Developmental Edit
Is the story good?
Starting at $0.04 per word. I quote the full price after I’ve seen the manuscript.
What I guarantee. And what I don’t.
What it is
A developmental edit is an analysis of your story as a whole: what’s working, what isn’t, and specific suggestions for what to do about it.
I read your manuscript twice. First as a reader, recording my reactions as I go. Second as an editor, leaving extensive margin notes on plot holes, timeline and pacing, characterization, and more. Then I write a report that puts it all together.
When it’s right for you
I recommend a developmental edit when you’ve gotten confusing or conflicting advice from beta readers, or when you’ve revised a complete draft as far as you can on your own and you want concrete guidance for the next pass.
A developmental edit works best when you have a middle and an ending you understand; my suggestions build on what's already on the page. If you're not sure what's on the page, start with a manuscript assessment—that one's diagnostic, and tells you what you've got and what you don't. A developmental edit is prescriptive: it tells you how to fix what's there.
What you get
Marked-up manuscript
Extensive comments in Word: compliments, questions, pinpoint suggestions, inconsistencies, and first-reader reactions, plus tracking for themes, foreshadowing, and character development. I tag comments with keywords so you can easily search for related locations or match report feedback with a specific location in your manuscript. Occasionally I’ll use Track Changes to show you one way to fix a recurring craft problem. Recent manuscripts have come back with 300 to 1,400 margin comments.
Editorial letter
Feedback and detailed suggestions for building a compelling plot arc, three-dimensional characters who grow, and a believable world; improving or layering symbolism; and meeting genre reader expectations. The letter opens with what’s working in your manuscript, collected in one section you can go back to. It usually lists books with elements similar to yours, to learn from or use as comps, and it expands on the margin notes rather than repeating every one of them.
How long the editorial letter runs
The letter is sized to the manuscript.
Straightforward (linear plot; standalone; clean prose): 8,000–12,000 words
Moderately complex (part of a series; substantial worldbuilding): 12,000–16,000 words
Highly complex (layered theme; non-linear timeline; deep worldbuilding; long manuscript): 16,000–22,000 words
Story bible
A consistency tool. If you have one, I update it; if you don’t, I build it. It’s an Excel workbook with tabs for your invented words, characters, proper nouns, locations, and a scene-by-scene grid—plus whatever else your manuscript needs, like a timeline for time travel or heavy flashbacks, magic rules, or facts and figures that have to stay consistent.
Conversation
A one-hour follow-up over Zoom, FaceTime, or in person. Ask questions, argue with me, brainstorm solutions.
Turnaround
4–6 weeks. The full quote will include an expected delivery date.
Sample edit
I don’t do sample developmental edits because I can’t get the shape of your entire story from only a scene.
I can send you a sample report I wrote for an invented YA fantasy that matches my style and depth of analysis. I can also show you the table of contents from a recent letter for an adult sci-fi novel (used with the author’s permission).
How we start
Contact me for an estimate or a complimentary half-hour chat!