Revision ends once I'm satisfied that the manuscript is complete and as coherent as I can make it. Thus, if the revision draft is twenty pages, the submission should be eighteen. Here are some things to look for. Adjectival and adverbial leeches . Start at the sentence level, hunting for the unnecessary modifiers which drain the life out of prose.
Strong verbs are the key to taut writing.
If you want the UPS man to deliver a mysterious parcel, he doesn't need to knock, come in, and ask Reggie to sign for it. Some writers try to punctuate emotional scenes with histrionic exits. If the scene isn't angry enough, fix it. Don't slam the door. Unnecessary scene or time switches .