You Wrote 50,000 Words: What to Do With Your Draft on December 1 (2026 Guide)

What should you do first when you finish the draft?

Save it in more than one place before anything else. Keep a copy on your computer, a copy in cloud storage and, ideally, a copy on a separate drive or emailed to yourself. Then make a dated duplicate and label it something like “Draft 1, untouched”. You will edit a different copy from now on, so the original always exists if a revision goes badly.

Do not start fixing things. After a month of fast writing, your judgement of the draft is unreliable in both directions. Some writers feel it is brilliant, others feel it is hopeless, and both feelings are mostly tiredness. Close the file and celebrate in whatever way suits you.

If you did not hit 50,000 words, or the story is not finished, the same advice applies. A partial draft is still material. Note where you stopped and what was meant to happen next, in a few lines, so you can pick it up later without having to work out where you were.

How long should you rest before revising?

A common rule of thumb is to leave a draft alone for a few weeks, and many writers say longer is better. The point is distance. You want to come back able to read the pages as a reader would, rather than as the person who remembers what each scene was supposed to be. There is no exact number that works for everyone, so choose a break you can stick to.

Rest does not have to mean doing nothing. Read books in your genre, watch how published authors open chapters and end scenes, and jot down questions about your own story as they occur to you. Keep those notes in a separate file rather than editing the draft.

If you are prone to losing steam, put a return date in your calendar before you start the break. A date turns rest into a plan. Without one, many finished drafts quietly stay unopened for years.

How do you assess a rough draft once you come back?

Start by reading the whole thing through without changing anything, if you can bear it. Use a notes file and write down what you notice: where you were bored, where you were confused, which characters came alive and which were flat. Reading on a different device or printing the pages helps you see them freshly.

Then write a one-page summary of what actually happens, scene by scene. Fast drafts often contain plot threads that were dropped, characters who changed names or motives, and a middle that drifted. The summary shows you the real shape of the book, which is rarely the one you planned. If you want a framework for judging that shape, a three-act structure is a useful yardstick.

Finally, decide what the book is trying to be. Name the genre, the main character’s want and the central question the reader will keep asking. This becomes your test for every later decision. A scene that does not serve it is a candidate for cutting or reworking.

In what order should you revise a novel?

Work from big to small. Fixing sentences in a scene you later delete is wasted effort, so begin with structure and end with polish.

• Story level: plot holes, pacing, stakes, the ending, and whether the middle holds attention. Expect to cut, move and rewrite whole scenes.
• Character level: motivation, consistency, voice and arcs. Check that the main character’s choices drive the plot rather than things simply happening to them.
• Scene level: each scene should have a purpose, a change and a reason to be there. Trim openings that warm up and endings that linger.
• Line level: clarity, repetition, dialogue, and the habits you notice in your own prose, such as overused words.

It is normal for the second draft to be shorter in some places and longer in others. Fast drafts often need new material to fill gaps as well as cuts. Our guide on revising a novel gives a fuller checklist, and the first draft guide helps if you are still stuck on the finish.

Resist the urge to polish early chapters endlessly while the rest stays rough. Work through the whole book at each level before moving to the next.

When should you get feedback, and from whom?

Get feedback after you have done at least one revision pass of your own. Sharing a raw draft usually produces comments about problems you already know about, and it can sap your confidence when the book is most fragile. Once you have fixed what you can see, outside readers can show you what you cannot.

Beta readers are the usual first step. Ideally they read your genre and will tell you honestly where they got bored or lost. Give them a few specific questions rather than asking if they liked it. Our guide on finding beta readers covers where to look and what to ask.

Paid help comes later. A developmental editor looks at structure and story, a copyeditor at language and consistency, and a proofreader at the final errors. Paying for line edits on a draft that still needs structural change wastes money, so order matters here too. Costs vary a lot by editor and word count, so get quotes before you plan a budget.

Should you publish this book, and what does that involve?

Not every NaNoWriMo draft needs to be published, and that is fine. Some are practice that teaches you how you work. Ask yourself honestly whether you love the story, whether you can see it improving through revision, and whether you want to spend months more on it. If the answers are yes, treat it as a real project with a timeline.

If you do plan to self-publish, work backwards from a realistic date. After revisions and feedback you will need editing, a cover, formatting, a blurb, and a decision about where to sell. Many first-time authors underestimate how long these take. Publishing too soon, with an unedited book and an improvised cover, tends to hurt reviews and is hard to undo. Our guide to self-publishing on Amazon KDP walks through the steps.

Tools can take some of the load. CruxOne is an AI book publishing platform for indie authors, used in a web browser, with AI editing, cover design, formatting and publishing to retailers, plus a marketplace for hiring editors and designers. Whatever you use, keep your own judgement in charge of the story. If you want help planning the schedule, the words per day and launch timeline calculators are useful for setting dates.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I wait before editing my NaNoWriMo draft?

A few weeks is a common rule of thumb, and longer often helps. The aim is enough distance to read it like a stranger. Set a return date so the break does not become indefinite.

Is a 50,000-word draft long enough to be a novel?

It is short for most genres, so many drafts need expansion in revision. Typical lengths vary by genre, so check the word counts for yours before deciding how much to add.

Can I publish my NaNoWriMo draft as it is?

You can, but it is rarely a good idea. A fast first draft normally needs structural revision, outside feedback and professional editing before readers see it.

What if I did not finish the story by the end of the month?

That is common and fine. Write a short note on what happens next, rest, and then continue at your own pace. The material you have is still valuable.

Do I need an editor for a self-published novel?

Most authors benefit from one, since it is hard to see your own mistakes. At minimum, use beta readers and a proofread. A developmental edit helps most if the structure is uncertain.