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r/writing • … • u/the_goodest_doggo

How many drafts do books typically go through?

I guess it has to vary a lot depending on the book's length, the author's experience, and a bunch of other factors I don't even know about yet.

I've wanted to take a shot at writing for a little while now. The problem is, I don't really have experience in any kind of writing; the most I've done is probably a couple of lengthier posts elsewhere on the internet.

I know from reading about drafts that my first one is going to be mediocre at best, and dreadful at worst (which has scared me away from trying my hand at writing up until now). But now I'm wondering how many drafts it could take to get to something readable.

If I actually start something, it will definitely be a short story to make things easier, nothing too ambitious. Around how many drafts do you think a novice would write for their first short story, before being able to show their work without feeling ashamed about it?

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