As one who teaches editors, recently I’ve been encountering revision letters (sometimes called editorial or edit letters) that run twenty, thirty, and even forty single-spaced pages. I can’t imagine how an author would react to an opus like this landing in their inbox. Actually, I can imagine. Panic, tears, anxiety, overwhelm, and probably shutdown. Please…
Follow this basic template to write a revision letter that will help the author successfully revise their work: Dear AUTHOR: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work on TITLE. I enjoyed THING. [Begin with praise about the novel. State something specific that the author does well. Don’t just say, “I really enjoyed this…
The revision letter is what the author turns to first when they’ve received your edit to understand your overall feedback regarding what needs to be done in the revision. It guides the author’s revision. It can also be used as a standalone tool for conveying big-picture concerns to authors when they don’t have the budget…