How many times did you edit your completed work (novel)?

[Lavenderdays]

This is probably a question akin to how long is a piece of string BUT, just to provide me with some consolation...how many times do you think you edited your work before sending it to an agent etc? I think, I could go on and on and on editing my book and there would still be something not quite right about it.

One possibility I suppose, is to employ a proof reader to pick up any grammatical errors, I think I might look into that...has anyone else done this?

Sorry, think I might have posted about this before but the book is finished now, it's actually written. I don't think anything needs changing structurally, it's a case of re-writing bits, correcting sentences etc. I can't believe that I am typing this...that I have actually finished writing it!
Hope to complete editing by end of August this year - that's the deadline that I've set myself to give myself plenty of time as I have 3 dcs including a baby which absorbs a lot of my time.

Just received first quote for proofreading my book £550.00 = 65,000 words. Eek, didn't realise it was so expensive. I think it will cost about £1300 to self publish my book (in print) with ten copies through this agency (I selected it because they are local to me), I am uncertain whether this price includes proofreading but I sincerely hope so.

I am copy this across to my other recent post, as it is also relevant there

Oh and I'm not sure it will be 65,000...it may edge up toward 70,000, won't know until I've completed the editing.

Don't pay any of that!!
Editing is an ongoing thing for me, I do a writing day, then an editing day etc. But if you have already written it I would take a break from it for a while, then look at it again. You need fresh eyes.
Are you in a writers group? Anyone who would read it and give you some ideas about what is working and what is not?

Why are you self-publishing?

Thanks FaFoutis, Sorry, I should have said (I've written a separate thread questioning whether to self publish or send work out to an agent).

I do belong to a writers group but they only really have a few kind things to say and aren't particularly critical. I have made some minor amendments following their feedback but certainly nothing that has altered the content/direction of the novel. The group is also very small and I am thinking about joining another one in a couple of months.

I have just seen your other thread.
I think you should try agents. Self-publishing would be a plan B for me.
But spend a lot of time editing first. It's not just about proof-reading, I tend to change the shape of things completely when I edit. Something I have found works for me is a period of immersion in the editing, when it is my sole focus. It's hard with children, but even a weekend on my own makes a huge difference to the way I start to see the whole book.

Oh and your writers group sounds very nice but not much use!
I swap work with published authors (much better than me) who are a bit harsh but also inspiring - I think that's the ideal balance.

FaFoutis, you are right about the writing group I belong to. We are all amateur writers and to have a published author in the group would be fantastic and is what I really need right now. I've needed to get work ready for critiquing by a certain time, so my current group has been motivational from this point of view. I think that's why I want to try another group so that I can possibly find some more experienced writers. Writers groups seem to vary, the one I joined suited me from the point of view that we were all focusing on writing our first books whereas another group I attended (only once) seemed to set tasks...write something on a certain theme and I seemed to spend most of the meet up in silence plus I felt quite pressured as a novice writer (although I suspect there might have been one or two published authors in that group) and I didn't like the general atmosphere.

I've answered your other question but came here to say - editing is part of the writing process. Maybe 50% of an author's work in writing a book is editing it. It's in editing that writers shape the text, finesse the words, reshuffle, cut, add, and generally make a long bit of writing into a book. That's not really something you can outsource as a (traditionally published) author. Some authors I know would edit one chapter 50+ times. Hence why books take years to write!

I'm getting the impression you are quite new to writing. I wonder if you should stop focussing on racing to finish or publish a book - a gargantuan task - and also, expensive if you're having to rely on other people to help you! And work on learning the craft of writing and editing and proofing. Maybe a short or online course, if your writers group isn't helpful? I hope that doesn't sound too disheartening or patronising.

Obviously there are a lot of editing and proofing services out there that may be helpful to some writers, but I would think you'd only pay for these if you were self publishing. Again as I said in my other post, it really depends on your goals as a writer.

I have just had a look at what agents want in terms of submission (hence my username, I didn't know what an elevator pitch was, and had to google it as one of the agents requested one).

It has prompted me to finesse to the best of my ability what they want, ie covering email, synopsis, first 3 chapters, etc, not the whole novel in the case of the agents I am submitting to. The bits I am not sending off still have many typos though the structure is there. It might be worth like a pp has said you considering agents, as that will help focus your mind and you aren't sending the whole thing?

You could also look at the Writers and Artists website as they offer services to do with reading and critical comment and editing and so on, might be really helpful if you want feedback before sending anywhere.

I feel a bit of a phoney giving advice given that I haven't a clue what
I am doing, as evidenced by my other threads, but thought it might help to let you know the above.

@elevatorpitch

Yes but also to add - if an agent likes your 3 chapters they will want the full manuscript immediately by return of email. So don't send the first three until the entire novel is completely finished and polished to the umpteenth degree. They won't be impressed if they ask for the full and you make them wait weeks while you finish it!