Revision Pain

Cedar Fort accepted my manuscript, The Upside of Down, a few weeks ago. Last week an editor asked me to cut it by 6500 words. Ugh!

I've worked really hard to create a fuller, more-developed story. I actually added 20,000 words before I submitted it in hopes of making it feel more realistic and give readers a more enjoyable reading experience. And now I have to cut it. I feel like I'm cutting off fingers.

So far, I've cut 1300 words, but I've got a long way to go to make the 6500 request. I have...