Waiting on Editing

Many new writers wonder what to do when they complete their first books. Should they start right in editing it, take a vacation, work on something else?

Once again I turn to the romance novel writers for inspiration and information. This time, Valerie Parv, known as Australia's queen of romance, who conducts seminars and workshops on creativity and all aspects of the writing craft based on her two best-selling guides for writers.

From Parv's The Art of Romance Writing:

All professional writers know the value of allowing a piece of writing to "cool off" before submission. After a few days or a week away from it, you become more objective in your assessment and more able to spot any flaws. For this reason, I suggest that you allow at least a couple of weeks between completing your manuscript and sending it to a publisher.

This advice presumes you've already gone through rewrites and final edits, but it applies to every stage of preparation. Before you send out the manuscript for the first time (usually a partial to an agent) LET IT REST before the last inspection.

More tips on editing are scattered throughout A Writer's Edge.