It is 10 days to the day I posted a snapshot of the changes I made between the time I entered Pitch Wars in October 2019 and when I showcased in February 2020 (changes in blue below). In 4 short months, I scrapped 60% of the manuscript, keeping 40% of it.
The biggest changes then had to do with narrowing the POV characters and focusing the storyline. When I entered the showcase, I believed the manuscript was ready. I thought it would do fine in the showcase, which it did. I was even pretty sure I'd find a new agent, which I did, through the showcase in March.
I went on submission from late March through early May, and in that time received about a dozen pretty consistent rejections. At this point in my writing life, rejection no longer stings. It's just a reality that 95% of the time my work is just not a match for someone in the publishing industry, whether they are a reader, fellow writer, literary agent, editor, or publisher (via acquisitions). There are so many hurdles in this marathon, so thick skin is a requirement that is learned over time.
But even more than thick skin, you need grit, which I believe is a combination of self-confidence and determination. So often, the I'm-not-good-enough feeling will creep in and take hold. It is embedded in the arduous process of writing a book. A personal example: my first agent dumped me in September 2019 and it stung badly. I nearly gave up on my writing altogether. Many give up before giving themselves a chance -- often because they don't see true value in their work or ability in themselves.
Thick skin and grit are the prerequisites for what I actually want to talk about, though. What I want to say loud and clear is that REVISING NEVER ENDS. While Pitch Wars took me 4 months, my next revision took me twice that. 8 months of ridiculously difficult reworking of what was already a complex manuscript. Here's a snapshot of the changes I made between May and January (in red).
I probably kept about 60% of the version on sub this time (vs 40% during PW), but this revision feels completely different. The characters are all more refined, the plot is even more twisty, and the family is less perfect and more realistic (read: messy). I caught THREE huge loopholes that weakened the manuscript and made me think, "No wonder I didn't do well on sub."
I'll spend some time in another post unpacking how I went about outlining and making those changes, but I want to leave THIS post with one big lesson I learned other than the reality above: THE MORE YOU REVISE, THE BETTER WRITER YOU ARE. If you shelve projects left and right, you're not putting in the real work of improving your craft. Truly good stories take a lot of reworking to get right. The rewriting and revising is where I've learned my biggest lessons.
In closing, if I were to offer any advice to writers feeling ready to query, I would suggest digging back into the manuscript that you're likely so sick of and maybe even feeling stuck on. Reverse outlining really worked as a strategy for me this time around, but I'm sure there are some other good techniques to identify areas that need fixing. Then go back in and fix it. Don't think about how long it will take (8 months book-ended by COVID and getting laid off!) or if it's worth it or not (it is because you will be a better writer for it -- THAT is what matters, not the querying or being on sub or getting published). It will be. Trust me.