How do you know when your manuscript is truly “done”?

[evelynwang]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working on my novel (contemporary fiction, around 85K words) for over two years now. I’ve revised it multiple times, had beta readers give feedback, and even ran it through ProWritingAid and a freelance editor. But somehow, I still don’t feel like it’s done.

Every time I reread it, I tweak something — a line here, a scene there. It’s like I’m afraid to let it go.

How do you personally decide when to stop editing and call a manuscript finished?
Is there a point where further tweaking does more harm than good?

Would love to hear how others make peace with the process — or if you never do!

Thanks in advance

[RobertDHaug]

Thanks for sharing I think setting yourself a specific date to stop editing it reduces the risk even more. solitaired

[westerlyc]

No book is perfect. Every author, from the budding novelist to the literary giant, can point to something they would like to change in a published work. The goal is to make it the best it can be for the time being, not forever.

[zytriangular]

Oh, I know that feeling all too well. It sounds like you've hit that point of diminishing returns, where you're not really improving the manuscript anymore, just moving words around out of fear. A piece of advice I always heard is that a manuscript is "done" not when it's perfect, but when every change you make feels like a lateral move, not a clear improvement. It's more of a mental decision than a logical one. You've done the work; now you just have to trust that it's good enough and let it fly!

[RaymondKirby]

Do I ever struggle to let a project go? Absolutely! I've rewritten opening paragraphs countless times. I usually call it finished when I start changing things back to how they were initially. That's my cue it's time to step away.

[Thaterninew]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working on my novel (contemporary fiction, around 85K words) for over two years now. I’ve revised it multiple times, had beta readers give feedback, and even ran it through ProWritingAid and a freelance editor. But somehow, I still don’t feel like it’s done.

Every time I reread it, I tweak something — a line here, a scene there. It’s like I’m afraid to let it go.

How do you personally decide when to stop editing and call a manuscript finished?
Is there a point where further tweaking does more harm than good?

Would love to hear how others make peace with the process — or if you never do!

Thanks in advance

I think every writer has experienced this feeling. Always feeling like the draft isn’t good enough, but at some point you have to accept that it’s ‘good enough to send’ instead of ‘absolutely perfect’.