I want to talk about big edits on a short timeline and one possible way to think about them. As someone with an edit to do on a novel that’s due on December 9th, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I thought it might be useful to share some of that.

A lot of mentees are getting the biggest edit letter they’ve ever seen and are being asked to complete those edits on a deadline. Most of them have probably not had a deadline before. The first time you have a deadline, it can be intimidating. Overwhelming even.

You get used to it.

Really, you do. I have a revision to do based on an edit letter that I got from my agent. It’s due to my editor in 20 days. I just started working on it today, because I know it’s going to take me 10 working days. No way could I have been so relaxed about that on my first book. Back then, I had no idea how long a certain edit would take. Now I do. Ten days is comfortable for this edit, given my schedule. It will probably take closer to 7.

It’s not always 10 days. When I got my edit letter for COLONYSIDE, my editor gave me 30 days, but it was a beast of an edit. And that was in March, and I was a teacher, and we were, with no notice, switching from regular school to online teaching. I knew I wasn’t going to make it. I had to rewrite about 2/3 of the book during that edit. Ultimately I got a one week extension. But I knew from the start that with my schedule, I couldn’t do what I needed to do. Again…it’s something that comes with experience.

So what does this mean for Pitchwars mentees? A few things, I think.

1. Treat this as a learning process. The most important thing you can take away from being a mentee is learning more about yourself, what you’re capable of, and what you aren’t. Editing on a deadline is a skill that becomes really important when you start selling books, and this is a great time to do some self discovery in that reagard. Because one day, you’re going to get this nice contract that says you get 40 business days to edit your book. And then your editor is going to send you changes and ask for them back in two weeks. And you’re going to want to know if you are capable of doing that that and when you aren’t…because you can push back (through your agent)…you have a contract. But if you do, that might change your release date. You want to stand up for what you need, but at the same time, you also want to be easy to work with. Pitch Wars is a chance to figure some of that process out for free, without the pressure of a contract and an editor.

2. If you don’t know how to approach something in your edit letter, I would encourage you to ask questions. Don’t wait for your mentor to check in with you. If you’re confused or stuck, ask now. Mentors are here specifically because they want to help you, but they might not know that you’re having trouble. Even if you don’t know why you’re stuck, reach out and talk to your mentor and tell them you’re stuck and you don’t know why. Don’t be embarrassed. It has literally happened to all of us. Nobody is going to look at you as a failure if you’re struggling to figure out edits. It’s 2020. Life is hard. Everyone gets that.

3. Try to keep it in perspective. When you get into Pitch Wars, it’s easy to look at it as your best shot. And there’s a ton of pressure in that, right? OMG! It’s my best shot! I can’t blow this!

But it’s not your only shot. It’s a shot, sure. A nice one. Somewhere between a third and half of you will sign with agents over the next year. But if you don’t, it’s not over. Don’t believe me? Ask Margaret Owen, author of the wonderful books THE MERCIFUL HAWK and THE FAITHLESS CROW. I love them. Margaret was a mentee in 2015, the same year as me. Quick. What’s the name of her Pitch Wars book? Do you know? Neither do I. I know that it wasn’t the book that got her published. And yet she’s one of the most successful writers from my Pitch Wars class.

In closing, I’d recommend two final things:

1. try not to think about Pitch Wars as a transaction. Try to think about it as a process. For me, I define the success of a mentee as this: Are they a better writer than when they started? Are they more prepared to continue on toward success in this business? If the answer to those questions is yes, than that’s a success.

2. If you’re overwhelmed by your edits, get started. Give it an honest try for a few days, and see how it goes. Often you’ll learn that there’s less to do than you thought. That the huge thing you needed to adjust only takes a few specific lines here and there.

And as I said above, if you try that, and you’re still struggling, tell your mentor. That’s why we’re here. To make this easier.

And on that note, I’m back to my edits. Feel free to join me.