Developmental Editing

When you need help strengthening a draft and telling a story.

Developmental editing is the first level of manuscript editing, where your attention is on the shape and content of your story, and should be completed before you consider submitting a project to a journal, book editor, or publisher. At this level, you’re addressing the very foundation of your manuscript and the ideas it presents. Your developmental editor is here to give you constructive feedback as you revise.

  • Developmental editors can help you with:

  • The big picture

    Addressing big-picture issues to improve your manuscript and writing as a whole

  • Defining your argument

    Defining your argument and ensuring that it flows throughout the manuscript

  • Using your evidence

    Making sure that the evidence used to support the thesis is strong and used appropriately

  • Organizing your text

    Organizing your sections so that they provide sufficient context and evidence to support your argument

  • Responding to peer reviewers

    Incorporating or responding to peer reviewer / reader feedback

  • Tone

    Ensuring that you’re using the right tone and voice for the type of publication you’re aiming for

  • Cutting or boosting word count

    Suggesting ways that you can cut down or boost word count

Developmental Editing services

Sample

Sample Developmental Edits

Most of our developmental editing projects include a report. See this sample report for a manuscript assessment performed on a journal article.

 

This sample book proposal evaluation report shows what our editors will focus on when reviewing your pitch to presses.

 

For full developmental editing projects, book proposal evaluations, and job application evaluations, we also include tracked changes on your draft. This sample shows the type of tracked changes and comments you can expect during a full developmental edit.

 

Note that these samples have been redacted for anonymity.

  1. 1. Sample Book Proposal Report

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  2. 2. Sample Full Developmental Edit

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  3. 3. Sample Manuscript Assessment Report

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