Developmental Editing

What can I expect from a developmental edit?

The deliverables for a developmental edit are similar to that of a manuscript evaluation at the most basic level—both provide you, the author, with a comprehensive editor’s letter that includes an analysis of craft elements as well as detailing what’s going well, what’s not going so well, and other general areas for potential improvement throughout your manuscript. The developmental edit goes beyond the editor’s letter, however, with deeper detail about the structure, characters (the dialog and development of), pacing, and overall narrative flow of the manuscript. The result is an in-depth editor’s report relayed in conjunction with an extensive array of margin remarks and in-line recommendations placed throughout your manuscript. This combination gives you a roadmap for what sections we believe you should focus on. We want to empower you as you begin to work through the process of revising and refining your manuscript.

Our editor’s primary goal is to help you bring your manuscript to publishable, or near-publishable, quality. The report and editor’s notes throughout your manuscript will provide suggestions for improving your manuscript to reach this quality. We do this by addressing potential concerns with structure, point of view, scene and character development, descriptions, narrative voice, dialog, plot, consistency and accuracy (especially relevant points for hard science fiction and historical fiction works), genre conventions, theme, pacing, emotional resonance, and reader engagement. You can review a more granular explanation about these elements in the “What do developmental edits address?” section below.

In addition to these elements, we will include reader response notes (from the perspective of a first-time reader) and editorial feedback comprising minor line editing, copyediting, and proofreading notes for recurring issues such as passive voice, tone, readability, complexity, etc. The editor’s report will also include a story structure breakdown (see what is story structure for a great explanation) using the method you specify. If you don’t specify a method, we’ll provide the breakdown using the Story Circle method (or Embryo) popularized by Dan Harmon, or the most appropriate story structure for your manuscript.

A developmental edit takes a step back from your manuscript to analyze these writing and storytelling techniques with a wide lens. The feedback, direction, and suggestions provided throughout your manuscript will use the “Track Changes” feature in Microsoft Word (or highlights and comments for manuscripts in Adobe PDF format). These comments will provide further context and clarity on how you can move through your revisions to improve specific areas within the manuscript. While there will be the aforementioned line-level suggestions at times, a developmental edit is more focused on the whole of the work taken one chapter or paragraph at a time. Therefore, the best time to request a developmental edit is when you have brought your manuscript to the best possible version you are able. 

What do developmental edits address?

You and your editor are striving for the same result: to make your book the best it can possibly be.

The developmental edit delves deep to discover the inner workings of a manuscript, providing an in-depth and comprehensive critique alongside specific suggested changes within the manuscript, and the reasoning for those changes in each instance, thus beginning the process of reshaping your manuscript. This is a collaborative and ongoing effort between author and editor—an ongoing relationship throughout the developmental editing process with editor feedback and discussion. Follow-up questions about the direction or range and applicability of suggestions to other aspects of the work are part of the developmental editing process, whereas major rewrites or additional added content are not.

Your manuscript will be returned with comments both in the margins and in-line. These comments may address:

• Sentence-level issues
  • Sections where dialog, description, or structure could be improved.
• Broader concerns
  • Telling vs. showing, lengthy monologues, and the under- or overuse of dialog tags that can impact how a reader interprets a scene.
    • Specific instances where suggestions for revision will be provided in addition to the explanations in the editor’s report.
• Word choice and phrasing
  • Ineffective words or phrases, weak language, and overuse of adverbs, for example.
• Dialog and Scene descriptions
  • Excessive dialog for information dumping, or scenes lacking descriptive and grounded language
    • The use of concrete language so the reader can attach the scene to reality—a cracked green glass ashtray, for example
• Structural Suggestions
  • Sections that might benefit from being moved to another location in the chapter, or another chapter entirely.
    • This considers sentences, paragraphs, and even whole chapters.
• Troublesome Scenes
  • Recurring issues within scenes could point to a difficulty that we can address, such as observations about potential causes and suggestions for resolving or dealing with said difficulty
• Character Issues
  • Are there too many characters? Are they introduced too quickly?
    • Sometimes two characters are present where one would be more impactful. Sometimes a character exists with little payoff.
  • Will readers be able to connect to and care about each of the characters, either positively or negatively? 
    • We refer to this as emotional resonance—the ability for the character to generate an emotional connection with the reader. 

