How long to spend on the revise/edit stage?

I'd wait until it's all ready to send queries out.

"As long as it takes."

I think this is like asking how long is a piece of string? Some people revise so heavily on the way that when they finish it's just in need of a once-over. Some people just write until they hit the end and have months ahead of them.

Make it the best you can. Then revise once more

I was once given this advice:

'There is not one page in a thousand of all published works, that could not have been improved upon - so edit till the thought of even looking at it makes you sick. Put it away for a month, then edit again. Repeat as necessary. Then send it.'


Don't send it out till it's the absolute best you can make it. If it's not the best you can do, the agent / editor won't be seeing your full potential. And you don't want to get rejected, just because you stopped one edit away from it being great.

Personally I kind of edit as I go ( I reread what I did yesterday as a prelude to todays work, it works out any obvious kinks and gets me into the right mindset / world for writing), but still I go back after, again and again, so polish till it( or you) can't stand any more.

Edit until you'd rather suck lead out of a handgun than read the G.D. thing one more time. Then start editing your query letter.

I agree with those above, that it depends on your work style and the state of your draft. But, since it's common advice to new writers to revise over and over and OVER again, I want to put in some support for a quick, strategic single-pass revision. That is an option. Maybe it's not appropriate for you, maybe your book needs lots and lots of work. But maybe it doesn't. Maybe, if like IdiotsRUs and like me, you revise as you go along, it may be closer to ready than you think.

But still: don't query until you're satisfied that it's ready to print and go! Seriously, don't.

Try some good beta readers. Their feedback can help you decide where you are.

PS--I think your bicycle adventures are AWESOME.

Try to have some other projects on the go so you can leave this one off the boil without itching to get back to it. Then look back with fresh eyes and see all those ways of making it better that would have passed you by otherwise.

T.