Revision: The Route From First To Final Draft

With your first draft complete, it's time to perform the real magic: revision!

The mere thought might seem like a drag, especially if you've written a lengthy work, or if you're itching to get to the second installment of your book. But do not fret, for there is a host of people out there who can help lighten your workload, especially if you're taking the self-publishing route. You can find critique partners, alpha readers, beta readers, and editors, like me! Each one performs a different role and views your book from different perspectives to help you cover all the bases. But if you're angling towards traditional publishing, you may not need these lengthy processes, though going through a bit of self-editing do help improve the chances of your manuscript being accepted by an agent or publisher.

I digress. Who are all those people I mentioned, and what do they do?

Critique Partners are often the first people, other than you, who lay eyes on your book. They are writers like yourself who can review your book and give comprehensive feedback on your plot, theme, pacing, characters, descriptions, and more! They analyze your book from a technical standpoint, and they can pick out the weaknesses in such areas more quickly than the casual reader would. Also worthy of note is that you can receive such feedback even when you're still making the first draft. For example, when you get stuck on a plot point or are uncertain about a scene you've written. Or perhaps when you just want to know how your book sounds to others.

Usually, you would also review the other writer's work in return, which is why they are called 'partners', but it is also possible they might provide feedback without any further conditions. You can find most critique partners in writing communities (whether online or in real life), or you might have a fellow writer friend who can satisfy your needs.

Next, we have Alpha Readers. Just as their name says, they are the first readers to take a gander at your book. They usually take on the first draft itself. Yes, that messy first draft. I recommend a close friend or family member for this role, as receiving input on a rough draft from a total stranger might leave you feeling vulnerable and exposed. Alpha readers will help you determine if there are glaring holes in the plot, if the story questions have been answered, and if the premise had been fulfilled. They may also point out weaknesses in the characters, as well as what they liked and disliked about the novel in general. If you have any particular concerns to bring up, these alpha readers are a good source of answers and possible solutions.

In fact, this role bears some similarity to critique partners, and they are not an absolute must to have either. However, they can point you in the right direction for your second draft if you were unsure of where to begin!

After that comes the role most writers are familiar with: Beta Readers! After some revision, you will have a bit more confidence to hand your book over to these guys, even if they may be strangers. Beta readers, like the above-mentioned roles, also provide input to what works and what doesn't in a novel. They work from the perspective of a reader and carefully decipher the meaning and clarity of your words, the logical progression of plot, how immersive the setting is, and any other chinks in the armor. They work best when they have a clear goal to look forward to, so it certainly helps if you draw up a brief questionnaire to quide them on their task.

There are also professional beta reading services in the market, but whether you're using a freemium or a premium, remember to set a deadline for when you expect your book to be fully beta-read. This way, you can reduce the chances of being left hanging with nary a word of feedback.

And remember, as with any form of feedback, the final verdict lies with you. You are not required to accept every single opinion or suggestion of theirs, but you do need to keep an open mind. Therefore, you can take up more than one beta reader just to have a bit of variety, and if a number of them bring up the same or similar issues, then you have strong basis to make a change, On average, having about three beta readers is a good option. With that much feedback in hand, you can forge ahead to make your third, or even fourth draft.

Important: Keep each draft separate, so you can still go back to a previous edition if there are elements you wish to bring back.

Finally, we have the Editors. There are different kinds of editors alone, The developmental editors, who tackle plot, characterization, theme, pacing, and setting, are the first point of contact. It's a good idea to have these guys take a look at your work, but if your budget does not permit that, you'd have to bank on your beta readers to do the heavy lifting. Next up are line editors. They go line by line to decipher the sentence-level nuances in your work. They are mostly concerned with voice and tone (of each character and the book in general), and will restructure and reword sentences to that end. After this comes the copyediting. Copyeditors take on the technical and grammar issues in your book. They also ensure the consistency of style and other elements (places, people, and objects) within the book, and fact-checking is within their purview as well. Some editors (like me) perform line and copyediting simultaneously, and may even consider them the same thing.

And last, but not least, are the proofreaders, the final line of defense before your book sails into the market. They brush through your manuscript for any spelling and punctuation errors that may have slipped through. It might seem unthinkable after going through so many rounds of revision, but such an occurrence is possible. But with this, you will have come to the end of the writing stage for your book. Congratulations! You can now look at your shiny, completed manuscript and smile proudly, even if it has the unsightly suffix of 'final-final-forrealthisisthelastone.docx'.

So, go forth, my friends! The journey might seem long and tiring, but it will all be worth it when you can stand at the finish line and look back on how far you've come.

Happy writing!

Your friendly neighborhood editor,

Chiedozi.