I spent the weekend doing one last little cleanup on my book after one more editor read through and had a few more comments to make.

And again, I am amazed by how much you can get out of a fresh set of eyes. Every read-through gives me something else to chew on, every revision makes it all that much better.

That’s not to say I roll over and nod wildly at every single change, mind you. I’m very lucky in that my editors and I have a great working relationship, and I’ve been able to push back on a few points because they were integral to the story in my point of view, and after explanation, they saw where I was going with that. It’s very much a give-and-take and together, we’ve made on hell of a book.

I also appreciate the fact that they don’t try to micro-manage me. I had only an instance or two where they suggested a different line of dialogue, or a direct change to a scene. Most of the comments have been, “Give me more” or “This reads slow” or “Too much” – leaving it up to me to figure out how to change it up. This makes me a better writer, and for that, I am sincerely grateful.

Then there are the comments that absolutely make my day. Things like “Sobbing!” or “This is amazing!” or “I am so in love with this character” that let you know you really are a writer. How about that!

It’s all part of the process, and instead of being a hated and feared process, for me it’s been quite wonderful. They make me better, the book is better, and it’s all good.

Now if I could just stop second-guessing myself…