All about developmental editing
Or "dev editing" as we "dev editors" like to call it sometimes--a casual term for a serious undertaking. A developmental edit looks at the structure of your project: organization, plot, character, pacing, and more. Think of me as your first outside reader who can offer objective feedback about what's working in your project and about what could be improved. Then I help you actually carry out these improvements by giving tangible ideas and examples.
A developmental edit could take the form of an editorial letter or a developmental pass.
We may start with an editorial letter, then move to a developmental pass. This is helpful if you're not sure exactly how to overhaul the book yourself, or if you've spent so much time on it already that you can't even see straight any more; I'll help you figure out where to start and what to tackle. Or, if you know what needs to be done, we may skip the letter and jump right in to the developmental pass.
A developmental edit could take the form of an editorial letter or a developmental pass.
- An editorial letter is my assessment of your manuscript. I'll discuss both the good stuff and the stuff we can improve, and give you specific strategies for implementing these suggestions.
- A developmental pass starts with a read through: I read your manuscript from beginning to end. Then I go back to the beginning and use track changes and comments to actually edit the document.
We may start with an editorial letter, then move to a developmental pass. This is helpful if you're not sure exactly how to overhaul the book yourself, or if you've spent so much time on it already that you can't even see straight any more; I'll help you figure out where to start and what to tackle. Or, if you know what needs to be done, we may skip the letter and jump right in to the developmental pass.
All about workflow
I edit using track changes in Microsoft Word or Pages. If you're not familiar with track changes, I can give you a quick tutorial before we get started.
For an editorial letter:
You can use the editorial letter to dive into your own developmental pass. You may decide, after your pass, that you want me to read through the new version and give you more feedback.
Or I can use the editorial letter to then make my own developmental pass on the manuscript.
For a developmental pass:
You may decide, after your pass, that you want me to read through the new version and give you more feedback.
For an editorial letter:
- You send me the manuscript.
- I read through it all carefully, keeping detailed notes.
- I turn my notes into a comprehensive editorial letter.
You can use the editorial letter to dive into your own developmental pass. You may decide, after your pass, that you want me to read through the new version and give you more feedback.
Or I can use the editorial letter to then make my own developmental pass on the manuscript.
For a developmental pass:
- You send me the manuscript.
- I read through it all carefully, keeping detailed notes.
- I then go through the manuscript a second time, making comments and edits using track changes.
- You review the comments and edits, accepting them or using them to inspire your own changes.
You may decide, after your pass, that you want me to read through the new version and give you more feedback.
