First Round of Revisions Begins

On January 31, a UPS truck pulled in front of our house, and the young man in brown dashed up the sidewalk to our front door. In his hand was a manuscript-sized box from Kregel Publications. I puzzled over the box. Why would Kregel send my manuscript back to me? Maybe they had changed their minds and decided not to publish my novel after all. Or maybe Kregel wanted me to review the manuscript of another Kregel author (I edited two upcoming Kregel novels last fall).

I opened the box and read the cover letter with some trepidation. I was wrong on both counts. A Kregel editor had written comments in the margin of my novel manuscript, and my revisions were due by the end of February. Also enclosed was a two-page Evaluation Memo, a list of specific problems (some small, some big) in the novel itself. The first round of revisions has begun!

I've read through the Evaluation Memo several times, trying to make sure I understand what needs to be done. Some change requests are clear, some are not. (I have queried the editor for clarification.) Thankfully, the revisions aren't nearly as bad as I had feared, though February will definitely be a busy month for me. My Saturdays will be dedicated to revisions, but I'm up to the challenge.