few typos, it's time to let someone else have it. There is no such thing as a perfect manuscript. You have to teach yourself to recognize what is good enough.
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I think there's a limit to what you will see by yourself in your own work. I'm sure I go through mine four times. But, much more and you might just be going in circles. You might do a hundred more drafts and still be going in circles.
I'd get a good dozen critiques on it. Get some other eyes on it. And then do the next draft. It always surprises me how much others will see that I completely missed, no matter how many drafts of it I do on my own.
I'd get a good dozen critiques on it. Get some other eyes on it. And then do the next draft. It always surprises me how much others will see that I completely missed, no matter how many drafts of it I do on my own.
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Anywhere from none to five hundred. I edit as I go, and don't rewrite/revise when the first draft is finished. Typos, spelling, and grammar are all easy. I expect to catch any mistakes here as I write.
It's the little nuances that are difficult. It's the flat line of dialogue that can ruin a scene, or the perfect line that can make a scene. It's the little twist that can turn the story from humdrum to exciting. It's the single little action that makes a character real. These are the changes that matter, and I don't believe anyone else can make them for you, or tell you what they are.
For me, it comes down to trusting yourself, learning when to let go, and too soon is always better than too late. It's all too easy to reach a point where revision turns everything to mud, and if you reach this point, going back is a heck of a lot tougher.
It's the little nuances that are difficult. It's the flat line of dialogue that can ruin a scene, or the perfect line that can make a scene. It's the little twist that can turn the story from humdrum to exciting. It's the single little action that makes a character real. These are the changes that matter, and I don't believe anyone else can make them for you, or tell you what they are.
For me, it comes down to trusting yourself, learning when to let go, and too soon is always better than too late. It's all too easy to reach a point where revision turns everything to mud, and if you reach this point, going back is a heck of a lot tougher.
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