The comments and in-line suggestions are a direct line for your editor to pinpoint where and how you could improve your manuscript, especially when considered alongside the commentary in your editor’s report. As preparation for the editor’s report, an editor will scour your manuscript for occurrences of the following elements to which you will receive analysis, critique, and suggestions:

With a developmental edit your editor will scour your manuscript for occurrences of the following elements throughout your manuscript, to which you will receive analysis, critique, and suggestions:

Readability: This is just as much about sentence structure, style, and authorial voice as it is about content. Your editor will consider the following questions through a readability lens (non-exhaustive) while they are reviewing the manuscript:

• If the text is hard to read or understand, why? What can be done to improve the narrative here?
• Is the plot incoherent? Where? How can the story be modified to help provide clarity?
• If there is an excessive use of dialog tags, where? How can the overuse be addressed throughout the manuscript?
• Is there an abundance of complex (and thus, potentially convoluted) phrases in the sentence structure? 
• How much of the narrative contains multiple comma-separated (and thus, convoluted) phrases in a sentence?
• Is passive voice overused? Are there occurrences of passive voice be strengthened by using active phrasing?
  • Or could any instances be strengthened while keeping the passive voice intact?
• If there are issues with grounding (in time or place) within the dialog, how could that be addressed? 
• If the reader doesn’t become fully engaged by the story, how could this be addressed?
• How many words are in each sentence, paragraph, chapter, and the manuscript as a whole? How varied is sentence length within a paragraph, scene, or chapter?
• If there are chapters significantly shorter or longer than the rest, why? Is there a craft reason? If not, is there a way to address it?

Narrative Arc: This is also commonly called the “story arc,” and includes plot, characters, and settings, among other elements. Your editor will look at the structure and framework for the story, and though you don’t need to follow any specific style of story structure (and there  are so many), there is a general arc that (almost) every story progresses through. In the completed evaluation report, your editor will address the following:

• • Do the structure and framework of the story make sense? If not, is there a more apt structure and/or framework?
  • Does the general arc of the story fit the ascribed genre?
    • If not, do the genre-bending elements work? Is the story genre-defying?
  • Is the framework complete—exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution?
    • The story is not required to follow these elements, but this makes it much more difficult to resonate with the reader.
  • Do the structure beats flow smoothly?
    • However the story unfolds, the beats must flow from one to another smoothly—if the reader becomes confused or lost within the narrative, they could put the book down and not pick it back up.
  • Is the sequence of events sound?
  • Are the chapters of a comfortable length?
    • This is not simply a wordcount concern. For example: is the end of a chapter stilted, or do the transitions falter?

Flow and Pacing: This is where the chapters come together. Flow in this case is movement from chapter to chapter, where the term “movement” applies to characters, scenes, time, space, and place. Pacing is the overall timing of those movements through each chapter and the narrative proper. This section will have your editor investigating:

• • Is character dialog and action grouped logically?
  • Do paragraph and chapter transitions flow easily with the narrative?
  • Are the chapters organized logically—whether chronologically or otherwise?
  • Is there enough tension throughout the story?
  • Does the tension build appropriately for the narrative arc or arcs through each chapter?
  • Does the tension build through and for each chapter’s event(s)?
  • Are there points where tension building gets interrupted because of a misplaced scene break or POV shift?
  • Is there an ebb and flow to the pacing of the narrative?
    • There should be a sing-song like nature within the narrative, where the pacing slows or speeds up as it proceeds, like waves.
  • Does the pacing work for the story—is the story being told too quickly, or too slowly?

Plot: The sequence of events, and the cause and effect relationships between those events. Plot is (generally) chronological. Your editor will focus on the following elements in this area:

• • Is the opening scene gripping? Does it generate immediate intrigue?
  • Are the presented facts contradictory to the world, or do they assist in the reader’s immersion?
  • Does the plot follow genre conventions?
    • Or break those conventions in a logical manner?
  • Does the story introduce inconsistencies? If there are plot holes, how can they be remedied?
  • Are the plot(s) and story supported by the setting?

Characters: This section deals with the way each character interacts with both the world around them and the other characters in the story. Overall, character assessment focuses on how well they are developed, how effectively they contribute to the plot, and how engaging they are for the reader. In this area, your editor will focus on the following:

