What Is Developmental Editing?
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” (Inigo Montoya, Princess Bride)
Recently, on social media, I’ve noticed a lot of people offering developmental editing at excessively low prices because they “understand where indie authors are coming from.” As a developmental editor, I almost always look at their websites to see if I need to rethink my service. I immediately see that what they’re offering is not developmental editing. Most of the services touted as developmental editing are actually alpha reads — low-cost, sometimes free, services by readers who look at plot and character arcs and give a broad assessment — being offered at assessment or critique prices.
Some of these individuals, or companies, don’t know the difference between a developmental edit, an alpha read, a manuscript critique, and a novel assessment. The rest, I fear, are exploiting a writer’s ignorance of the editorial terms. It’s deceitful to offer a service you have no intention of delivering and underhand to throw shade at experienced, professional editors in the process.
I’ll jump off my soapbox now to offer some facts about developmental editing, including what it is (and isn’t), what sort of training developmental editors have, and typical deliverables you can expect from most developmental editors.
What developmental editing is
Since there isn’t one governing body for editors in the United States, and traditional publishing has its own set of rules, editing entrepreneurs and freelancers have had to come up with our own definitions of the industry’s terms. This is one reason it’s so important for an editor to outline all parameters and deliverables so you, as an author, understand what to expect from the service.
In all fairness, most professionals in the publishing industry argue over the definition of developmental editing. We do, however, agree that developmental editing is “big picture” editing. But what does that mean?
Reedsy defines developmental editing as taking a “close look at the larger structures of your book.” Most writers and academics agree on six “larger structures,” or elements:
· Theme
· Plot
· World building
· Characters
· Point of view (POV)
· Style
During a developmental edit, I look at these six elements, but I clump POV with characters, and I include the internal story with the external plot. I also analyze the genre and subgenre expectations. I include this in my editorial assessments because a lot of indie authors come to developmental editors with no idea of their genre. Without this knowledge, it can be difficult for them to know whether they are hitting the beats that readers expect. They could end up wasting time by marketing to the wrong audience.
The main goal of any “big picture” assessment — be it developmental editing, a manuscript critique, a novel assessment, or an alpha read — is to highlight what is working in your novel, what needs work, and in some cases, offer ways to fix the errors.
What developmental editing isn’t
Developmental editing isn’t line editing, copyediting, or proofreading. It comes before all three of these stages.
· Line editing: At this stage, I focus on consistency, clarity, and continuity. I rewrite text, break up and streamline awkward sentences, substitute weaker words for stronger counterparts, make suggestions, give advice, and fact check.
· Copyediting: I carefully read your manuscript to ensure it is clear, correct, and readable by fixing grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
· Proofreading: This stage is traditionally done after formatting and involves a thorough check of the final proofs (hence the name). A proofreader takes a final look at your manuscript to ensure there are no spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting errors.
When I am developmental editing, I’m not moving around chunks of text or cutting portions of the novel. That isn’t my job as a developmental editor. It isn’t my call because it isn’t my work of art. I leave marginal comments and provide specific feedback in an editorial letter, and I provide the author with additional resources so they can do more research in the areas I see they’re struggling with.
What to expect
Developmental editors can read a novel and “see a shadow version of it simultaneously,” says Pat Dobie in her book Fiction Editing: A Writer’s Roadmap. They can read the manuscript and see the potential for the world the author has created.
Developmental editors are usually trained by an outside group, like the University of Chicago, Editorial Arts Academy, or the Editorial Freelancers Association, or by expert editors, like Sophie Playle or Jennifer Lawler.
Developmental edits are also characterized by the level of detail and the deliverables. As mentioned above, developmental editors are looking at four to six story elements. I highlight the following story elements in my editorial letters:
· Plot and story
· Theme
· Characterization and POV
· World building
· Genre and subgenre expectations
· Style
I look at how the plot (external action) and story (internal arcs) work together to bring about the entire world. I check if there is a theme present. Since I work with romance authors, there is a built-in theme of “love conquers all,” but I prefer to find a more nuanced theme, if possible. I look for specific lessons the author is trying to convey through their characters. I look at how the characters are changed by the world and the people around them, and I analyze the point of view.
I also offer a book map. A book map is a spreadsheet that details the word count and summarizes the plot points and story events by chapter and scene, which I compile during a second read-through. I analyze the length of each chapter and display this information in a bar chart, I offer a sensory pie chart that highlights the frequency of mentions of the five senses, and I point out additional resources via links in the editorial letter. I collect all the links throughout and offer them again in a single list at the end so authors have a single point of reference.
Developmental editing versus manuscript critiques
Let’s look at two of the services I offer: developmental editing and manuscript critiques.
Both services start in the same way. After a potential client fills out my contact form, they receive an automated email containing my services brochure. The author has an opportunity to look at my packages and my à la carte services. After they have chosen a service, I request a sample edit. My goal at this stage is to show the client how I make marginal notes and allow them to assess the tone I use. Both these elements will determine whether the client and I will be a good fit.
Here is where the two services deviate.
