Shameless appeal for motivation for that last pre-sub revision

Atlantic12

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Hi all,

I've been revising my first novel for ages, and I still love it and think it's got good chances, but the process takes so looooong. Now I'm at the point where my agent has revealed the list of publishers we're targeting, all pretty major, international imprints. But she thinks the novel still needs a last edit to be sure the story pushes all the right buttons. I trust her judgement, so I know I'll do the edit (she's going to do a line edit first, so bonus).

It's so close! Yet...it's still taking so long. I'm at the point where I don't like to talk about the book to people because they can't fathom how slow this all is. And I feel like a split personality -- yes, I want to give the book the chance it deserves and that means biting the bullet and revising one more time. On the other hand, I'm disappointed the book still wasn't quite ready yet. It feels like it never will be and I'll be stuck in editing hell forever.

So I could sure use a bit of a pep talk. Why don't writers have cheerleaders?

Thanks. :)
 

Jeneral

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You've got this! You're almost there! I know it's frustrating, and you're soooooo sick of revising and OMG why is this taking sooooo long. Take a step back from it all for a little bit and clear your head while your agent does the line edits. Then you can tackle it one more time with a fresh mind. You're going to make this baby SHINE before editors see it. It's gonna be great!

Personally, I have a couple CPs that also act as cheerleaders for me when I need it. I can text them and say "oh nooooo this is garbage" and they'll immediately tell me all the things they like about it. I probably wouldn't have gotten my last WIP written without them. Cheerleaders are important.

Good luck!!
 

lis_kb

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Yeah, I agree with Jeneral! Get some CP cheerleaders! That's what they're there for. Take a couple days off to relax and just focus on some future dreams -- what will the book cover look like, what might it be like to know your book is selling internationally, book tours! panels! all the things. Then, realize you only get a chance at all that stuff once you finish the edits. That always helps light a fire under my butt -- picturing all the glory I may get once the project is finished.

Here's a good Writer Unboxed post about how daydreaming helps get through the doldrums: http://writerunboxed.com/2017/01/18/a-challenge-to-writers-the-balance-between-dreaming-and-working/

Best of luck!
 

RaggyCat

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You've got this! Nothing is ever gained by rushing stuff working and publishingwise. Imagine if for whatever reason you didn't do the final edit and no editors picked up your book - you'd be kicking yourself and blaming yourself for not being thorough. This way, you're giving your book - your baby! - the very best chance it can have. The end is in site - you don't want to regret not being thorough!
 

Atlantic12

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Ah, thank you Jeneral, lis and RaggyCat!

I do have some cheerleader friends/family but I don't lean on them that much because this has taken so darn long (read: years) and I feel like my explanations are a broken record ("It's not ready yet," "just one more edit," "it's a tough market, so I have to do X and Y...."). Even my SO is pretty much like, "Will this ever happen?" And I keep telling him yes though I've had my own doubts and have to stomp on them every time I start a new round of editing.

Definitely I'd be kicking myself if the book doesn't get picked up and I rushed the editing. But I haven't rushed it. I've edited down to the bone (my bones!). The book keeps getting better, but this editing to a professional standard is harder than I ever thought it would be.

Sometimes I think I daydream too much, but maybe not about the right things -- success, signing a good contract, the book in my hands. I'll definitely check out that link. And yes, I've got a few weeks to step back while my agent does her thing on the MSS. I've been working on my second book during breaks and trying to avoid the mistakes of my first one, but I'm probably making a whole lot of new mistakes. ;)
 

pingle

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Good luck :)

I guess try and remember back to the days when being so close to sending to publishers was a distant dream, and get a bit excited at how damn close you are now! Because it is exciting. And unless you've been given loads of changes to make, it really shouldn't take too long. You got this.
 

Atlantic12

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Thanks, Pingle. It's come a long way, yes, that's true. The version of the book that hooked my agent was so full of flaws, it's kind of embarrassing now. As for whether I'll have loads of changes, I don't know. I just know how often a "few" changes snowball into changing this that and the other as well!
 

