The Agony of Revision

Revision is NOT a dirty word. Really.

I know it takes time to revise. Again.
But it’s so necessary; in fact, your book won’t sell unless you revise. Sigh. I know. I hate it, too.

And really, what should you revise? Should you take my advice and do that BIG revision? Or will the story do well if you only polish it? Who knows?

One editor might fall in love with your characters and your voice and buy it; then she’ll work with you on plot or whatever else needs work. Another editor might not even glance past page ten because something stops her cold right there.

There’s no way to know.
So much of this business is “personal” (read: crap shoot.)
So much of this business “depends” (read: crap shoot).

Given that everything is a crap shoot, the only thing you can do is please yourself. Well, don’t you want to please ME, too? No, you’re right. Please yourself. Really. It’s the only thing worth doing.

And everything else? It just is.
Nothing you can do about it.
So–please yourself.