Sometimes called “substantive editing.” Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, the storylines of your manuscript need to be rooted in its themes, character arcs, backstory, locality and maybe even destiny . . . When those roots are allowed to do their job, a strong narrative emerges—storylines twisting back and forth across each other, establishing the interconnected world of your book.

What is a Developmental Edit FOR?

• It brings together data on both macro and micro issues, creating a multi-layered report

• It assesses the overall health of the text

• It highlights areas that might benefit from revision

• It identifies solid strategies to realize those improvements

• It explains the reasoning behind those recommendations

A Developmental Edit includes the following:

• Initial consultation on Zoom (or messaging app of your choice)

• Comments throughout the manuscript using Review in Microsoft Word

• Any adjustments to typos or formatting problems recorded in Track Changes unless otherwise arranged

• A detailed editorial letter

• Follow up meeting where you can ask any questions about the editorial letter and comments

What is an editorial letter?

The editorial letter brings issues found in the manuscript together in one place, and gives practical suggestions for revision. A typical letter will include:

• Chapter summaries.

• A compilation of recurring issues grouped under general headings such as Premise, Plot, Three-Act-Structure, Point of View, Character Development, Dialogue, Narrative Technique, Conflict and Tension, Character Description, Chapter Length, Scene length, and Beginnings and Endings. These will each be broken down into any component parts that are relevant to the text. I might also comment on things like word count, visual elements, timestamps, epistolary text or epigraphs. All these sections contain suggestions as to how to resolve the issues raised.

• A bullet-pointed summary of the report featuring the most important suggestions.

NOTE: While some writers like editors to use Track Changes and make changes directly into the text, it doesn’t really suit my style, so unless direct edits to the text have been specifically requested, the text itself will only be changed with regard to obvious typos/formatting problems, and any changes will be suggested in the Review section so it runs alongside the text. This developmental editing service does not include comprehensive proof-reading or formatting, so the kind of things I will correct in Track Changes are just things I run across in the text which can be easily fixed. Then the writer can go through changes made in Track Changes and accept/reject each change either individually or en masse.