I Have a Draft, What Now?
You’ve got a draft. That’s the hard part.
Now let’s make it work.
Whether it’s “almost there” or “a beautiful mess,” you’re closer than you think. The fastest way forward is a simple revision plan, so you’re not rewriting blindly.
Revising a children’s book manuscript can feel overwhelming at first — but understanding the revision process is one of the biggest steps toward becoming a stronger writer.
Before you “revise everything,” do these five small checks. They’ll show you exactly what to fix first—and what to leave alone.
- Write your story’s one-sentence promise. Identify what this story really about—not on a surface level, but at a level of actual meaning to your protagonist.
- Identify the main character’s want, need or goal. Is it crystal clear? And does is obstacle that standing in its way formidiable enough for readers to care?
- Do the “read-aloud test” with a pencil in hand. As best you can, step outside of your role as author and view the work objectively. Circle anything that feels slow, confusing, or repetitive. That’s your revision roadmap.
- Strengthen cause-and-effect. Does everything happen for a reason? Are the results consistent with whatever rules you've put in place for your protagonist's world? Does each scene logically force the story along to the next one? (“Because of this… therefore this…”)
- Is the ending earned? The best endings are surprising and inevitable—once you see them. As you read the beginning and middle of your story, keep asking yourself. "is this a clear and honest path tot he ending I've chosen?" If not, something has to change.
Here's the big one - and it's critical to understand:
Professional authors do not view their manuscripts as one solid, cohesive whole. They break things down into three distinct levels – and then edit each level on its own.
These levels are:
- Sentence
- Scene
- Story
Learning this concept will transform your ability to revise and self-edit. But how?
We’ve got you covered! We have a completely free training that makes this high-level revision concept easy to understand and put into practice. We’ve also built a tool around this idea called Manuscript Magic that effortlessly guides you through the entire revision process.
Ready for some revising? Pick your next step:
Watch The Three Levels of Revision Free Training
Join Children’s Book Insider Founder & Publisher Laura Backes for a an in-depth look at the method used by top professional authors to revise their manuscripts. It’s very powerful.
Discover the ultimate revision tool, Manuscript Magic.
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, here’s the only tool you’ll ever need to take any kidlit manuscript from good to great.
Browse Our Revision Workshops & Tools
Manuscript Magic
Finally! Revise your work like a pro with this fun, easy to use system. Just answer some questions and get specific instructions on how to make your manuscript better. It really is magic!
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The ONLY editing tool that truly solves the problems!
A wonderful tool that should be in *every* fiction writer's possession.
Britt Malka, author of the Mystery Book Blub Cozy Mystery series
How to Self-Edit Your Picture Book
Take your picture book manuscript from good to great with these easy-to-implement revision techniques!
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This workshop was amazing & so helpful but most of all it was INSPIRING!
Christine
Grab & Hold the Attention of Editors & Agents
What makes an editor sit up and take notice when reading a manuscript? You're about to find out - direct from a legendary editor
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This workshop was BRILLIANT.
Lenora B.
The Magic Portal to Great Writing – The Mentor Text Workshop
The art of reading, analyzing and extracting writing insight from great books is a crucial skill that every writer must have. Here's how to do it - the right way!
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This was AMAZING.
SOOO helpful. Thank you!
Vivian I.