• • Are the major and minor characters fleshed out?
    • Do they have their own personalities, voices, thoughts, etc.? Do they have clear motivations, flaws, desires, and fears?
  • Do the characters act in a way that aligns with their background, personality, and the story’s context?
  • Does each character have their own internal struggles that inform their decisions and promote their growth (or incite their deterioration)?
    • Does their change feel forced or sudden, or is it well-paced?
  • Do character’s arcs tie up their narrative threads? Do they leave room for further development if necessary?
  • Does each character have their own manner of speaking, thinking, or behaving? Can they be identified without needing dialog tags or descriptors?
    • Quirks, habits, expressions, mannerisms, etc.
  • Do character inter-relationships have impact? Are they believable? Do they reveal character traits or move the plot forward?
  • Are characters other than the protagonist more than cut-outs or caricatures?
    • A great resource for antagonist complexity and depth is How to use Antagonists in Your Story: The Right Way and the Wrong Way by K.M. Weiland
  • Does the antagonist challenge the protagonist in meaningful ways? Are their interactions meaningful to the story?
  • Do the characters remain consistent in behavior and reaction throughout the story, or do they change without cause?
    • This can be a character trait/flaw, but it must be easily identifiable to the reader.
  • Do all the characters create reader connection, whether through empathy or fascination? 
    • While this is pertinent to all major, minor, and key characters, it is of paramount import for both the protagonist and the antagonist.
  • Do the major, minor, and key characters create emotional resonance with the reader? Do they make the reader care about them throughout the story?
    • Emotional resonance means more than just connection. Do the characters evoke strong emotions—positive or negative—enough so the reader cares about the story’s outcome?
  • Does the story reveal enough character backstory to understand their motivations without overwhelming the narrative?
  • Does the backstory of each character enhance that character’s depth without slowing the pacing or feeling like excessive exposition?

Additionally: These additional points will be assessed throughout the manuscript evaluation and addressed in the resulting report.

• • Does the manuscript engage with genre conventions effectively?
    • This is for the story as a whole, and not restrained to the plot alone as presented above.
  • Does the manuscript adhere to its desired target audience?
  • Is the manuscript positioned well for its target audience?

What to Expect in Your Comments

While there are no strict rules for what we include in these comments, and the specifics change with each writer and each book, we see these comments as a way to start a dialogue with you. They allow us to highlight sections of the book and suggest improvements. Here are some common types of comments you might find:

• Sentence-Level Issues:
  • Highlighting sections of text that need more description or where sentence structure could be improved.
• Wider Issues:
  • Addressing broader concerns also discussed in the editor’s report, such as instances where you might be telling rather than showing. We provide detailed explanations in the report and use comments to highlight specific sections where these issues occur.
• Word or Phrase Choices:
  • Pointing out words or phrases that may not be effective or that could be improved.
• Structural Suggestions:
  • Indicating sections that might benefit from being removed or moved to a different part of the book.

Comments are a granular way for your editor to show you where and how you can improve your book. However, they should not be considered in isolation. Along with embedded comments, you will also receive a detailed, multi-page editor’s report that addresses broader themes and issues within your manuscript.

Editor’s Report

A key part of the developmental editing process is the editor’s report. This document contains your editor’s comprehensive thoughts on your book, offering a broad overview of key issues and serving as a ‘jumping-off point’ for the changes you may want to apply to your manuscript.

Just like the embedded comments, the contents of the report will vary with each book. Since 2007, we have developed a detailed structure for our reports, ensuring consistency and thoroughness. The report consists of two main parts: general thoughts and chapter comments.

In the general thoughts section, we highlight any major issues that have surfaced during the edit. We explain why these issues need addressing, provide examples of where the issues occur (often in conjunction with the embedded comments), and offer at least one solution for each problem.

For instance, if we find that your book has a slow start, we will identify the root causes. It might be due to excessive setup that, while essential to the plot, slows the narrative pace. Alternatively, it could be a lack of defined structure, resulting in no inciting incident to drive the story forward. Or perhaps the story simply begins at the wrong point in the plot.

A slow start can disengage readers, risking their interest in the book. In our editor’s report, we would examine this issue thoroughly and suggest solutions.

Possible solutions might include:

• Reducing Excessive Setup:
  • We might suggest reexamining the opening section and removing non-essential setup details, reintroducing them later through dialogue or new scenes.
• Enforcing Structure:
  • If the structure is the problem, we may recommend implementing a loose three-act structure to create a natural inciting incident, providing a clearer narrative arc.
• Restructuring the Opening:
  • If the story starts in the wrong place, we would suggest relocating the beginning to a more significant event, ensuring nothing crucial to the plot is lost in the process.

In addition to general thoughts, the report includes detailed chapter comments. These provide specific feedback on each chapter, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. This dual approach ensures you receive both a macro and micro perspective on your manuscript.

The aim of the editor’s report is to help you understand the issues within your book and how to fix them. We never simply say ‘fix this’; we explain why it is an issue and provide actionable steps to correct it.

Many authors find the editor’s report to be an invaluable tool. Before each editing session, they refer back to the report to get a sense of the bigger picture

Developmental Editing may also be referred to as story editing (for fiction or creative non-fiction in particular), book editing, substantive editing, manuscript editing, structural editing, or content editing.

It is the ‘big picture’ evaluation of the structure and content of a story or a text.

