![]() What is developmental editing? Developmental editing is the first step in the editing process. Developmental editors help authors improve the big-picture storytelling issues of their stories. Developmental editing addresses big-picture storytelling issues such as:
4 reasons to hire a developmental editor: You have no idea how to further improve your manuscript Make sure you have a strong story premise You are trying something new or you are a new author You have not received any offers from publishers/agents You have no idea how to further improve your manuscript You have revised and edited your manuscript as much as you can on your own. You have improved your story to the best of your abilities but you have no idea how to further improve your story. You are stuck. The solution is to hire a professional developmental editor to help you unlock your story’s full potential. The developmental editor will provide objective, constructive and honest feedback about the big-picture storytelling issues of your story and help you improve your manuscript. Make sure you have a strong story premise You have finished your manuscript and you have a completed draft after multiple revisions. Now, it’s time to hire a professional editor to look at it and make sure that you have a strong and compelling story premise. If you worry about specific storytelling issues or have any questions about your story, you can ask your editor to focus on these particular big-picture storytelling issues while they are editing your story. Keep in mind that you should never be the only person who has read your story before publishing your story and that hiring a professional editor is the best solution for the big-pictures storytelling elements of your story. If you are budget-conscious, exchange stories with critique partners and improve your manuscript based on their feedback before hiring a professional editor. If you can’t afford a full developmental edit, you can request beta reading or manuscript critique services. You are trying something new or you are a new author Are you trying something new in your story e.g dual point of view or is this the first time you completed a draft? As a new author, editing is a learning process where you can also apply the feedback the editor provides to your next stories and improve your writing craft. Therefore, hiring a professional editor is an investment that is worth it for the improvement of your story and the advancement of your writing career. An investment doesn’t necessarily mean hiring an expensive editor. There are many editors to choose from nowadays. Do your research and find the right editor for your book. You have not received any offers from publishers/agents You have submitted your story to multiple publishers or agents and haven’t received any offers yet. Look at the feedback the publishers and the literary agents discussed in their rejection letters. Note down common issues such as lack of character development, slow pacing or inconsistent point of view. Then, discuss your manuscripts’ storytelling issues with a developmental editor. The developmental editor will specifically address these issues and suggest solutions to improve them. As a result, your manuscript will be ready for publication and you will receive multiple offers by publishers and literary agents. I am ready to discuss my book and the editing service I need. How do I do that? Check out my editing services and fill in this form to contact me. I will respond to you as soon as possible with a customised quote! I am not ready to book an edit yet. How do i keep in touch? Sign up for my newsletter to get free monthly writing and editing advice, updates and exclusive offers. Further reading What is developmental editing? How to find the right editor for your fiction story? 9 important questions editors ask authors before working with them About the authorMaria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. Learn more about the author: About me Get in touch: Facebook and LinkedIn Learn about fiction editing: Resources Library and Blog Get a quote for your writing project: Get in touch with me form
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![]() You have finished writing and editing your story. You have already learned how to find the right editor for your fiction story. This blog article will help you prepare the answers to the questions an editor might ask you to learn more details about your story and to determine if you are a great fit to work together. Editors ask the following questions: How long is your book? What is the genre of your book? What kind of editing do you need? Have you already received feedback for this story? Have you published any books before? Who is your audience? When is your estimated deadline? What documents do I need to send my editor? How did you find me? How long is your book? The word count of your fiction story is one of the first questions the editor will ask you. Knowing the word count of your book will help them estimate how much to charge, how much time it will take them to edit it and if there is an available time slot in their schedule. Some authors prefer to mention the pages or the chapters of their book. However, I find that the word count is the best way to tell how long a book is since not all pages or chapters have the same amount of words. What is the genre of your book? Some editors work in a variety of genres and others are specialised in a particular genre. For example, I am a romance editor and I specialise in editing light-hearted contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy stories. I don’t edit non-fiction stories or memoirs. If you are romance author, then I might be the right editor for your story. If you are a non-fiction author, then I am not a suitable editor for your book. If you are not sure about which genres an editor works with, check their website and social media or send them an email. What kind of editing do you need? What kind of editing do you need? Developmental editing, line editing, copy editing or proofreading? Experienced authors know the differences between the different kinds of editing and they are able to tell what kind of editing their book needs. However, new authors might not be able to distinguish the different kinds of editing or tell what kind of editing their book needs. If you are not sure about the kind of editing your book needs, find out more information about the different kinds of editing. I am a developmental editor for romance authors. I edit the big-picture storytelling issues of romance stories. I focus on theme, plot and structure, character development, point of view, pacing, setting, genre conventions, show vs tell and dialogue. I would be happy to discuss your romance story and focus my editing on any concerns you may have. If you are a romance author looking for a developmental editor, then I might be a great fit for your story. Have you already received feedback for this story? It is very important for your editor to know if your story has already been edited and what kind of editing services it has gone through. This will help them determine what kind of services your story needs. If your manuscript has already been