This might sound incredibly obvious but read the notes through, in their entirety, a few times. Try not to react to anything specific too quickly and allow the ideas time to percolate. Receiving edits on something you thought you\u2019d nailed, or something that\u2019s very close to you personally, can be quite emotional and your first response might be to jump to your manuscripts defense and scream \u2018No! You\u2019re wrong!\u2019 but take a moment to look at everything your editor or agent is suggesting \u2013 they are doing so for a reason – and don\u2019t jump into edits straight away. I\u2019d advise reading them through, taking a day or two, and then reading them again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. What suggestions do you like? Which ones do you hate?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nNow for the next stage, take a look at the suggestions and figure out which ones you think will strengthen your book \u2013 hopefully the suggestions you love outnumber anything else. Mark those up (highlight, transfer to your own editorial list etc.) and let the ease of those types of suggestions help with the ones that might be a little more challenging to action. It can really help you get into the swing of the edit if at first you pick out everything that\u2019s doable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now for the edits you\u2019re not so sure about\u2026keep in mind that a good editor or agent is there to guide you towards the best version of your book, their suggestions are just that \u2013 suggestions. Consider why they\u2019re giving the note they\u2019ve given, is it because what you thought was working isn\u2019t quite there yet? Is it due to something not quite making it to the page enough to translate for the reader? If they\u2019ve highlighted something that isn\u2019t working but you\u2019re not sure their fix is quite right, allow it to spark something else that feels more aligned to your work. This is what an editor or agent is always hoping to provoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nBefore diving into making changes, check if there\u2019s anything you need further clarification on. Communicating edits in a letter isn\u2019t always easy \u2013 your story is much more nuanced than an editor or agent can express in such a restricted format \u2013 so don\u2019t be afraid to ask follow up questions: Is this what you meant here? Can you give me an example where I\u2019ve done that? I think perhaps X would work better here, do you agree?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting ahead of any lingering questions before you dive into your edit will be so essential, particularly when you\u2019re sending your manuscript back to your agent \u2013 the quicker you get those edits nailed down, the sooner you\u2019ll move to the submission stage (or query stage if you\u2019re working with an editor).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWant to read the rest of this article? Log in<\/a> or join our free community – you’ll get the rest of our top tips, plus a truck-load of other resources. Whoever said you don’t get anything in this life for free?<\/h4>\n\n\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Writing-skills-Website-blocks.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n Want to sharpen your writing skills?<\/h2>\r\n Join our free community for instant access to: <\/p>\n<\/div>
\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Digital tools like our character builder<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Peer-to-peer support & feedback <\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Regular writing tips straight to your inbox <\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n Please go to your inbox and verify your email address or click here to get started<\/a><\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n
Before diving into making changes, check if there\u2019s anything you need further clarification on. Communicating edits in a letter isn\u2019t always easy \u2013 your story is much more nuanced than an editor or agent can express in such a restricted format \u2013 so don\u2019t be afraid to ask follow up questions: Is this what you meant here? Can you give me an example where I\u2019ve done that? I think perhaps X would work better here, do you agree?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting ahead of any lingering questions before you dive into your edit will be so essential, particularly when you\u2019re sending your manuscript back to your agent \u2013 the quicker you get those edits nailed down, the sooner you\u2019ll move to the submission stage (or query stage if you\u2019re working with an editor).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Want to read the rest of this article? Log in<\/a> or join our free community – you’ll get the rest of our top tips, plus a truck-load of other resources. Whoever said you don’t get anything in this life for free?<\/h4>\n\n\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n Want to sharpen your writing skills?<\/h2>\r\n Join our free community for instant access to: <\/p>\n<\/div>
\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Digital tools like our character builder<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Peer-to-peer support & feedback <\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Regular writing tips straight to your inbox <\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n Please go to your inbox and verify your email address or click here to get started<\/a><\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n
\r\n <\/div>\r\n Want to sharpen your writing skills?<\/h2>\r\n Join our free community for instant access to: <\/p>\n<\/div>
\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Digital tools like our character builder<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Peer-to-peer support & feedback <\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/div> \r\n Regular writing tips straight to your inbox <\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n Please go to your inbox and verify your email address or click here to get started<\/a><\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n
Join our free community for instant access to: <\/p>\n<\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/themes\/jw3.0-live\/resources\/assets\/images\/loader.gif\")
\r\n