We’ve all been there. You stumble upon your older works, and the temptation to tinker is too powerful to resist.
Perhaps it’s the fledgeling style of your first novel or maybe a smattering of typos that escaped your last edit.
But is revising older works a profitable use of your time or a sinkhole that diverts your focus from creating new content?
The answer is not as straightforward as you may think.
This post delves into the pros and cons of updating older titles, offering a balanced perspective for indie authors who may be contemplating this decision.
The Traps of Rewriting
The dilemma often starts with our perception of improvement.
You may feel you’ve honed your craft since those earlier works, and it’s hard to resist the urge to bring them up to your current standard.
However, bear in mind that your style and storytelling evolve for a reason.
The experience you gain from each new title makes you a better writer.
Attempting to perfect older works may only lead you into an endless cycle of revisions.
Let these past works stand as they are—markers on your journey of growth.
While stylistic and story elements may be subjective, errors in spelling, grammar, and structure are not.
If your earlier works contain glaring issues of this sort, there’s a more compelling case for revisiting them.
Poorly edited books can tarnish your reputation as a professional author, so making these corrections could be beneficial.
The Opportunity Cost
There’s an unspoken trade-off involved in revising older works—the opportunity cost of the time you could have spent writing a new title.
If you tally the hours it would take to revisit an older book, you might find that those hours could be better invested in creating something new, something that could further expand your portfolio and attract more readers.
The hard truth is, revising an older title is unlikely to provide the same level of satisfaction or financial return as writing a new one.
If people enjoyed your earlier works, that’s a win that you should let stand.
It’s your current projects that need your energy and attention.
Deciding whether it’s something you need to do is a complex issue with no one-size-fits-all answer.
However, the general rule of thumb seems to be this: unless your older works are riddled with errors that may hamper your professional standing, your time is probably better spent focusing on your new projects.
Have you ever gone back to revise an older title? What prompted you to do so, and did you find the process rewarding? Share your experiences in the comments below.
CherryEdits 