Member
MFA, New Mexico State University
Developmental editing
A developmental edit is what stands between the draft you have and the best version of your book.
"He was able to draw out of me what I wanted from the story without setting any terms for me. He would listen, ask questions and reiterate until it became clear."
Gina C, fiction writer
It's the difference between a rough manuscript with good bones and a potential bestseller.
In 1957 Harper Lee handed her editor a manuscript called Go Set a Watchman. Tay Hohoff told her the real story was in the flashbacks, in the child and her father. Lee revised, and what came out was To Kill a Mockingbird.
Maxwell Perkins did the same kind of work at Scribner's. He pushed Fitzgerald through draft after draft until Gatsby himself came into focus, and he cut Thomas Wolfe's sprawling first manuscript into Look Homeward, Angel. Every one of those books arrived as a draft that wasn't working yet.
1. Try the free sample edit, and you'll know within two business days whether it's a fit.
2. We agree on terms, and I'll sign an NDA if you'd like one.
3. I do a substantive review through the full manuscript, leaving in-text comments and suggestions, then write the editorial letter: usually 8 to 12 pages on structure, pacing, voice, and what the book wants to become. You also get a detailed revision map, which turns the letter into a sequence you can choose how to implement.
4. Afterward we have a 45-minute call to work through everything and develop a clear plan.
5. You revise and turn the book into what it always wanted to be.
| Manuscript assessment | Developmental edit | |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What's working, and what should I do next? | How do I fix everything, chapter by chapter? |
| Readiness | Early drafts, first completed drafts, or writers unsure whether the project is viable. | Best on a complete draft you've already revised at least once. |
| What you get | A substantial editorial letter, usually 8 to 12 pages that addresses structure, character, pacing, point of view, and market fit. You also get a revision map and a 45-minute call if you'd like. | The editorial letter plus extensive margin comments throughout the manuscript, chapter-level notes, and restructuring maps or scene lists where the book needs them. We'll also meet or have a call, plus a second review when it helps. |
| Best fit | Writers who revise well on their own and need direction. Also useful before committing to a bigger edit. | Writers who want granular feedback, or manuscripts with structural challenges. |
What if the draft is a mess? Then you're in the right place.
Do you work in my genre? I have worked with writers across literary fiction, memoir, poetry, self-development, and business and founder books.
Try a manuscript assessment. You'll get a substantial review of your manuscript that results in a detailed editorial letter, a revision map, and a call where we can discuss everything.
Member
MFA, New Mexico State University