After the First Draft Workbook

A writer’s guide to self-editing manuscripts.

Writing a novel is an amazing achievement! Congratulations! Take a moment to celebrate what you’ve accomplished, because it’s incredible.

But what do you do once you’ve finished that first draft? Is it really ready to submit to a publisher or literary agent or to be self-published? Maybe it could use another draft to polish it? Professional editing services can be expensive, so if hiring an editor is out of reach, you could consider self-editing your manuscript. By using the questions, suggestions and exercises in After the First Draft, you can identify any weaknesses and uncover solutions that will allow you to create a second draft that gives your manuscript the best chance of success in the publishing world.

Divided into chapters based on the major structural aspects of a novel, including Plot, Characters, Narrative Pace and Dialogue, this workbook encourages you to think deeply about the novel you have written and what it offers readers. After the First Draft includes editing prompts and space to record your notes about your manuscript as well as ideas for writing a second draft you can really be proud of.