How many times have you read your novel?

I read the whole thing over before I begin each draft. (except for the first, of course.) I usually have 4-5 drafts.

I've read it through three times in the last year. I'm about to start my fourth read-through. I'll probably read it through at least once, if not twice more before I query.

JLBrady said:

Yeah, I usually have to read it on something other than my laptop screen to feel properly disconnected from it. I usually load it up onto my kindle and read it that way.

My poor printer has seen better days. That, and my dog has an overwhelming fear of it. So no paper for me.

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Me, too! I don't know why I read over typos and plot holes when I use the computer or a print-out, but catch them on my e-reader, but that's the way it works.

It's... really difficult to keep count, lol. I usually give the rough a once-through, looking for things to cut or change. When I've gotten all that stuff arranged, I give it another, and then one more after the line-by-line. Then I hand it off to beta readers and give it one more with their notes and comments once I get it back. But the thing is, I go through it at random intervals for no reason at all, just 'cuz I do. I catch stuff sometimes*, but that's not the purpose of the random read-throughs. I don't think they actually have a purpose, I just do them.

*Funniest typo I ever caught this way? The heroic knight wearing mental armor.

Not sure how many times. But my husband says I'll probably have it memorized soon. I am trying to reduce the word count, so I will probably have to go through it a couple more times. But I've gotten rid of over 13,000 words. So at least that's progress.

I have never ever read it through as a reader.

Always as an editor. And that way, nearly 2 dozen times.

That depends on how you count. If you mean reading it straight through beginning to end--probably only once or twice before I consider it a (basically) finished product. If you mean how many times I have read over any particular section--probably a dozen or so. I write, reread the next day for typos/glaring errors, move on, and come back for various reasons. So everything has been seen many times, but not necessarily in sequence.

Not even once.Not as a reader.As far as editing goes,I lost count...

I do it about six or seven times, fully through from front to end. And I edit one specific type problem and then go on to the next read doing something different. I cannot revise, edit and rewrite everything on one pass or several. Gotta break it up.

Probably 2-3 times for each draft, and I've gone through about 7 drafts so far. So at least 20.

Enough times to be sick of reading it. lol

A million times. Surprisingly, I'm not sick of it yet. What I am sick of is not being f*#@#%*(& done by now.

Depends. Dozens of times if I think it's worth working on more. Or it gets trunked and never glanced at again. I think I have two that I never read more than a couple paragraphs before setting it aside.

allmywires said:

I like to read it through on the Kindle and have my laptop open as I do it, so I can correct as I go. Funny how the simple things, like printing it out, make you see it completely differently!

I've read this one, hmm, maybe 3 or 4 times in total. Certain parts I've read close to a hundred times, I'm sure. I know it so well that if I'm searching for a certain scene in my Word document I can type a distinct word or phrase from that scene in Ctrl-F and find it easily...

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This - and like someone else said, I somehow overlook the silly errors when reading on my computer screen. I pick up a few on paper, but find most when reading it back on the Kindle (especially if I read it out loud...).

JLBrady said:

Cover-to-cover, like reading any other story. Just curious. I'm in the revision phase, so it feels like I've read the thing a million times. Even though it's probably closer to... three.

Or are you a random-attack-editor that goes after disconnected sections of the manuscript?

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Both. Lots and lots and lots. I suppose it says something that I'm not bored with it yet.

If you count rereading individual scenes - and I always reread the last 500-1000 words before I start a new writing session, just to ensure consistency of style and get in the proper mood - then... I dunno. A lot.

Actual full read-throughs across all drafts? Four on the book currently making the agent rounds.

If we're talking short stories, though, I read them a lot more. Maybe 10 times per, depending on how quickly they get picked up.

The first book of my trilogy, I've read too many times to count. I hate looking at it now. My second one I've read twice.

At least seven times more than I ever wanted to...

JLBrady said:

Cover-to-cover, like reading any other story. Just curious. I'm in the revision phase, so it feels like I've read the thing a million times. Even though it's probably closer to... three.

Or are you a random-attack-editor that goes after disconnected sections of the manuscript?

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Too many times to count but I read it right through a final time after it had been in print for a year or so.

Parts - several
From start to end - I think about 5.

I didn't get sick of the story but I was sooo sick of reading it aloud. Lol! I read it aloud about 3 times. I was sick after the first time. But it's the only way I can catch missing words, sentences that are complete but don't make any sense, sentences that don't read well, and instances of here instead of hear.

Four to five times. Three times alone and one or two times with feedbacks from beta readers.

JLBrady said:

Cover-to-cover, like reading any other story. Just curious. I'm in the revision phase, so it feels like I've read the thing a million times. Even though it's probably closer to... three.

Or are you a random-attack-editor that goes after disconnected sections of the manuscript?

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Yeah I attack it in chunks. I know what I have edited and when I see a huge problem (head hopping/POV changes within a scene are/were a big problem [I am editing an older story now and zomg, BAD.]) I fix it.

It's easy to get sick of your story when you have read it 8394249323294329842 times.

Other than when I'm working on 'em, never. I may take a glance at them occasionally, to remind myself that at least I accomplished that much. But that usually makes me want to begin working with the delete key.

caw

Every time I start reading, I find I still have work to do. The thought of reading the first 16,000 words of my book, yet again, makes me want to cry or scream depending on my mood.

I think I'm on number four of reading from start to finish. But, I've read some of the chapters so many times I'd rather gnaw off my arm than read them again. (Hello, chapter one)

Two of the read throughs I've had the computer read it aloud while I follow along in the document and smooth out phrasing or add those random missing words.

I admit I have an inconsistent memory- when reading through, I remember the original version, and not the additions and changes. "Oh! I didn't remember I added that passage." It keeps things lively. Almost like reading a new book every time.

Marniy said:

I admit I have an inconsistent memory- when reading through, I remember the original version, and not the additions and changes. "Oh! I didn't remember I added that passage." It keeps things lively. Almost like reading a new book every time.

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Haha, I have the same thing happen, only it'll be.. "Oh, I know how I should fix that section" so I call up the file and... lo and behold, either I've already fixed it, or my computer is reading my mind, cuz... There it is already fixed! And then when I reread, those sections always strike me as new.