RaggedEdge

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Hi Atlantic - I feel your pain. I just finished an edit that might be the last one, or my agent might find something else that needs tweaked. She's always been right and every edit has made the book better, but like you said, it does get hard to talk to family about! I'm actually going to see a lot of family this weekend that I haven't seen in months or more and I really hope I'll have heard from my agent by then that no more edits are needed! I think I'll be just as excited about telling my family I'm done editing as I will be about finally going on sub! ;) But I had a sweet moment last night when I realized I've kept my characters alive. Years ago they were just the slipperiest of ideas and now they're multi-faceted people, and all this hard work means they still have a shot at entering the wider world. If I hear I have to do another round, then I'll do it knowing there WILL be an end soon. Our agents want it as much as we do!

And as my teens have shown me, there's always the Just Do It meme with Shia LaBeouf. Don't know how much it motivates me, but it's always good for a laugh. :)
 

RaggedEdge

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Oh, and if you haven't already, you might check out the Next Circle of Hell thread on this same subforum. It's for writers whose work is on submission to editors, or about to be, whether agented or not. Lots of hellish pain to share in. :tongue
 

Atlantic12

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Thanks, RaggedEdge, and here's to hoping your agent signs off on your book soon. That's a great way to look at it -- keeping our characters alive. I suppose they die only if we give up on them or shove them in a drawer. Some are going to end up there, but not these! And isn't it amazing how patient and hardworking agents can be on our behalf, and for no reward until a sale happens?

I've visited the Next Circle before and ran away screaming. :D
 

Hbooks

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You can do it! You've conquered so many hurdles already! You have an agent who believes in your manuscript. They've targeted awesome imprints. Now your manuscript just needs that last shine. Can you work on something new while your agent does line edits?
 

zmethos

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My mom is a minister--and I promise I'm not getting religious with this, but your story of endless edits made me think of the Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years. They would ask God if they'd found the promised land yet, and He (or She) would say: "Not yet. Take another lap."

You're gonna reach the promised land. In fact, this sounds like your last lap! Good luck with it!
 

Atlantic12

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Thanks, Hbooks. Yes, I try to plow ahead on my next book when I can. I'm glad I do; I apparently need a summary of it before we sub the first book. It's not a series, but maybe I'll luck out and a publisher is intrigued by the 2nd book too...

Zmethos, I love your post! Editing does feel biblical at this stage. 😂
 

Fuchsia Groan

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Oh, Atlantic, I can relate to your long slog. Let’s just say I’ve revised the same book a few too many times now, doing multiple complete overhauls, and the moment to send it to my agent (again) is approaching, and it’s not easy to pull the trigger. So many doubts.

So I wish you patience to get through this last revision, and then the burst of courage/recklessness it may take to send it off. CPs have been lifesavers for me. None of mine are ever 100 percent satisfied with a ms., so the feedback can be humbling, but that humbling gives me the motivation for one more rewrite.

Also motivating: deadlines. If you work well with them, I’d find out when the agent hopes to sub the book and give yourself a date to be done. It’s nice knowing the process can’t drag on forever, though sometimes it feels that way. :)
 

Atlantic12

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Thanks, Fuchsia. I'm so glad I'm not alone! It's a lonesome slog...

I definitely need new CPs. My old ones have slowly fallen by the wayside for various reasons, and I rely more on reader betas, not fellow writers. A real world writers circle isn't possible because I don't live in an English-speaking country. Guess I need to look around here for people kind enough to let me join in.

My predicament isn't nearly as dire as I thought it was. Partial revisions of maybe 4 chapters toward the end of the book to strengthen a couple storylines. I told my agent I'd do it in about 10 days. The quick turnaround makes me feel better. Then the line edit...

Good luck on your revised masterpiece too, Fuchsia!
 

