Every writer knows this. Me? I don’t spend countless hours revising only one manuscript. I look at one and then move on to another. I get so sick of my own authorial voice, I feel the need to shift gears and stop looking at a manuscript for some time. It happens to everyone. Burnout is real.
There aren’t many writing tips to address this issue. Best thing to do is put down one manuscript and work on another when focus wanders. After reading the same story repeatedly for some time, you’re bound to feel readers’ fatigue. Ideally, you should give a manuscript a few looks from top to bottom before shelving it temporarily. When the story has emptied from your thoughts completely, it might be time to resume making revisions on that particular piece.
Things ended up working out for me that way. From 2022 to 2025, I focused mainly on writing manuscripts, taking time out in between to finetune some of them for appropriate open calls. This year (2026) is a bit different. I’ve dedicated my time solely to editing my work. This is how writers can expect to sharpen their acumen for editing fiction. You put pen to paper and hone your craft as a writer with conviction. Read your draft repeatedly to yourself to detect common grammatical errors and odd phrasing. When you read other books, notice how they comply with industry standard best practices. Learn.
If it starts to bother you when you constantly find revisions to make, take heart. Your work is that much closer to a higher standard. I don’t care if Dylan Thomas seemed opposed to the idea of editing your work to supreme satisfaction. Yes, I also agree with him. I spend so much time identifying opportunities for improvement (edits) in my books, things never seem to get done. There’s no telling whether you’ll revisit your work in the future and get the itch to make revisions. At some point, like Thomas said, you’ll have to settle, or you’ll never publish anything.
Before you work with a copyeditor, be realistic about your expectations. Get references and procure samples from their past clients. I don’t necessarily want to discourage writers from using editing services, but realistically, editors cannot be relied upon to bring out the best in your writing. There are many writers that offer editing services to make ends meet, but few will treat your project like their own book baby. Do your best and let the copyeditor do the absolute bare minimal.
That’s because I’ve been there, and I, myself, paid for editing services for some of my manuscripts only to realize that the editors left out errors. If not, I discovered that more work was needed. I cannot stress this enough. Take your time when writing a book. Leave it alone for a while if it isn’t ready. Rushing it will only result in a substandard product (mediocre art). And there’s nothing more disheartening than continued failure and rejection.
Sometimes, the best ideas come later, not during the listing and brainstorming process. It’s best to wait for ideas to come naturally, augmenting or revising your work accordingly. Letting the writing sit and ferment is just another option in the writer’s toolbox. If you have spare time as a result of this waiting game? Continue writing more stories.
Which is what I did. Hence, I have a truckload of manuscripts in my completed folder to tinker with. When you’re ready, set aside writing for another day and resume the painstaking revision process. Start with the manuscripts that make sense for open calls. Chisel away at the rubble until the sculpture becomes more obvious.
If you choose to pay a proofreader even if the manuscript looks clean, so be it. An extra set of eyes tends to be an advantage. It’s only discouraging when the work is half-assed, especially given the fees, so make sure you work with someone credible. If one editor’s work falls short of the bar, don’t hesitate to choose someone else next time. Don’t be disheartened to take a class in copyediting (even Writer’s Digest occasionally offers classes in the Chicago Manual of Style).
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