What I’ve Learned from Revising My Debut Novel (So Far)

I finished the first draft of my debut novel at the end of December, and honestly, I was surprised I crossed the finish line before the year ended. Hitting “The End” felt like a win. I had a story I loved—and I was proud of it.

But then came the editing.

Right now, I’m working with a professional editor. Before I sent her the manuscript, I had already gone through at least three rounds of revisions on my own. I thought I had cleaned it up pretty well… until I got the content edit back. Let’s just say the redlines were humbling.

One of the biggest surprises? Head hopping. As a new author, I didn’t realize how often I switched perspectives mid-scene. My editor opened my eyes to it (gently, but firmly), and I immediately saw how disorienting it could be for the reader. Now, I’ve committed to limiting the story to two points of view: Frank, my protagonist, and Jasper’s killer.

Some scenes I thought were solid turned out to need a lot of work. It wasn’t until I read them with my editor’s comments that things really clicked. Her feedback brought clarity—not just about what wasn’t working, but also about what was. She liked my story. And that meant everything.

There were some painful cuts, too. I had included a few local San Francisco spots that I absolutely love, but in the end, they weren’t serving the story. So they had to go. (Maybe I’ll sneak them into the sequel.)

The hardest part of revising has been time. I’m eager to move forward, to get this book out into the world and dive into book two. But edits take longer than I expected, and I’m learning to be patient—learning to enjoy the process instead of rushing through it.

Revising can feel overwhelming. I definitely had a moment when I opened the marked-up manuscript and thought, How am I going to fix all this? But the positive feedback from my editor—and the daily encouragement from my partner (who may just enjoy the quiet time to play Nintendo while I write)—keeps me going.

What’s changed the most? Me. My writing has grown, and so has the way I read. I used to simply enjoy a book (or not). Now I find myself analyzing the structure, the point of view, the pacing. I see the gears turning under the surface.

If you’re revising your debut novel right now, my advice is simple:Be patient. Be flexible. Your story will change—probably in ways you didn’t expect—but it will be stronger for it.And at some point, find yourself a good editor. After reading your own work so many times, you’ll need fresh eyes to spot the things you just can’t see anymore.