What is it?
In a developmental edit, your work is assessed from a ‘bigger picture’ perspective. Also known as structural editing, this service gives feedback on the building blocks of storytelling. These blocks when skilfully fitted together create satisfying stories and include:
- Character development and character arc
- Plot
- Pacing
- World-building
- Story structure
- Point of view
Why choose a developmental edit?
Because you are so close to your story, it isn’t always easy to tell if your story is working. A developmental edit provides:
- Helpful feedback on those areas that are performing well in your story and those that need more work
- Comprehensive guidance on how to address the weaker areas of your story
- Advice and insights on the publishing market
- Encouragement and support from an editor who wants you to succeed
Who is it for?
The types of writers who may benefit from a developmental edit include:
- First-time authors
- More experienced authors wanting feedback on particular aspects to further improve their craft
- Authors wanting to self-publish or to send out to agents
What feedback will I get?
The feedback focuses on those aspects of your story which need attention and also points out those which are working well. My response consists of:
- Comments made directly on the manuscript along with suggested solutions
- A revision letter which pulls together all the main issues identified.
NB , In general, few editing corrections are made directly on the manuscript at this stage. This is because issues such as those affecting sentence structure, grammar and punctuation are sentence level edits and performed once the big picture edit is complete.
If, after your work has been developmentally assessed you are looking for sentence level edits, you may wish to consider my line and copyediting service.
The genres I work with are:
- Historical fiction
- Fantasy fiction
- Paranormal fiction
- Memoir
My developmental editing service is priced per individual project. The cost is based on a sample of your work.
A 50% booking deposit is required. Instalment plans are available.
If you would like to know more, or to submit a sample of your work, please contact me here.