Manuscript critique
My manuscript critique service involves the following steps:
1. I read the novel once, leaving marginal notes. I also make additional notes or questions in a separate document.
2. I write up a 15+ page editorial report covering the six story elements. If I don’t find anything wrong with world building, for instance, I would note that and move on. With a manuscript critique, I’m relying on the author to do a lot of the heavy lifting after they have read the report, so I still include additional resources, like books, videos, and podcasts.
3. After I have returned the manuscript and report, I offer a one-hour video call with the author to discuss the report and any questions or concerns they may have.
Depending on word count, the whole process might take two to three weeks, because I’m usually working on two edits simultaneously. The report takes about a day to write.
Developmental edit
A developmental edit is much more involved than a manuscript critique:
1. I carefully read through the document at least twice. The first time, I make marginal comments. Then, I read the manuscript again, making more comments and filling out the book map.
2. After the second full read-through, I pull down the marginal comments and organize the notes with alphanumeric codes. For instance, if I leave a fifth comment for showing versus telling, I would give the code SVT5.
3. I fill out a Story Rubric (from Three Story Method) to analyze character development, and I include a summary of the Story Rubric in the editorial letter.
4. I analyze the length of each chapter and put the information into a bar graph.
5. I scan the document, using ProWritingAid’s reports, for sensory words and create a pie chart that I later insert into the editorial letter.
6. Throughout this whole process, I make notes in a Novel Layout Resource spreadsheet. It includes items already mentioned, like the book map, the chapter-length graph, and the sensory graph, but it also contains a Structure and Beats table, a Goal-Motivation-Conflict chart, a Story Calendar, and a Character Names and Features table.
7. Once I’ve finished analyzing the novel, I crunch the data and write the editorial letter. This takes me at least two days, but I have created a template to help with the repeating bits — which aren’t many.
8. After I have returned the manuscript, editorial letter, and additional resources, I offer a one-hour video call with the author to discuss the letter and any questions or concerns they may have.
My editorial letter — unlike my editorial report, which is a summary of what I liked and what needs improvement — is a teaching tool. I define each story element, how I interpreted that element from the manuscript, and what, if anything, can be improved.
I spend four to six weeks on each developmental edit for manuscripts up to 100,000 words. I analyze and crunch data for at least a week. I spend two days writing and editing the letter. I scour the internet for additional resources to highlight my findings, because we all learn differently and a video or podcast may give the client that aha moment that my letter couldn’t provide.
Developmental editors are on your side
Hopefully, by showcasing the two different services, I have shown you that we, developmental editors, aren’t trying to rip you off. We love analyzing the written word, and we’ve spent countless hours training and reading craft books. We pour over novels through multiple rounds and we crunch data. We work on your novel in our heads as we’re driving, taking kids to extracurricular activities, doing dishes, and showering.
We are invested.
So, when I see people offering developmental editing at a discounted price without understanding what a developmental editor is or how many hours we invest in reading and analyzing, and they just want to do it on a whim, it makes me angry.
How can you find the perfect developmental editor?
With so many editing options available, and so many people offering different services, it can be hard to know which developmental editor is right for your book. The good news is there are several ways you can vet editors to make sure they’re the right fit for you.
First, know your genre (or get as close as you can), then look for editors who niche in that genre. A developmental editor who is adept at horror isn’t going to be a good fit for a historical romance author.
Next, compile a list of editors, then narrow it down, and reach out to a few editors from the list, and request a sample edit. However, it isn’t unusual for developmental editors to not provide free sample edits, because this service can be almost as time consuming as the whole thing. If an editor doesn’t offer a sample edit, check out their portfolio in depth. Look at previous books they’ve worked on, check references, confirm their education for this service, and ask the editor for a short, paid sample.
I offer to look at the first five chapters or 5,000 words, but the information I provide isn’t really for the author to make changes at this stage. Look at the style and content of the editor’s comments, whether the editor replies in a timely manner, and how they communicate with you overall. The ideal editor–author partnership should be supportive and bring the author’s vision to life.
Final thoughts
My intention isn’t to disparage anyone for the services they’re offering. But, fellow editors, let’s not confuse writers and ourselves by using the label of development edits for novel assessments, manuscript critiques and alpha reads. You wouldn’t offer me a tulip and call it a rose. So, let’s come to an agreement on editorial services as well.
Authors, consider how much feedback you need (or want) and what price you’re willing to pay for that feedback. If you feel comfortable with broad advice and you want to do the research yourself, you might consider a manuscript critique or novel assessment. If this is the first time you’ve produced a finished draft, and you need specific advice from a professional, a developmental edit is the way to go.
My last piece of advice is this: consider the motives of these offers. These individuals are offering a specialty service well below minimum wage. So, ask yourself why they are offering these low rates. Some may be retired from a publishing house or teaching, while others may be authors or new editors. Either way, remember to ask where they were trained, check their references, and ask for a sample edit — free or paid.
Now you know what a developmental edit involves, you can make an educated decision about the level of big-picture editing you need — be it a novel assessment, a manuscript critique, an alpha read, or a full developmental edit.
If you’re interested in finding out more about what I can bring to your manuscript, please get in touch here. I love making new friends, click here to follow me on social media and check out my other links, as well. I’d love to hear from you!
