Don’t Abandon Your Manuscript. Edit & Revise It!

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Now that we’re closing in on the final stretch of November, you may be wondering what to do with your novel after the month is over. Today, AutoCrit, a NaNoWriMo 2018 sponsor, has some tips for post-NaNo noveling:

Well, the end of NaNoWriMo is almost here. How did that happen? All the ups and downs, doubts and bouts of confidence, procrastination and sprints—and now, only a few days until the finish line.

Whether you complete the 50,000 word goal or not, you have accomplished what many only aspire to do! Congratulations.

Today, I’m here to give you your next challenge:

Please don’t abandon your manuscript once the writing is done. Edit and revise it!

Completing a draft in just 30 days is satisfying and thrilling, but for most participants, it’s just the beginning. Even “plotters” who write to an outline during NaNoWriMo will end up with a pretty rough draft—that’s par for the course.

Now it’s time to take all those wonderfully creative impulses and gold nuggets buried within the raw material and shape it into something more complete and readable.

In a recent interview, we asked Ally E. Machate, a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant, her opinion of why editing and revision are so important:

“The editing and revision period is an essential step for any novelist, especially those who are considering publication.

But even if you’re not planning to publish, ask yourself, what was your goal in entering NaNoWriMo? Was it just to churn out those 50,000 words, or to try and write a novel?

The creative process rarely works such that a perfectly told story emerges whole-cloth from one’s brain. Creation is messy; it’s the editing that begins to shape it into something beautiful, and the revisions you subsequently make that will turn it into something that can be shared with others and enjoyed.”

You’ve accomplished something amazing by getting that rough draft done. Now give yourself the gift of taking the next step. The good news is that you don’t need to to go about the editing process alone.

AutoCrit is your secret weapon for self-editing.

AutoCrit is entirely focused on this mission: to help fiction writers transform their draft into a story that changes people’s lives!

We’ve studied millions of fiction books across many different genres, connected with top editors and agents, and worked with authors just like you to understand what makes a successful book.

Then we rolled this knowledge into a simple online tool that provides step-by-step recommendations for improving your manuscript in over 20 areas—categories like poor dialogue, use of adverbs, and relying on cliches—and guides you through the editing and revision process.

Whether you write Romance, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Young Adult, or Short Stories, AutoCrit helps you infuse your manuscript with style and create vibrant prose that connects with your readers.

Click Here for the NaNoWriMo Special AutoCrit Offer. Expires Dec. 5, 2018.

Your self-editing efforts will be rewarded.

When asked if she appreciates when a writer has put in the effort to self-edit before passing their work to an editor, Ally Machate stated:

“To get the most out of an author / editor partnership, it’s best if authors first work to advance their drafts as much as they possibly can.

Tools like AutoCrit can help a lot to smooth out the writing and bring clarity to the page, which in turn enables an editor to better see through to the architecture beneath.

You don’t want your editor’s time or attention spent trying to figure out what a scene or moment is struggling to convey. You want your editor to be able to dig deeper into the more serious problems and/or opportunities for emotional impact.”

Commit today to go beyond the writing.

Just as you committed to writing during NaNoWriMo, today we’re asking you to commit to editing and revising. Your story is worth it!

Congratulations with all your efforts during NaNoWriMo this year. We look forward to helping you feel confident in your writing and getting your story into the hands of readers.

Until December 5th, 2018, NaNoWriMos can save 50% and become an AutoCrit member for only $45 for 3 months.

Jocelyn Pruemer is passionate about helping authors write and edit smarter with the help of research and technology. As the owner and creative mind behind AutoCrit, her goal is to make self-editing a real and powerful solution for authors at any level. AutoCrit combines the research of thousands of bestselling novels with feedback from authors, agents, and publishers in an easy-to-use tool designed to make good writers great.