Writing your book doesn't have to take forever. Editing your book doesn't have to take forever.

And in this episode, the fourth and final installment of our speedy writing and editing series, you'll learn seven strategies to make your editing process more efficient so you can finish your next draft—and then your next book—faster.

We'll cover:

• How to make sure the changes you're making to your novel will work—before you edit a single word.
• Why taking extra time to practice the skill of editing one scene will have an outsized impact on your whole editing process.
• Why making reading a regular part of your life will help you edit faster and more effectively.

Want more speedy tips? Check out episode 6 of the podcast for three more strategies to edit your novel faster. And check out episode 4 and episode 5 for tips on how to finish your first draft faster. Hint: these tips will be helpful in your editing process, too!

Plus, get a quick-reference list of all ten speedy editing strategies by going to alicesudlow.com/editfast.

And if you’d like expert editing support that will help you finish your next draft so much faster, I’d love to help. Send me a note at [email protected] and tell me about your book!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Find me on Instagram and Facebook
• Hire me to edit your book: alicesudlow.com/contact or [email protected]
• Get your guide to all ten editing strategies: alicesudlow.com/editfast
• Episode 2: How Many Drafts Does it Take to Edit a Book?
• Episode 3: How to Figure Out Which Draft You're Writing: First Draft, Second Draft, and More
• Episode 4: 10 Productiv

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Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

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Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

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You can finish editing your next draft in just a few weeks.

That’s right. You can finish it in three months—or less!

The trick, of course, is to find the editing process that works for you. The process that keeps you focused, motivated, and inspired so you can make the right changes to your book every day.

And in this episode, I’ll share three strategies I recommend to help you do just that.

You’ll learn:

• How to set a deadline that keeps you on track—and ensures you actually finish!
• When to hire an editor—and why hiring an editor after your first draft can shave years off your editing process.
• Why shaking things up and editing in a different location than your writing space can give you an editing boost.

Plus, get a free worksheet to guide you through setting your deadline for your next draft. Go to alicesudlow.com/deadline to get your worksheet.

Want more speedy tips? There are more fast editing tips coming for you in the next episode, so be sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss them.

And be sure to check out episode 4 and episode 5 of the podcast for tips on how to finish your first draft faster. Hint: these tips will be helpful in your editing process, too!

And if you’d like expert editing support that will help you finish your next draft so much faster, I’d love to help. Send me a note at [email protected] and tell me about your book!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Episode 4: 10 Productivity Tips to Finish Writing Your First Draft Faster
• Episode 5: 11 Creativity Tips to Finish Writing Your First Draft Faster
• Hire me to edit your book: alicesudlow.com/contact or [email protected]
• Get your free deadline worksheet: alicesudlow.com/deadline

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

Have you ever gotten stuck in your first draft? Hit writer's block? Lost all your inspiration and wondered what in the world would happen next?

If so, you're not alone. That's a totally normal part of the writing process.

The tough news is, part of your job as a writer is . . . to write anyway. Your challenge is to push through it and write when you're inspired and when you're not.

But the good news is, you don't have to stay stuck in the struggle. You can use a variety of strategies to boost your creativity and get back in the flow of writing.

And the better news is, once you're writing again, it's way easier to keep writing. You won't stay stuck forever!

How do you boost your creativity and beat the block? That's the topic of this episode. I'll give you eleven inspiring strategies to get your ideas flowing again: everything from writing the worst sentence in the world to optimizing your writing space to leaving your writing space behind and going on a walk.

And if creativity is only part of the challenge, check out this episode on writing productivity, too. There, you'll find ten strategies to boost your productivity and surround yourself with a team to support you as you write.

Together, these twenty-one ideas are sure to get you writing again—and boost your writing speed so you can finish your first draft and get published sooner!

Don't forget to download this free guide to all twenty-one ideas. Print it out, post it in your writing space, and refer to it whenever you get stuck so you can get un-stuck at a moment's notice.

Liked what you heard?

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review. Also, be sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

And if you’d like personalized feedback on your book, reach out to me at alicesudlow.com. I’d love to support you in your editing process!

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

Every great book begins with a first draft.

And sometimes, it can feel like that first draft goes on forever. Have you ever spent months writing the first draft of a book? Years?

If so, you’re not alone. It’s easy to get stuck in the middle of a draft. Or spend years trying to write the perfect first draft . . . and never finish. Or stop writing before you even start!

But you can’t edit—or publish—a book you haven’t written.

Which means your first task is to finish your first draft.

How do you do it? How do you finally finish your first draft in a matter of weeks?

In this episode, I’ll give you ten strategies to speed up your writing process so you can make it to “The End.”

Six of these ideas will boost your productivity. Four more will help you surround yourself with a team to hold you accountable and help you finish.

You don’t have to apply all of them at once. Choose two or three to use in your writing every day, then try one or two more when you get stuck.

And to make it easier, download and print this quick-reference guide to all ten ideas, plus eleven more ideas coming in the next episode.

Liked what you heard?

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review. Also, be sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

And if you’d like personalized feedback on your book, reach out to me at alicesudlow.com. I’d love to support you in your editing process!

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

Which draft are you working on right now? If that question is easy to answer, fantastic! But if it's not, don't worry.

You're not alone, and in this episode, I'll show you how to find out which draft you're writing—and what to do next.

Download a quiz to find out which draft you're currently working on at alicesudlow.com/draftquiz.

And if you liked what you heard, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe so you don't miss the next episode!

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

How many drafts does it take to write and edit an amazing book? Should you publish your book right after you finish your first draft? (No.) And how long will the editing process take?

In this episode, I'll show you an overview of the full writing and editing process, plus an estimate of how many drafts it will take for you to finally finish your book.

Download a guide to the four kinds of drafts at alicesudlow.com/4drafts.

And if you liked what you heard, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe so you don't miss the next episode!

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

Finishing your first draft is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations! But wait, now what?

If you feel like you've fallen off the map of the writing and editing process, don't worry. In this episode, I'll share the five things you should do right after you finish your draft.

Editing your book? Take a moment to see whether you've done these five things.

Download a guide to the five steps in the episode plus five more at alicesudlow.com/10steps.

And if you liked what you heard, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe so you don't miss the next episode!

Send me a Text Message!

Want my support in your revision?

In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

What do you do once you finish your first draft? What does “edit your book” actually mean? And how do you know when you’re ready to get published?

Welcome to Your Next Draft.

If you’re writing a novel and you’ve ever found yourself asking questions like these, you’re in the right place.

I’m Alice Sudlow, a developmental editor, avid reader, and story nerd. Since 2016, I’ve helped dozens of writers write and edit books they’re truly proud of—and then publish stories readers love.

In this podcast, I’ll show you how to finish your first draft, edit your next draft, and craft a publication-ready novel.

Every week, I’ll share quick, actionable tips you can use right away to finish your next draft. In each episode, I’ll give you a bite-sized strategy for the writing and editing process to help you craft your best book.

This podcast is perfect for you if you’re working on a novel. Are you on your first draft? Your second draft? Your tenth? Let’s finish your next draft and get you ready to publish.

Stick with me, and with your editing process, and soon you’ll publish an amazing book!

To find out more about this podcast and how I help writers publish their BEST books, go to https://alicesudlow.com/.

And be sure to rate, review, and subscribe so you don’t miss a thing!

Send me a Text Message!

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »