Revise and Resub - Should you do it?
Is RevPit worth it?
If you are a writer and are on Twitter, you may have noticed #RevPit popping up over and over in your feed in the spring.
What is #RevPit? It is the hashtag for the Revise and Resub contest run through Twitter for authors with a completed fiction manuscript. The prize is a free 8-week developmental edit session with an editor. (I counted 17 participating editors for 2020, which meant 17 winners and 17 runner-ups.) The event begins with #AskEditor sessions in March and runs until the Showcase of the winners and their edited manuscripts in July. The RevPit hashtag will be very active daily (hourly?) during this time with participation from the editors and the writing community. The RevPit community is very supportive, educational, and even entertaining.
But is RevPit worth it?
You bet!
And here’s why:
There are many ways to win at RevPit. You might be a winner or a runner-up. I have several writer friends who have won. Your manuscript needs to be one where edits can be done within 8-weeks. This is a very specific place. You might be picked for an editors #10queries session which will provide you with feedback on your submission package. You might get shortlisted by an editor where they will ask you to submit additional materials or your full manuscript. This happened to me and my editor sent an email of advice afterward and we even had a 30-minute phone call on my next best steps. Even if you never hear from your editor through the submission process, if you ask nicely after the winners are announced, you might get feedback on your query letter and your submission pages.
Congratulations, if any of the above happened to you! But Congrats are still in order cause the winning isn’t over! Even if none of the above happens, you still have winning lanes available to you. And if you take them, as I did, you’ll find the biggest reward is waiting for you.
First lane, the technical stuff: The editors share writing craft lessons learned over their years in the editing business with everyone during the #RevPit event. Take notes. Also, your fellow writers will share their favorite writing books and techniques. I bought 6 new writing craft books based on recommendations during RevPit! These editors are very generous with their time. Use the #askeditor sessions and ask away. (This is when you want to take the list of editors you are thinking about submitting to and narrowing it down to your top 2.)
I do have to admit that I did not write very much new content during the month of April because of RevPit. But I did participate in swaps with other writers. I believe reading pages from other writers helps you grow as a writer. Also during this time, I worked on my own edits based on the feedback I got from others. Winning!
Second lane, the fun stuff: RevPit is super fun. Editors and other participants are outgoing and like to play games. And every day there is a new game to play all centered around sharing your manuscript. You can even start a game, I did. Winning!
Third lane, the best stuff: Writer friends. You can find new writers to follow on Twitter and they will likely follow you back. But don’t stop there. You can make new friends beyond mere ‘followers’. Use #RevPit and ask if a writer would like to swap query letters, synopsis, or first chapters. Then do it again and again with different writers. You just might find a new beta reader or even a CP. Winning!
Before RevPit, I was The Lone Writer. I didn’t have a community around me. During RevPit, I found my community of writers. Did I do that just by reading the hashtag every so often? No. I participated. I asked questions and started games. I answered questions and played games. I cheered on my fellow writers and took part in some funny gif battles. I was inspired to make and post aesthetics for my manuscript. I even made a piechart, for Pete’s sake!
After weeks of this kind of engagement on the RevPit hashtag, it was an easy step to ask: does anyone want to be my writer friend?
In a flash, the PitSquirrels formed with 15 members from 3 different countries and one writer who is floating somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. We traded submission materials and gave feedback. We supported each other through the submission process. We began sharing our lives outside of writing and to this day, our chat thread is ALWAYS running! These are my writerly people! Winning!
Now, I am the only Middle-Grade writer in the PitSquirrels. So my mind started thinking about finding writer friends in my genre. So I fired up #RevPit again and this time asked: Are there any Middle-Grade writers out there looking for a Critique Partner and would like to swap pages?
I was hoping to find at least one CP that was nice. Someone who was honest but told me what I need to know about my writing in a kind way. I found that and so much more. I found 2 CP’s that I am excited to read and support. They tell me what works and what needs improvement with suggestions for how to do those improvements. These two are rockstar writers and I am excited to be a part of their writing careers. They are collaborative not just in critiquing each other’s work but in other aspects of the writer’s life. Winning!
Just before the RevPit winner announcements, my CP’s and I decided we wanted to do something extra for other Middle-Grade writers. We formed CompassMG and put the call out to #RevPit for MG authors to join our 5-week writing group. We quickly had 10 authors (our goal number) and we were off on a crash course of all things MG. More writer friends! Winning!
Within a month and a half, I went from sitting by myself in the cafeteria at Writer’s Twitter High to finding my table that I can go to everyday to hang out with other writers. I now have writer friends to cheer on and writer friends who also want the best for me and my writing career. Winning!
Getting feedback from an editor feels really good. It’s validation that you’re on the right path. But this isn’t the only winning lane available. RevPit is totally worth it. I am so thankful to the RevPit community and the opportunity to WIN!
Please leave a comment and see below for ways to keep up with the latest from Susan. Until next time, have fun indulging your imagination.
