You’ve chopped all the
ingredients for soup. You’ve sautéed the
veggies in a skillet. You’ve poured the
cooked contents into a crock pot, added broth or cream, and allowed the soup to
simmer. You know that the longer it cooks,
the better it will taste.
I like to use this analogy
when it comes to revising a manuscript for Kid's Imagination Train. A revision should simmer on the back burner a good while before it is returned to the editor. But recently, I’m finding that writers are
rushing the process. Sometimes when I ask
for a revision, I get it back the following day. Once, I got the revision back in one hour (I
wish I was kidding).
Please don’t rush
revision. You should take into account
what the editor has requested and edit your work. But put it away for a few days and then come back to it. Read it with fresh eyes. Read it out loud. Then edit again. When you handle revising this way, you may see
mistakes that you may have missed, or you may find more creative ways to edit
your work.
When you rush revision, it makes you look desperate. So give your work the time and love that it needs. An editor will notice and appreciate a thoughtful revision. They know that the longer something simmers, the better
it will turn out.
Don't forget to check out this issue of Kid's Imagination Train. Children interested in drawing for next month's issue can send in pictures of dragons to kitillustratorsubmissions@gmail.com