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Writer’s Blog

How many times should you edit your manuscript?

Is there a cutoff point? How many drafts are too many?

When I first started writing, I somehow managed to pluck the magical number of three from thin air. Maybe I got it from an article or maybe from chatting with writer friends, but I always thought that three drafts was the number to aim for.

This was before I had ever even tried to write a book.

Those of you have written a book, or have even only just started to are already laughing at me. Three drafts? Only three? That’s ridiculous! To be honest, even I am laughing at this number. I’m sure some writers manage to finish their projects in three drafts, but I would say that the majority of us need a little bit more time and a lot more editing!

I’m drawing near to the end of my first draft now. I call it my first draft, but I’m pretty sure that it technically counts as my second.