You have just received a request for additional material from an editor or agent after submitting some initial material for your story. Apparently they saw something that intrigued them enough to want to see more. This is good, right? It isn't a contract, but at least you are still floating along in the river of publishing...
But of course, as you waited for a response from that person, you may have received some feedback from critique partners, rejections from others, comments from contests, and those dreaded thoughts about your story in the middle of the night that have you rethinking some things about your story.
The middle or end of the story needs to be changed!
The dialogue isn't right!
You wrote this in 1st person and after reading Scott's blog you think 3rd person is a better approach!
You want to change the story to a multicultural storyline or a LGBTQ+ story
Etc., etc., etc......
So, do you change the story????????
I will give you two answers here.
For the editor who wanted the story, don't you dare touch that story. Don't tweak it. Don't adjust it. Don't hand it to your critique partners or beta readers for "one last look through." Leave it the way it is. If it was good enough to send it out the first time, it should have already been ready. So leave it.
That editor or agent saw something in the story you sent them that interested them and they want to see where THAT story is going to. They already saw your synopsis so they know what the story is about. They already know the dialogue and voice. If you go and change any of that you are doing a "bait and switch" on them. You are sending them something they did not request. Now, does that mean they will like it? There are no promises that the original story will work either. But, you are sending them what they wanted.
OK, but what about all of those other ideas? I did say there are two answers here, so here comes answer number two. You change that story to your heart's content. Label that as version 2.0. Give it a new title. Change the characters and change it all. This is now a new book. I will caution you though. Editors and agents DO remember your stories (or at least a lot of them), or for me, I have a database. When you submit, I do see what you sent the last time and I have notes of what I said the first time. If you pitch version 2.0 as a new book, and I see you are just re-pitching the story, I, for one, will pass on your project because I do not look at revisions. But with that said, if it REALLY is a completely new story, I have no problem.
The key is, when the submission process for your book is in motion with that editor or agent, let the plan play out. They will tell you if they want revisions. They will tell you what they like or don't like. Don't try to second guess them.
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