When you’re ready to shape your ideas into a compelling manuscript.
Developmental editing is the first level of manuscript editing, where your attention is on the shape and content of your work. At this stage, the goal isn’t to polish sentences but to strengthen the foundation of your ideas, structure, and argument. It’s the step you should complete before submitting a project to a journal, a book editor, or a publisher.
In developmental editing, we look at the big picture: how your chapters are organized, whether your argument builds logically, and how effectively your ideas connect with your intended audience. Instead of focusing on grammar and word choice, your editor provides constructive feedback on what’s working, what needs clarification, and what could be reorganized for greater impact.
This process is especially valuable for two groups of writers: academics and general nonfiction authors. For academics, developmental editing can help turn a dissertation into a book, strengthen a journal article, or refine a scholarly manuscript for a university press. For nonfiction authors, developmental editing ensures your narrative flows smoothly, your arguments are persuasive, and your structure supports the story you want to tell.
Your developmental editor becomes a collaborator—someone who helps you see your manuscript from the perspective of readers, reviewers, and publishers. We’ll highlight where your ideas are strong, where they may need support, and how your overall framework could be refined. With this guidance, you can approach revision with clarity and confidence.
By investing in developmental editing services, you’re ensuring that your project has a solid framework before you move on to copyediting or proofreading. It’s about making sure your manuscript is not only well-written, but also well-designed to communicate your ideas effectively.
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
What are the typical projects for this service?
Works in progress: dissertations that are being turned into books, journal articles that have not received favorable reviews, nonfiction books or essays with a weak storyline, and any other manuscript that the author feels could be strengthened with a second pair of eyes.
We do not perform full developmental edits, where the editor transforms your text for you, on graduate student work. We can help with coaching and manuscript assessments (see above) to address issues with argumentation, structure, and voice; however, detailed developmental edits should be handled by your advisor.
Manuscript Assessment
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 areas for improvement; 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.
What does it cost? Depends on length and type of author. 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, including graduate student rates.
What does it include? Editor’s report, 30-minute call with editor (for manuscripts up to 50k words) or 60-minute call with editor (above 50k words) booked within 14 days of receipt of the editor’s feedback.
When should I get it? You should get a manuscript assessment when you have a draft ready for review, however you’re still working out your ideas, you need help massaging your ideas from one format to another (e.g., dissertation to book manuscript), or 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. If you don’t yet have a draft or you’re rebuilding from scratch, coaching might be a better option for you.
What’s the expected turnaround? A typical journal article takes about 7–10 days to complete a manuscript assessment and a book manuscript starts at 2–3 weeks.
Full Developmental Edit
Report + Calls + Document Edits As with a manuscript assessment (see above), one of our developmental editors will read your manuscript and send you a detailed report outlining their findings, including the manuscript’s key areas for improvement; 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. Additionally, during a full developmental edit the editor will directly comment on and revise the text using MS Word’s Track Changes in order to help you improve your manuscript’s “story” in a more hands-on way.
This service is often optimal for clients who are in a hurry, need extra assistance, or have a more flexible budget.
How much does it cost? Depends on length and type of author. Note: word count does not include front matter, citations/bibliography, or back matter. Please refer to our manuscript editing page for up-to-date pricing.
What does it include? Editor’s report, 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) booked within 14 days of receipt of the editor’s feedback. We also include a brief introductory 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 using tracked changes 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, writing style or tone, or rewriting or ghostwriting content; because all manuscripts are different, some feedback might be heavier on comments whereas others might have more tracked changes.
When should I get it? You should get a full developmental edit when you have a draft ready for review, however you’re still working out your ideas, you need help massaging your ideas from one format to another (e.g., dissertation to book manuscript), or you need assistance implementing reader reports. Because of its hands-on nature, this service tends to be best for those who have shorter timelines or who want extra help getting to the finish line. 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. If you don’t yet have a draft or you’re rebuilding from scratch, coaching might be a better option for you.
What’s the expected turnaround? A typical journal article or chapter takes about 7–10 days to complete a developmental edit and a book manuscript starts at around 3–4 weeks.
Book Proposal Evaluation
Document Edits + Report + Call This service is designed for academic and trade 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.
This fee includes evaluation of up to 5,000 words (20 pages double-spaced); any text above this amount will be charged at a rate of $30 per 250 words.
$550
What does it include? Editor’s report, in-line comments and revisions to manuscript, 30-minute call with editor booked within 14 days of receipt of the editor’s feedback
Job Application Document Evaluation
Report + Document Edits Let the editors at Flatpage help you get the job, grant, or fellowship you’re seeking using our professional editing for academic 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.
What are the typical projects for this service? Research and fellowship proposals, academic job statements (DEI, teaching, research, personal), and cover letters.
What does it cost?
Depends on length:
Up to 1,000 words
$100
1,001–1,500 words
$150
1,501–2,000 words
$200
2,001–2,500 words
$250
2,501–3,000 words
$300
What does it include? Editor’s report, 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 (editorial@flatpage.com).
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.
An architecture professor with a focus on professional practice needed coaching and developmental editing to prepare her research for publication and conference presentations. Flatpage’s editor helped her present her ideas and strengthen the presentation of her scholarly arguments.
An art historian wanted to publish a book manuscript based on her PhD dissertation with a university press. She needed assistance from a former acquisitions editor who could evaluate her book proposal and answer her questions about the pitching process.
A previously published nonfiction author wanted to transform and update her book about dental hygiene for a new edition. She needed nonfiction developmental editing services in order to better integrate new research and reorganize her chapters before submitting the revised manuscript to her publisher.