Fuchsia Groan

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Thanks, Fuchsia. I'm so glad I'm not alone! It's a lonesome slog...

I definitely need new CPs. My old ones have slowly fallen by the wayside for various reasons, and I rely more on reader betas, not fellow writers. A real world writers circle isn't possible because I don't live in an English-speaking country. Guess I need to look around here for people kind enough to let me join in.

My predicament isn't nearly as dire as I thought it was. Partial revisions of maybe 4 chapters toward the end of the book to strengthen a couple storylines. I told my agent I'd do it in about 10 days. The quick turnaround makes me feel better. Then the line edit...

Good luck on your revised masterpiece too, Fuchsia!

Thank you, and good luck, Atlantic12! Ten days sounds both doable and motivation-inducing. My goal is to sub on Monday, but I still have a bit to draft; we'll see how it goes. (Climaxes and endings are so hard to write, I have to force myself by giving myself very little time to do it.)
 

Atlantic12

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Thanks, April. A bloody battle, yeah, but real battles usually end one day. I'll probably be found slumped over my keyboard. . . . :cry:

Thanks once again to everybody. I really do feel better, and am busy busy redrafting the needed bits. Onwards and upwards!
 

DanielSTJ

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You can do this! Be the strong person you are and move through it.

No shame at a appeal for motivation. We all need it sometimes.

Chin up! :)
 

Atlantic12

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Thank you, Daniel!


I've just sent the revised draft to my agent, so I'm feeling lots better. :hooray:Not every editing pass means months of slogging anymore (I hope!). We'll see after the line edit. . . .;)
 

RaggedEdge

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Thanks, RaggedEdge, and here's to hoping your agent signs off on your book soon. <clip> And isn't it amazing how patient and hardworking agents can be on our behalf, and for no reward until a sale happens?

Yes, it is amazing! I'm very grateful to have my agent's professional guidance and support.

Congrats on sending in the latest edit! May there be very little left to do after the line edit! Each of my four rounds got shorter than the last. The first took me 3.5 months and the last took me only two days, and yes, it was the last! I'm finally done! I hope you hear the same news soon!!!
 

Atlantic12

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Congrats on being done, RaggedEdge. I am so so looking forward to those words coming out of my agent's mouth.

The line edits aren't too bad; I'm super busy with other work at the moment, but I think I can finish this round in 3 weeks. Not bad at all! I imagine a very last tweak after that because I do have to redraft a page here or there, but especially the last page or two of the book. I might not hit it just right this time around, but it keeps getting closer.

So yeah, I have an all new feeling -- this really really feels like it's coming to an end.

Now back to work! :)
 

RaggedEdge

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Atlantic, I also had to tweak a few new sections, and I figure that's totally normal (in fact, I was more surprised when I didn't!) It really does sound like your close! Be sure to pop back in here and update when you finally hear those golden words because no doubt it will inspire someone else working through the revision trials.
 

Atlantic12

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Finally! Things are happening!

The last edits of my book 1 are back with my agent, who insists there might only be tiny tweaks left if anything. We are now onto pitch letter, summarizing book 2 etc ahead of the September submission rush.

It's really going to happen! :hooray:

I've been editing so long, just going on sub will be a success to me. Obviously hoping someone picks up the book, but for now, I'm just enjoying the feeling of being 99% DONE.

And it looks like I'll be in the Next Circle starting in September....;)
 

ChibiUsagi

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Finally! Things are happening!

The last edits of my book 1 are back with my agent, who insists there might only be tiny tweaks left if anything. We are now onto pitch letter, summarizing book 2 etc ahead of the September submission rush.

It's really going to happen! :hooray:

I've been editing so long, just going on sub will be a success to me. Obviously hoping someone picks up the book, but for now, I'm just enjoying the feeling of being 99% DONE.

And it looks like I'll be in the Next Circle starting in September....;)

This is so great and I am so happy for you. Praise Be. :hooray: