Tackling First Round Edits

First round edits with Entangled is BRUTAL. I'm starting my third first round edits with them. I received my editor letter for The Awakening: Liam last night. (FYI-second round really isn't any easier, lol).

It's just a letter detailing each problem area in the book. No track changes involved. I go into the manuscript and rework certain things (and as all authors know, one change has a domino effect that changes everything past that point) THEN I resend the manuscript to them. Second round is when I get all the bleeding on the manuscript. Let me give you an example of how brutal these edits are:

When I was working Extreme Love, my mom kept my kids for me that weekend so I could work uninterrupted. (I also have a day job I have to juggle) When she brought them back to me, I had been working on the MS for five days and had put in about 60 hours, plus the hours at my day job. She brought my kids home 30 minutes early. What did I do?

I burst into tears. Nope, wasn't from seeing my kids for the first time in two days, it was because my mom brought them home 30 minutes early. My mom said I looked like a deranged madwoman as I came down the stairs.She was scared of me.

We laugh about it now. As brutal as these edits are, I have never been dissatisfied with the end result. Not once. So all the blood, sweat and tears are worth it.

Do I still dread these edits?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't. I know when I receive them all I'll be doing is working, editing and sleeping for the next five days. My housemates batten down the hatches and pretty much give me space unless I approach them. And I'm getting ready to dive into another round.

Right now I'm eager to start, I'm always eager to start, lol. Then that doubt starts to creep in with each change. (Any other author feel me on that?) Then I'll get to the point where I've made so many changes, I won't know if I'm coming or going. I'll feel like I've messed up the entire book and it's just a bunch of complete crap. Every change will become complete torture. My stress goes up. My hair will start to knot from the amount of times I've run my hands through it. I start eating things that I can easily nuke in the microwave. I may drop mustard on my shirt and just swipe it away with my hand and move on. My eyes will get gritty and red-rimmed from staring at the screen for days on end. I give up sleep.

Enter the deranged madwoman. LOL.

But then I finish. I re-read. And I smile. The last five days has sucked, but, man, this story kicks ass!

Liam's book will truly kick ass. I've been waiting to share his story since I started The Awakening series. He is the reason I started series.

So now I must go and start these edits!
Have a great week!
Abby