Developmental Editing

You’ve written a novel or book—but is it working? Are the characters well developed? Does the plot progress in a way that makes sense and keeps readers engaged? Are the theme and message clear and actionable? Will agents have any interest?

Once you’ve got a completed manuscript, a developmental edit—sometimes also called an annotation or substantiative edit—is an essential first step to guide your revision process. There’s nothing more disheartening than spending time and money on a line/copy edit only to realize there are major “big picture” issues that still need to be addressed. Authors who try to skip over this crucial step in the interest of saving time or money always end up investing more of both to reach their publishing goals.

Unlike other stages of the writing and editing process, it’s important that your developmental editor has expertise in the genre within which you are writing so you can receive industry-informed feedback. For this reason, I do not typically work on books solidly in the horror, mystery, or sci-fi categories, though I have worked on books in which these categories are blended with another (e.g., romance) about which I have an expert-level proficiency.

The genres I specialize in developmental editing include:

Fiction:

Middle-grade fantasy and contemporary
YA fantasy and contemporary
Women’s fiction
Literary fiction
Contemporary fiction
Historical fiction
Historical romance
Romance
Romantic suspense
Romantic fantasy
Urban fantasy
Low and high fantasy

Nonfiction:

Middle-grade nonfiction
Travelogues
Business guides
Personal development
Teaching memoirs
Traditional memoirs
Narrative nonfiction
Historical nonfiction
Autofiction
Spirituality and wellness books
Journals and devotionals

When you work with me as a developmental editor, you’ll get:

Feedback on:

Your novel’s plot or book’s structure.

Your characters’ development and motivations.

The effectiveness of your book’s central message, idea, or theme.

The target audience for your novel or book.

Your adherence to the intended genre.

POV, voice, and tense usage.

Big-picture language issues or inconsistencies.

Marketability and missing components that agents will be looking for.

Any of your specific concerns relating to the book’s big picture.

Deliverables including:

Both positive and constructive feedback: what’s working well and where there is room for improvement.

A detailed editorial memo (typically 8–12 pages) summarizing my thoughts.

Marginal comments (an average of one per page) using Microsoft Word’s “comments” feature to draw your attention to specific needs and strong points throughout the manuscript.

A 30-minute follow-up call to discuss feedback and answer any questions.

Suggestions to guide your next steps.

Don’t have a completed manuscript, not sure the manuscript is working, or looking for feedback on only a few components? A developmental edit may be more than you need. Check out my (more affordable) alpha and beta reading offerings.

Investment

My developmental editing rates start at $0.035/word for a first read and $0.018/word for a second-pass read. Pricing depends on the project's genre, complexity, and desired turnaround time. Please reach out for a personalized fixed-rate quote and deadline.

Whitney, thank you for providing feedback in such an uplifting, positive manner. You possess a gift. Not only can you diagnose story ailments but you are able to communicate those ailments in such a way that encourages the writer to believe that they have the talent to overcome them.

Laura K Reynolds

You did a great job! Thank you so, so much for your work! We love the story!

Karissa Taylor
Senior Editor at Tommy Nelson

I love this editor. She is awesome and may be the best I’ve ever had.

Steven K. Scott
New York Times bestselling author

Developmental Editing

Thank you!