You can never edit too much

First drafts are always awful. Always. In 'Bird By Bird,' Anne Lamott has an entire chapter dedicated to how crappy initial drafts are. In “On Writing,” Stephen King gives the reader a glimpse at what one of his first drafts looks like so they can see how far it is from the finished product. To drive the point home, Ernest Hemingway once said, “The first draft of anything is shit.”

The only way to go from that terrible first draft to books like “Misery” or “The Old Man And The Sea,” is to revise. Then revise some more. Then revise again. Maybe two or three more times. And then you have a great book. The process doesn’t change for new writers or established authors, indie authors or New York Times Bestselling authors. It’s what unites every writer.

Think of the books you adore. They were probably edited for a very long time. Think of the books you wish were better. They probably weren’t edited enough. If you’re a reader and you love a certain writer’s work, whether it’s King or Hemingway or someone else, remember that they are doing the majority of their work after the first draft is finished. And if you’re an author or want to be an author, remember that another revision of the entire book can never hurt.

And now, it’s time for me to start revising my next book (for what feels like the hundredth time!).

PS: Make sure you sign up for my newsletter if you haven’t already. Last week, I sent out a sneak peak of the cover for my next book but only people who were signed up for my newsletter got to see it! And there are more goodies where that came from. : )