Developmental Editing

Report + Call

One of our developmental editors will read your manuscript and send you a detailed report outlining their findings, including the manuscript’s key strengths and weaknesses; big-picture revision advice for the manuscript’s narrative arc, argument, structure, and scholarly engagement; and chapter-by-chapter or section-by-section revision advice. We also provide you with a plan of action for how to make those changes yourself before you submit. This service includes a virtual call to go over the report and review any questions you have, which should be booked within 14 days of receipt of the editor’s feedback.

Price: Depends on length and type of client. Note: word count does not include font matter, citations/bibliography, or back matter. Please refer to our manuscript editing page for up-to-date pricing.

Includes: Editor’s report, 30-minute call with editor (for manuscripts up to 50k words) or 60-minute call with editor (above 50k words). We also include an initial call before the editor gets to work to discuss needs/strategy and check-ins, as needed, particularly for long projects.

When: You should get a manuscript assessment when you’re still working out your ideas, when you need help massaging your ideas from one format to another (e.g., dissertation to book manuscript), or when you need assistance implementing reader reports. It should be done well before you plan to submit your manuscript to the journal or publisher of your choice, while you still have time to make edits and undergo other rounds of editing (i.e., copyediting), if you want to.

How long does it take? A typical journal article takes about 1 week to complete a manuscript assessment and a book manuscript starts at 2–3 weeks.

Document edits + report + calls

Developmental editing is used to address big-picture content issues, including the argument, analysis, organization/structure, engagement with sources, and authorial tone of your manuscript. We not only provide you with notes and comments on the draft, but we also help you massage the text using MS Word’s TrackChanges to improve your manuscript’s “story,” for example by moving paragraphs or sections, renaming sections or chapters, inserting sample transitions and blocking out places where more evidence is needed so that you know exactly what needs to be transformed to get the response you desire.*

Additionally, you will receive a detailed report outlining the editor’s findings, including the manuscript’s key strengths and weaknesses; big-picture revision advice for the book/chapter/essay’s narrative arc, argument, structure, and audience engagement; and chapter-by-chapter or section-by-section revision advice. We also provide you with a plan of action for how to make those changes yourself before you (re)submit. This service includes a virtual call to go over the report and review any questions you have, which should be booked within 14 days of receipt of the editor’s feedback.

Price: Depends on length: $0.07/word (up to 50k words); $0.06/word (50k words and up). Note: word count does not include font matter, citations/bibliography, or back matter. 

Includes: Editor’s report and in-line comments and revisions to manuscript, 30-minute call with editor (for manuscripts up to 50k words) or 60-minute call with editor (above 50k words). We also include an initial call before the editor gets to work to discuss needs/strategy and optional check-in calls with the editor to discuss their progress.

The manual edits to the manuscript include such things as moving around paragraphs, sections, or chapters; inserting “dummy” text for missing transitions or areas that need more support (although not ghostwriting new paragraphs for support/evidence); comments on what the author should revise on their own or where evidence can be added/removed; suggesting new chapter and section titles; and more. This service does NOT include correcting grammar or punctuation or rewriting or ghostwriting content (see other services listed below for this).

When: You should consider a full developmental edit when you’re still working out your ideas, when you need help massaging your ideas from one format to another (e.g., dissertation to book manuscript), or when you need assistance implementing reader reports. It should be done well before you plan to submit your manuscript to the journal or publisher of your choice, while you still have time to make edits and undergo other rounds of editing (i.e., copyediting), if you want to.

How long does it take? A typical journal article takes about 1 week to complete a developmental edit and a book manuscript starts at around 3–4 weeks.

*Note: Developmental edits are used to address big-picture issues and are not intended to address sentence- or line-level issues, such as the flow of sentences, grammar mistakes, or the application of a style manual. For help with this, check out our line editing and/or copyediting services.

Document edits + report + call

This service is designed for academic and nonfiction authors who have already written a draft of their book proposal and need a second pair of (expert) eyes to improve their pitch.

Whether you already have interest or you’re cold emailing, our book proposal expert can help you craft the perfect proposal that clearly expresses your ideas, outlines your book’s structure, and shows that you’ve done your research, both to complete the book itself and with regard to the book market.

Our book proposal expert will review your draft and write up an editorial evaluation with their findings. They will suggest ways to improve your writing, the organization of the proposal, the argumentation, and voice, in addition to giving you a plan for revision.

Price: $325

Includes: Editor’s report and in-line comments and revisions to manuscript, 30-minute call with editor

Document edits + report

Let the editors at Flatpage help you get the job, grant, or fellowship you’re seeking using our professional editing for job applicants in the humanities and social sciences.

Our team includes academics and professionals who have both been successful applicants for tenure and tenure-track positions, as well as prestigious grant recipients (Fulbright, Getty, NEH, among others), and sat on hiring committees and fellowship juries. 

This services includes the following:

• An evaluation of your document that addresses content, structure, tone, clarity, and language by a proposal expert.
• Comments on your draft and a basic written assessment.

The types of materials we edit include research and fellowship proposals, academic job statements (DEI, teaching, research, personal), and cover letters.

Price: Depends on length: 

<1,000 words: $100
1,001-1,500 words: $150
1,501-2,000 words: $200
2,0001-2,500 words: $250
2,501-3,000 words: $300

Includes: Editor’s report and in-line comments and/or revisions to manuscript. Only one pass is included.

Please fill out the form below so we have all of the information we need to complete your project and our project manager will respond by email ([email protected]).

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Job/Fellowship/Grant Name and Institution *

Job/Fellowship/Grant Website

Type of document *Cover letterProposalStatementCV

When can you email us the document? (If not attached below) *

When do you need the editor to return the evaluation to you? (Not when the app is due!) *

File to be evaluated/edited (or send by email to [email protected])

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

CV (for reference for job materials like cover letters, you can also provide a link to a website in the notes below)

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Tell us more! Anything else we should know about you, the opportunity, your writing process, etc.?

Submit