line-edited or copy-edited, then you probably need a proofreader. If it has not been professionally edited before, then you might need a developmental editor or a line editor. It’s always best to tell your editor how many drafts your story has gone through, what kind of editing you or others have done to your story and if you took advice from other writers, family members or beta readers. This will help your editor better understand what kind of editing your story needs. Have you published any books before? It is also important for an editor to know if you have hired an editor before and received editorial feedback for a previous book. This shows the editor that you are familiar with the editorial process and what kind of feedback to expect. Also, editors would love to see any previously published books or blog posts to see your writing style and how they can help you improve your manuscript. Who is your audience? Another important factor is your audience. Are you planning to give a few copies to family or friends or are you planning to publish your novel at the mass market? This information will help your editor provide you with the appropriate feedback and decide what kind of editing your story needs. When is your estimated deadline? Do you have a publishing deal where your book must get published by a specific date or do you have flexibility? Knowing the date of publication of your story will help your editor better schedule a slot in their schedule. Make sure to book your editor in advance to ensure that the right editor for your book is available, especially if you have already decided and announced your publication date. If you have more flexibility in your publication schedule, you can better accommodate to your desired editor’s schedule. What documents do I need to send my editor? The editor needs the following documents:
Ideally, you already have this information available because you took notes about your plot, characters and setting while you were writing and editing your story. You just need to send it to your editor to help them better understand your story. How did you find me? This information is more helpful to me rather than to you. Did someone else refer them to me? Did you find me through social media, or a directory or did you find one of my blog posts helpful? This information will help me focus my marketing efforts on topics and places that interest you. I am ready to discuss my book and the editing service I need. How do I do that? Fill in this form and I will respond to you as soon as possible. I am not ready to book an edit yet. How do I keep in touch? Sign up for my newsletter to get free monthly writing and editing advice, updates and exclusive offers. Further reading How to find the right editor for your fiction book How to prepare your manuscript for your editor What is developmental editing vs other kinds of editing Why authors need character profiles How to write a romance novel using the 3-act structure About the authorMaria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. Learn more about the author: About me Get in touch: Facebook and LinkedIn Learn about fiction editing: Resources Library and Blog Get a quote for your writing project: Get in touch with me form ![]() Finding the right editor for your fiction book seems easier than ever with the plethora of editors hitting the freelance industry nowadays. There are so many editors to choose from but how will you know who is the right editor for your story? Many authors do not know the kind of services their story needs and others don’t do thorough research. As a result, authors often end up requesting quotes from editors who offer different services from the ones their story needs in a genre that the editor is not editing. How can you find the right editor for your fiction book: Services Genre Cost Where to look for the right editor Reach out to editors Services The first step in finding the right editor for your fiction book is to determine what kind of services you need. Are you looking for developmental editing, copyediting, or proofreading? If this is the first time you are searching for a professional editor and you are not sure what kind of services you need, read this article about the different kinds of editing and consider the state of your story. If you only have a raw idea or an outline, then you need a book coach to help you:
If you have a completed first draft, then you need a developmental editor to help you improve your story’s:
If you are in the final draft of your story, then you might need a copy editor or a proofreader to help you focus on:
Genre The second step in finding the most suitable editor is to identify the genre(s) of your story. Are you writing a contemporary romance or a YA thriller? If you don’t know what genre your story is, go online and search for the definitions of various genres. For example, a story belongs to the romance genre when:
The romance genre is a very broad fiction category and can be divided into many subgenres such as contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Many editors specialise in particular genres while others edit only one genre e.g romance. Make sure to find an editor that specialises in the genre of your story and has the relevant training, education, skills and experience to edit your book. Cost The cost of the service is perhaps the most important factor for authors. The cost of the service depends on a lot of reasons such as the required service, turnaround time, training, experience and cost of living. For example, developmental editing services are typically more expensive than copyediting and proofreading services. You can look at the editorial rates of different editing services at the EFA’s editorial rates and estimate how much a service can cost. The rates published on the website are only designed to give you a rough idea of what the cost might be based on the genre and the word count of your story. Actual editorial rates may vary depending on the reasons mentioned above. Where to look for the right editor You have already determined the kind of services you need, the genre of your manuscript and your estimated budget. Now, it’s time to search for the right editor. You can find editors on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. There are many Facebook groups for editors and writers where editors advertise their services. You can also check the editor’s LinkedIn profiles to see their background, education, training and experience. You can also check sites such as Upwork, Fiverr and Reedsy to find editors or post jobs. Make sure to include the kind of editing service you need, the genre, the word count of your story, your estimated budget and your desired deadline when you post a job. You can also check the EFA’s Job List and Member Directory to hire an editor. You can also look at the websites of different editors to see what kind of services they offer. When you are looking for an editor on the search engines make sure to include keywords such as the kind of services you need and the genre of your story e.g developmental editing for a contemporary romance story or copyediting for a murder mystery story. Pay attention to the “Home” page of the