My Developmental Editing Process

I love to start with a free discovery call so I can get to know you and your goals for your book. Everything begins with your intent and purpose for your story, and it's important for me to be on the same page with you before we start. After our call, I like to review where your draft is at, and from there I'll draft up a proposal and share a quote for how we can work together.

After I review your manuscript and we connect, I'll share with you my project quote. Once you’re ready to dive in, I’ll send over my contract and invoice for us to get started.

Each book requires a different approach, which is why my process molds to what will be the most effective route for your project. For books with structural changes, I'll provide a rewrite outline before I begin to make sure my changes are aligned with your vision for the story. For projects that require more line edits, I'll offer options of me just providing the notes for you, or implementing the line edits myself with tracked changes to save you time and you can approve or deny from there.

If you'd like me to help ghostwrite any sections of the book you need more support on, I'd be happy to help break through writers' block with my done-for-you ghostwriting services. As an experienced ghostwriter, I can write in the established tone of your book and help augment any sections or storylines that need a little more love.

As part of my developmental editing services, I include a line-editing pass where I scrutinize every line of your book to ensure everything is worded properly and doesn't take away from the read. This pass includes fact-checking and ensuring there are no errors.

As part of the final proofread and polish, I'll pull in another member of my team to do a pass to ensure any stray typos are caught and ensure a smooth, pleasant read. At this stage, I can also format the book for querying or for self-publishing. You'll walk away with a beautiful, publish-ready book.

If you don't already have a plan in place for publication, I'd be happy to offer my recommendations based on your goals for your book. Every author prioritizes different things, and I'd be happy to share the pros and cons of different paths in the publishing world.

FAQ

Developmental editing is the process by which an editor evaluates a manuscript for all elements of story: structure, pacing, characterization, themes, scene transitions, and more. A developmental editor's job is to set the writer up for success, to cover their blind spots, and to help uncover the true potential of the book and the author's vision for it.

If you're looking to hire an experienced freelance developmental editor like myself, the cost of a developmental edit can range anywhere from $5,000 to $35,000 depending on the state of the draft, if you're looking to have more done-for-you editing and ghostwriting help rather than notes alone, and what new elements might come into play when the editing process begins.

You should hire a developmental editor when you've gotten your draft as far as you possibly can by yourself. Some developmental editors don't take unfinished drafts, whereas I'm happy to help you no matter where you're at. I'm an experienced ghostwriter and developmental editor, so I can guide you and support you through any stage of the process.

Other editors may only specialize in one part of the process (i.e. developmental editing alone, or line editing alone) but I'm your Swiss army knife and new secret weapon! I'm trained as a ghostwriter, developmental editor, and line editor, and I have proofreaders on my team who can ensure your book gets the attention it needs to bloom into a beautiful final draft. When I create my initial proposal, I'll share with you what I think your book needs, and we can go from there.

Every book is different, and because of that, I'll also share an estimated timeline with you in my project proposal. Generally, my developmental edits take less than a month to complete as I don't overbook myself and have chosen rates that allow me to focus deeply on your book from start to finish.