Developmental editing
A full developmental edit is a supercharged version of a manuscript critique. Along with everything included in that service, you’ll get additional extensive feedback to guide you on your writing quest.
What’s included?
- A comprehensive editorial report, which will allow you to make effective revisions.
- Comments and suggestions within your manuscript, to help you better understand what’s effective and what can be improved.
- If your story could benefit from some restructuring, I’ll make graphs or spreadsheets to show when events currently happen, and where the tension rises and falls.
Who’s it for?
This service will suit you if you want a detailed overview of your novel, along with targeted feedback within your text.
If you think something a bit less intensive will be enough for you, a manuscript critique or trip to the editing forge could be more suitable.
What does it cost?
My fee for developmental editing is £0.015 per word. I also accept other currencies, and will use the exchange rate at the time you book your slot. (A 20% non-refundable deposit is required upon booking.)
More about the process
Included with a manuscript critique:
- I’ll send you a questionnaire so I can learn more about you and your manuscript. This is so I can understand which elements of your writing are most important to you, which helps me to give you the feedback you require.
- Next, I’ll read your manuscript and make detailed notes.
- Finally, I’ll create your editorial report (usually 10–20 pages). This will contain an in-depth analysis of your story. I’ll discuss things like plot, pacing, character development, dialogue, theme(s) and setting. I’ll touch on grammar and spelling, but they won’t be the main focus (addressing those issues in depth would be classed as copyediting).
- My feedback won’t only be critical! I want you to come away excited to create the next draft, so I’ll be pointing out what you’re already getting right too.
Additionally:
- I’ll make further notes, within your manuscript, using Microsoft Word’s Track Changes and commenting features. These will help demonstrate what I discuss in the editorial report. Most of these will be observations rather than rewrites (e.g. I might highlight examples of head hopping or sudden changes in tense).
- However, I usually also choose some short scenes or sections, and offer examples of how they could be changed to be more effective. Again, this is to demonstrate how you might want to approach your rewriting, rather than to extensively provide the rewrites myself. That way, I remain your developmental editor, and I don’t become your cowriter!
- Sometimes there are great events in books, but they happen in the wrong place. (Imagine if Frodo had only left the Shire 90% of the way through The Lord of the Rings!) In cases where I think some restructuring could be beneficial, I’ll often include a graph or spreadsheet to demonstrate where things are now, and where they could be moved to.