How many times have you read your book before publication?

[Nathan]

I read thru and rewrote/edited at least 7 times for my first book and have made it thru book #2 at least 3 times so far. It seems like as soon as I get thru a chapter and get into the next that I think of something to do different in that chapter. I then make notes so I can go back thru and make those changes.
Even now there are some things that I would consider changing in my already published book, which may become edition 2 later on

[Jan]

They say that if you start putting back commas you just took out - then it's time to stop editing :)

[Roughseasinthemed]

I tend to read/edit a book at least five times. And that's as a paid-for editor.

[Lori]

I write and edit through something like Lulu or CreateSpace at least 3 times before submitting to the publisher, and then it usually gets another two edits.

[Al]

I reread at least once for plot and grammar (and delete scenes that don't move the story along). Then at least once for every character who has an accent. Once for minor plot points and continuity. Then again to double check on everything.

Then to my own beta readers (and make more changes).

Then to my publisher and their editors.

[Julie]

I read and re-read many times ( more than three certainly ). I suspect I may over-do it, as there is a very real issue about deciding hen a book really is finished and letting it go, or fine tuning it to make it the best it can be. I have, for example, revised my latest book and will be issuing another edition ( I was rushing to complete by a deadline and didn't give myself enough time to let it lie then go back to it ).
Julie

[Bernard]

After going through 3 rewrites, with 7-8 variations in the last one, I must have read my manuscript dozens of times with five beta readers, used WhiteSmoke online editor, and a professional editor who did the lousiest job one could imagine (I kept finding missing words, typo and grammatical errors with what he did). I won't mention how many times I would go back and read it whenever I had these writer's block moments.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01M4QZJX7
My Ripper Hunting Days

[Wayne]

Al wrote: "I reread at least once for plot and grammar (and delete scenes that don't move the story along). Then at least once for every character who has an accent. Once for minor plot points and continuity...."

I think it was Claude Monet who said, "a painting is never really finished. You just have to decide when to walk away." Not that my books are Monet paintings but....

[C.]

Over the 3.5 years of working on my debut novel, A Cry Among Men, I read it at least 11 times before I published it. smh

[J.L.]

I had a bad habit of editing everything as i wrote it, it was very cumbersome to the process and that is part of the reason, a small part, that it took me two years to write a novella. Half way through i forced my self to stop the in-process editing and focus on writing. when it was finished i read through it front to back three times, then there were beta readers, then the copy editors. I definitely had to keep in mind that it will never be perfect and at some point you just have to know when to stop and be done.

[Michael]

J.L. wrote: "I had a bad habit of editing everything as i wrote it, it was very cumbersome to the process and that is part of the reason, a small part, that it took me two years to write a novella. Half way thr..."

I'm not quite like that. I can write without editing along the way, but I just did a major rewrite of a novel after receiving feedback from betas and editors and I wanted my first pass read to be structural only (i.e. looking for major disconnects, unresolved issues, timeline problems, etc.) and I find that I can NOT just read it... I must edit the mistakes along the way. I suppose I worry that if I don't fix them now, they may slip into publication without getting fixed.

[Jim]

Reading one's own work is the least effective method of discovering technical writing (spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax) and conceptual errors. A writer may not even be aware of a misspelled word or grammatical error in some instances. An additional concern is the fact that the human brain tends to see what the person expects to see rather than what is actually there.

Obtaining input from an unbiased proofreader, copy editor and conceptual editor is the most effective way to produce the most error-free work possible.

[N.B.]

I undergo several edits, each time looking for different types of mistakes. I couldn't possibly count how many times I read through my books in total as I'm rather a perfectionist. I do know that there comes a point when you have to say enough is enough. An author will never be the most objective editor, and that's when you hand it over to third parties who aren't as closely involved as you. Sometimes having a break between reads can give you a fresh perspective as well.

[Vicky]

I read and edit several times as I go along to make as perfect a first draft as I can before I hand it over to at least four beta-readers (first readers). I take a break during this time, so I take their comments and edits to fix and update as I see fit. I read it again - fix it some more - then I give it to my husband to read as a final last read.
My next step is to send it to a professional editor who fixes it properly. You cannot do it yourself - you don't see your own errors. Not everyone spells correctly, not everyone has the best grammar. In my opinion, you need that last professional kick to be sure it is right. I wouldn't publish a book without a pro editor. They are worth their words in gold.

[Justin]

So far I've gone over my newest book about 6 or 7 times and I will likely go over it two more times while having someone else look it over. I want to make sure it's perfect before I put it out and have it published.

[Jim]

Having a third party carefully poof read a book is absolutely essential prior to publication. The qualifications and experience of the third party are equally important. Input and advice from an experienced copy editor and conceptual editor will greatly increase the potential for an author's work to become commercially successful.

[Justin]

Well said Jim.

[J.T.]

Make sure before rereading your book, you have done two things:
1) do not look at it for a minimum of 30 days.
2) work on another project to get the book "out of your head"

If you do not do those two things then you will keep missing the same mistakes over and over again because instead of reading what is there, you read what should be there.

[Jennifer]

Thanks for all the comments here, I am brand new to Goodreads and thoroughly enjoyed this conversation :) I have re-read my book so many times but I really struggle with it as I cannot see it through fresh or stranger eyes. I have found that to send myself a .mobi file and read it on my phone (Kindle App) really helps me to read my own work and stops me "reading what I think I should be reading" and read what is actually there!

[D.B.]

Even if one is lucky enough to have a conscientious editor, a diligent author rereads their work a number of times before submitting the manuscript. I typically read the final draft no less than three times with a brief interval between reads.