Developmental editors analyze and evaluate:

• the plot arc (a.k.a. story arc) for fiction and creative non-fiction, to ensure that you’ve included each essential plot point, and at the appropriate places.
• the character arc, for at least the protagonist.
• the distinct elements of plot, character, setting, and theme to ensure each is used to their best advantage.
• potential plot holes, or sub-plots that go nowhere.
• clarity and consistency.
• overall and per scene word count, scenes per chapter, and so on, while keeping pacing and genre expectations in mind.

When to Apply Developmental Editing

Developmental editing should be done after the completion of the first draft and before line editing—sometimes also referred to as stylistic editing or copy editing—or proofreading.

Line editing or copy editing before the developmental edit will result in time and money spent unnecessarily to correct grammar, spelling, and mechanics on scenes or sentences that may not exist after the developmental edit.

• In some cases, in particular when a work-in-progress is not working or you become stuck, a developmental editor can work with you before the first draft is complete. In this case, they will collaborate with you to find a way to fix the manuscript so you can move forward with your project (not all developmental editors will offer this service).

Types of Writing That Need a Developmental Edit

Almost every type of writing you can think of has accepted structures and/or best practices. Because of this, virtually any type of writing can benefit from a developmental edit, including:

• Fiction novels
• Non-fiction books (e.g. self-help books, instructional books, textbooks and curriculum guides, memoirs, and biographies)
• Novellas and short stories
• Blog posts, web pages, and web copy
• Academic essays, reports, and scholarly articles

When You Need Developmental Editing

• If you are a new fiction author, still trying to figure out how to apply all the information about plot structure and story elements to your own manuscript.
• If you are a new or experienced non-fiction author, unsure of how to structure your non-fiction manuscript for clarity and to appeal to readers.
• If you are a new or experienced author who is writing a difficult manuscript or a manuscript that doesn’t work, but you can’t pinpoint why. Rather than abandoning a project forty, fifty, or a hundred thousand words in, a developmental editor may give you new insight into what is not working and why.

While these may be some cases where a developmental editing is very much needed, any author could benefit from the perspective of a developmental editor. This is true even if the author is an editor themselves or uses a highly effective tool such as Fictionary’s StoryTeller software for self-editing.

While author-editors and authors who use tools such as StoryTeller have definite advantages, it’s virtually impossible to be objective about our own writing. We are close to our stories. We know our characters well, including their backstories and their motivations. We know what we meant to say.

But this means it’s difficult for us to tell if a reader who doesn’t have access to all this information would find something confusing or incomplete. We may fail to see plot holes that are obvious to readers. We, as authors, may find it difficult to ‘kill our darlings,’ including scenes we love that don’t connect to the plot.

What to Expect from Your Developmental Editor

• Honesty – Be prepared to receive constructive criticism. The very nature of editing means it focuses on what needs to be improved, and not necessarily on what you do well. If you don’t get honest feedback, your editor is not doing their job. However, this feedback should be given in a tactful and professional manner.
• Collaboration and communication – A good editor will collaborate with you and answer your questions. You may even find you learn a lot about story editing and story structure through your work with a developmental editor.
• A contract – Editors will usually expect clients to sign a contract. For some, an email outlining the work to be done, cost, and timeline, as well as the client’s response stating their approval, will be enough. Others might ask you to sign a longer, more formal, and more in-depth contract.

• In-line notes – Notes and comments added in the manuscript (often using ‘Track Changes’) highlighting specific areas that need improvement. These usually stick to the big-picture story elements regarding structure, plot, character, setting, pacing, and narrative technique.Developmental editing is NOT line editing or copyediting, so do not expect notes or comments on grammar, spelling and mechanics unless there are obvious, repeated errors.
• An editorial letter or report – Once your developmental edit is complete, your editor will provide you with a comprehensive letter or report. It should address problematic areas in your manuscript and explain what the issues are and why. A good editor will also make suggestions or give advice on how to fix these.

When you hire a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor for your story/developmental edit, you can expect a comprehensive editorial letter, as described above. In addition, your editor will provide you with your own StoryCoach account where you can see his or her in line comments and scene notes. You will also have access to various tables and graphs that show you at a glance where your plot arc, character arc, and story elements are working well, as well as where there is room for improvement.

Developmental Editing Conclusion

• Some editors will include elements of stylistic and copy editing (such as mood, tone, and consistency) in their developmental edits. Because of this, and the flexible use of various editing terms, be sure to clarify what you are getting before you sign a contract.
• Good editors often book clients weeks or months in advance, so keep this in mind when planning your project. Alternately, you can book once you have a clear idea of when you will be ready for this stage of editing.
• Remember, the author has the final say over which suggestions to keep and which to reject (unless you are publishing through a traditional publishing company, in which case you may have less say). However, before you disregard your editor’s advice, remember you are both working toward the same goal: to make your book the best it can be.

You are both working toward the same goal: to make your book the best it can be.