editors’ sites where editors usually mention the services and the genres they are editing. You should also check their “Portfolio” page to see what kind of projects they have edited and their “About” page to learn more information about their qualifications. Finally, check their “Services” page to see what kind of services they offer. Every editor defines their services differently, so make sure to check what each service includes e.g scope of work, deadlines, cost, and deliverables. Reach out to editors When you narrow down your options and find editors that fit your criteria e.g services, genre, estimated cost, and qualifications, email them to get a customised quote for your story and to discuss with them the specific needs of your manuscript. Most editors usually have a form on their website that authors can fill out when they request a quote in order to learn more information about the author’s story and provide them with an accurate quote. For example, the form on the “Contact” page of my website helps me learn important information about the author and their story such as the project’s title, word count, genre, requested service and preferred completion date. Most editors offer a no-obligation customised quote and a 1,000-word free sample edit to see if they and the author are a great fit to work together. The editor will guide you about the next steps of the editing process but you can also ask any questions you may have. Clear communication is key for successful collaboration in order to set clear expectations about the scope of the work and to avoid misunderstandings. Conclusion Finding the right editor for your fiction story is easier than ever. Define the kind of services you are looking for, the genre of your story and your estimated budget. Research the editor’s websites and social media and reach out to the editors that match your criteria. Editors are valuable collaborators that will help you shape your manuscript into a compelling story so make sure to choose yours wisely! Further reading “Contact” form Developmental editing vs other kinds of editing EFA Job List and Membership Directory EFA rates About the authorMaria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. Learn more about the author: About me Get in touch: Facebook and LinkedIn Learn about fiction editing: Resources Library and Blog Get a quote for your writing project: Get in touch with me form ![]() Completing the first or fifth draft of your story is already a significant achievement that you should celebrate! The next step is to have your manuscript professionally edited but you are not sure what kind of editor you need. This article analyses what developmental editing is and explains the difference between developmental editing and other kinds of editing. This article analyses: Developmental editing Developmental editing vs coaching Developmental editing vs line/copy editing Developmental editing/ proofreading Summary Advice about editing Developmental editing Developmental editing (also known as structural, substantive or content editing) is the first step in the editing process and it solves the big-picture storytelling issues in your manuscript. It is the first kind of editing authors should look for after they have completed their first draft of their manuscript. The developmental editor addresses the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses and can provide comprehensive feedback on the following issues:
You can always ask for the professional services of a developmental editor but you can benefit most from the services of a developmental editor when:
Developmental editing vs coaching While developmental editors help authors refine their completed manuscripts, book coaches help authors from the first idea to the completed first draft. Book coaches can have weekly or monthly sessions with the author to check on writing goals and provide them with commentary or notes about their next moves. The book coach can be an assistant to the author but they don’t ghostwrite or rewrite part of the story. Book coaches can work with an author for about 6 months to help them finish the first draft of their story. Book coaches can help authors:
Developmental editing vs line/copy editing Line editing/copyediting is the second step in the editorial process. While developmental editing focuses on the big-picture issues of the manuscript, line editing/copyediting focuses on the finer details of a manuscript. Line editors/copyeditors focus on improving sentence-level errors and go through your manuscript line by line. Line editing/copyediting focuses on:
Developmental editing/ proofreading Proofreading is the third and final step of the editorial process. Proofreaders read the manuscript to catch grammatical, spelling, punctuation and formatting errors that previous editors missed during the editing process and ensure consistency in formatting and style throughout the story. Summary Developmental editing: It solves the big-picture storytelling issues of a manuscript (theme, plot and structure, characters, setting and timeline, point of view, pacing, voice, tone and imagery, and genre expectations). Authors should be looking for this service after they have completed the first draft of their manuscript. Coaching: Book coaches help authors during the writing process, from the first idea to a completed first draft. Line editing/copyediting: Editors go through the manuscript line by line and improve sentence-level errors. Proofreading: Proofreaders check the manuscript one last time for minor typos and errors before the manuscript goes to publication! Advice about editing Be open-minded about the process of editing. You are paying a professional editor to improve your manuscript. Listen to their feedback and be open-minded to their ideas. Prepare to rewrite certain scenes of your manuscript, rearrange scenes or sentences and make the necessary changes to improve your story and make it the best it can be. But remember, at the end of the day, you are the only one who has the final word about your manuscript and you should only make the changes you feel comfortable! Further reading How to brainstorm your novel’s genre and main characters How to write a romance novel using the 3-act structure How to create a consistent writing routine About the authorMaria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. Learn more about the author: About me Get in touch: Facebook and LinkedIn Learn about fiction editing: Resources Library and Blog Get a quote for your writing project: Get in touch with me form |
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About the authorMaria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. Subscribe to the Fiction Editing Newsletter and get free monthly advice on writing, editing and publishing your romance stories! I will never spam, share or sell your personal information. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read my Privacy Policy. |
Subscribe to the Fiction Editing Newsletter and get free monthly advice on writing, editing and publishing your romance stories! I will never spam, share or sell your personal information. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read my Privacy Policy. |