REVISIONS

Life is full of them, especially revised perceptions.

Remember that boy you thought was a nerd, then met him years later when he was handsome, well dressed, and very successful? Or that girl everyone in high school dismissed as a “dumb blonde,” but later earned a Ph.D. and a six-figure salary?

I’m revising my YA novel, SHELTER for my new agent. It’s also a revision in perception because she made a couple suggestions that will improve the book. Improving the book is another necessary revision in my thinking from two years ago when I thought SHELTER would be easy to sell (and so did my former agent).

The publishing business has changed tremendously and is not happy at this point that more and more frustrated authors are self-publishing because it’s obvious that many very good books are not being bought. Publishers are cutting their back lists, publishing fewer unknown authors, producing fewer copies of each book, and taking books out of print faster than before. Publishing decisions often seem more bottom line than literary merit.

But revision must happen if you’re to grow or even stay abreast of changes. What, for example, would happen if you’d drastically revised your opinion of the person you live with? What if you’ve changed and he hasn’t?

What if you need to get away and he won’t let you?

Revision is a right, too. No one should refuse to accept your opinions or your need for a  change. IMO, batterers need lots of revision—probably more than their victims, but they are the least likely to think so.
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