DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

Whether you have finished your first draft or you are stuck finishing it, consider developmental editing.

Developmental editors work in tandem with the author to coach, evaluate, and develop a manuscript after the first draft has been completed, with the aim of making a book marketable.

Developmental editing is usually carried out prior to publication, after your first draft, and focuses on the technical elements of your writing, including (but not limited to):

Developmental editing: $20.00 USD/5,000 words

Fiction

  • Focusing on “big picture” story elements, including pace, plot development and structure, plot holes, and conflict and character development
  • Narrative  style and flow
  • Writing style, including consistency in tone, voice, character, point of view, tense, and plot
  • Thematic elements
  • Use of stylistic elements
  • Elements of storytelling, including exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action
  • Target audience

Non-fiction

  • Organization of ideas and structure
  • Narrative flow
  • Writing style, including consistency in tone, voice, and tense
  • Use of stylistic elements
  • Target audience

Whether fiction or non-fiction, at the end of the developmental edit, you will receive a reader’s report of at least ten pages, evaluating each of the above elements, along with suggested next steps and resources you may use on your writing journey.

Download sample reader’s report.