What to do After You Finish Writing Your First Draft: Next 7 Steps

Did you finish writing the first draft of your novel but don’t know what to do next? The road to revisions can look like you’re standing at the edge of a cliff. Don’t worry. We’re here to guide you through the process. This post outlines the next seven steps you must take after you finish writing the first draft of a book. 

First and foremost, congratulations on completing a full manuscript! This is no small feat. Celebrate! 

Now—it’s time for revisions. Some writers love this part of the process, others hate it, and some have never done it, so they don’t know where to begin. Whichever you are, we have guides and outlines to help you through this messy process. 

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If you want one-on-one help with your manuscript, contact us to get set up with one of our editors for an editorial assessment. Just fill out this form, and one of our editors will reach out to you! We are dedicated to stories and look forward to helping you improve yours. 

Let’s get into the seven steps to enact when you finish writing your first draft of a book. 

1. Take a step back 

2. Read the entire draft

3. Self-edit: developmental edits 

4. Take a step back

5. Self-edit: line edits 

6. Seek out beta readers (2-3) 

7. Review and adjust any beta reader feedback 

Finishing a first draft is an achievement, but it’s not over yet— it’s time to review and revise. Let’s break down each step on the list so you can polish your book and move into professional editing.   

1. Take a break: You may have noticed this step on the list twice. It's intentional. This is a necessary approach that you don’t want to skip. The time you take away gives you the space you need to view the story with fresh eyes. You get to return to your story as an objective reader. As writers, we become too close to the words and everything starts to sound the same. We can’t distinguish when something might not be working. So step back from your project, and read a book. This is a valuable resource for a few reasons: it helps you dive into another story and world. Second, you get to study the craft. 

2. Read your entire book: This is difficult but also important. When your break is over, and it’s time to dive back into your writing, read through your manuscript without editing. I know this may feel impossible, but when you do this, you’re ingesting your story as a reader, not a writer. Reading your story will allow you to catch the big-picture flaws within your story. 

3. Self-edit: developmental edits: It’s likely that while you read your manuscript, you noticed some issues. Don’t be discouraged because every writer encounters this. You will not write a perfect first draft, ever. And don’t be surprised when you find yourself rewriting the entire story. Writing is rewriting: it’s a process. To get you started, ask yourself these basic questions: 

• Do my characters change? 

• Are my themes present? Do they flow through the entire story?

• Does my plot make sense?

• Are there any sections that meander? 

• Are there any sections that feel vague?

We’ll dive into the self-editing developmental stages in another post. However, these are important questions to ask initially during this stage because you want to ensure that your characters, themes, and plot align. 

4. Take a step back: You know what to do. Take a month—at minimum, away from your project. This is highly important at this stage because developmental editing is a huge undertaking. Maybe you just rewrote your entire first draft because there were plot holes and character flaws in every act. Developmental editing is a lot of work. It’s going to take time to amend your story, and you’re going to need to take a step back so you can let what you’ve edited thus far gestate. Then, when you come back, you get to look at your story as a new reader again.

5. Self-edit: line editing: If you are confident your story hit all the beats when you read through it again, it’s time to go through your sentences. You want to ensure the grammar and structure flow: examine the pacing, tighten the dialogue, and confirm there is no fat in your prose.

6. Seek out beta readers (2-3): If you don’t know what a beta reader is or how to find one, follow this guide. Seek out readers who typically read books within your genre. Don’t overthink choosing the readers. You can also ask friends and family to read your book. The most important aspect to remember is that they need to enjoy reading so they can help you determine where your story needs improvement.  

7. Review and adjust any beta reader feedback: First, you don’t have to change the feedback you disagree with—you are the author. However, examine their comments, and if multiple readers mention the same issues, you should fix it. These adjustments will take time, and when you complete them, you will have a book that is as polished as it can be without professional feedback.

We know it’s a lot of work but we are here with you. For more help with the path to editing, grab our free Editing A Novel Checklist.

There you have it! Those are the seven steps to take after you’ve written the first draft of your book.

At this point, we recommend outsourcing professional help to assess your story before publication. Acquiring feedback from skilled editors who understand how to tell a story is so valuable for the success of your book. Consider purchasing an editorial assessment, or as it’s also known– a manuscript critique. If you don’t know what this service establishes for your novel, we have all the information to guide you.  

An editorial assessment will upgrade your story. Here’s how:

1. These experienced storytellers live and breathe books: they understand what it takes to tell a story. Before you publish, you’re going to want to ensure your manuscript is the best it can be.

2. The editor understands the market and what's expected for a book in your genre. 

We offer this service for fiction writers, and we’d love to help you bring your book to life. Get on our schedule for a free 30-minute consultation today! No obligations. Just a conversation about your story. Fill out this form below to get in touch with our team!

Don’t forget to read while you write your book 

I’ve mentioned this many times before, but books are our teachers. Reading while crafting a story keeps you in sync with how books are written. You don’t have to read in the genre you’re writing in if that hinders you, but if it doesn’t, reading in the same genre can help you navigate pitfalls to avoid or techniques you can take to your own writing. 

Decide if you’re self-publishing or traditionally publishing your book

Before you started writing, I’m sure you’ve thought about your publishing path, but now that the book is written— it’s time to decide. This question is crucial because many traditionally published authors do not pay for professional editors because a publishing house provides this service. However, we highly recommend hiring professional editors so that when you’re querying your book, you are confident that it’s the best it can be. Whether you’re sending it to a small or big press, you want your book to be its highest quality so it’s accepted for publication. 

If you’re self-publishing, then you’re going to move into outsourcing a developmental editor, and this is where it’s time to create your budget. But I digress. We will get into these editing phases and discuss how to hire an editor in another post. For now, you’ve just finished writing your first draft, and it’s time to start self-editing. Good luck, and take your time! 

Tell us in the comments below if you’re planning to indie publish or traditionally publish your novel.