How hard is it to get a heavily revised first novel published than a later one?

little_e · Mar 2, 2012

I suppose that depends on the quality of the novels.
And honestly, it's not like you can skip straight to the later ones.

leahzero · Mar 2, 2012

Considering all the stories I've heard of first novels being published after years and years of revision and slavish labor, I'd say it's doable.

amschilling · Mar 2, 2012

Stephen King got his first few novels published. But only after he got "Carrie" in print and had made a name for himself. And after about 10 years and 250+ rejections of other stuff.

It's not impossible. I just wouldn't recommend revising the first one to death until you've got a couple more novels under your belt. There's usually a reason the first needs heavy revision (you're still learning how to write them at that point), and you need the distance of more experience / better skills to improve them enough to make them saleable.

Modog814 · Mar 2, 2012

I'm confused... are you asking whether you should revise a novel that you think needs A LOT of work or should you just move on to a second one?

Buffysquirrel · Mar 2, 2012

There's no answer to this question. It's hard to get a novel published. If you offer a novel someone wants to the someone who wants it, it doesn't matter how often it's been revised, or where in your career you wrote it. Similarly, if they don't want it, ditto.

Jon Sprunk · Mar 2, 2012

Buffysquirrel said:
There's no answer to this question. It's hard to get a novel published. If you offer a novel someone wants to the someone who wants it, it doesn't matter how often it's been revised, or where in your career you wrote it. Similarly, if they don't want it, ditto.

Not much comfort, but it's probably the truest thing that can be said. I think a good writer can make almost any story publishable, but the right story at the right moment on the right editor's desk will probably trump most other concerns.

Jon Sprunk · Mar 2, 2012

That said (see above), I'm so glad I moved on from my first novel. And my second. And even my third. Each one was better than the last, but the years I could have spent beating them into proper shape was better utilized creating lucky No. 4.

chickenrising · Mar 2, 2012

I'd wait a few months before looking at your new novel, write new stuff every day. I've just barely gone back to my first novel and I'm finding it redeemable, but I wasn't ready to begin a second draft even a few months ago. I think for new writers, if you're writing and reading every day, you're improving. If you haven't written anything since you finished, you're not ready to go back to it and make a decision on whether or not you want to trunk it.

For me at least.

Bufty · Mar 3, 2012

All depends upon the quality of the finished product.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 3, 2012

First or fifteenth doesn't matter, and even a fifteenth novel may need to be heavily revised. When any novel is good enough to be published, it gets published, regardless of how much you revise it, or whether it isn't revised at all.

willietheshakes · Mar 3, 2012

I don't even know what the title/question means...

job · Mar 3, 2012

If you've done a good job, the editor can't tell whether the manuscript went through a dozen reworkings or is the result of a single vision, well executed.

James D. Macdonald · Mar 3, 2012

No one sees anything but your final draft.

How hard is it to get a heavily revised first novel published than a later one?

satyesu

little_e

Trust: that most precious coin.

leahzero

The colors! THE COLORS!

amschilling

Modog814

Buffysquirrel

Jon Sprunk

Jon Sprunk

chickenrising

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Jamesaritchie

willietheshakes

Gentleman. Scholar. Bastard.

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle