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A Writer's Glossary: What is Developmental Editing?
Knowing what type of editing you need for your book can be confusing. But it’s vitally important to understand, particularly if you’re an indie author planning on hiring an editor(s) prior to self-publishing. Requesting the wrong type of editing at the wrong time can mean wasted time, money, and energy.
To add to the confusion, some levels of editing can be called by different names depending on the publisher or editor. This article will help you sort out what the types of editing are, the various names used, the order in which they should be accomplished, and then will specifically dive a little deeper into developmental editing.
Editing Overview
There are basically four types of editing when it comes to book manuscripts. They start out with bigger, more global edits, followed by smaller and smaller, more micro edits. These are all important, regardless of what type of book you’re writing, fiction or nonfiction.
The four types of editing, in the order they should be done, are as follows:
Developmental Editing: Sometimes called substantive editing, content editing, or structural editing, this edit focuses on the big picture, including the structure, plot, characterization, etc. In nonfiction, it leans more toward organization of the material, since there is no plot or characterization.
Line Editing: Once the overall story is finalized, line editing focuses on sentence-level changes and is a more detailed type of editing. It may include how sentences are worded, for example. The term “line editing” is often used interchangeably with “copy editing,” though not always.
Copy Editing: Copy editing focuses on the fine-tuning of the narrative, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency. This level may or may not include some sentence structure or “line editing” (depending on the editor). Some editors will include basic fact-checking.
Proofreading: Proofreading is often confused with copy editing but is much less in-depth. This is the final stage of editing and is focused on catching any remaining errors or errors that might have been inadvertently introduced during earlier levels of editing. Proofreading comes just before publishing.
Again, knowing the types of editing, and the order in which they should be accomplished, will help make the process go more smoothly and be far more cost-effective. “Skipping ahead,” for example, bypassing developmental editing and going straight to copy editing, might uncover some big developmental issues. And if the copy editing has already been done, but you end up needing to make bigger story changes, you’ll likely have to repeat the copy-editing level, causing a time delay, to say nothing of wasting money. (Some copy editors may not point out story-level issues—if they even notice them—meaning you may be publishing a book with major flaws…which your readers are sure to point out in reviews.)
What is Developmental Editing?
As noted in the definitions above, developmental editing covers the overall story or book. It’s the big-picture, macro level of editing. To give you an idea of what a developmental editor might look at, here’s the (non-exhaustive) list I provide to prospective clients regarding what my developmental edit includes:
Story structure – What’s working and what’s not? Does the story flow in a way that keeps readers turning pages? If nonfiction, is the book structured logically, in a way that readers can follow?
Plot – Are there plot holes or timeline issues, and are you hitting all the beats necessary for a complete story?
Characterization – Are there any character development or point of view (POV) issues? Do your characters behave consistently? Do they have unique voices that fit who they are as a character?
Goal, motivation, and conflict – Is the GMC in place and clear to the reader? Do any of these need to be more fully developed?
Writing clarity and mechanics – Are there any technical aspects of the writing that need to be improved upon, such as global punctuation problems, passive voice, or verb tense issues? Is anything unclear that needs to be clarified?
General thoughts – As a reader, is there anything that would take this manuscript from good to great? What’s working or not working from a reader’s point of view? Does your book fit into a particular genre and are all the conventions of that genre being met?
Remember, this list may not be all-inclusive. Developmental edits should be tailored to each particular book. For example, some books may not have issues with characterization, but need more assistance with writing mechanics or a complex timeline. A good editor will take what they learn about your book as they read it and customize their feedback accordingly.
What a Developmental Edit is Not
To be sure you don’t go into the process with unrealistic expectations, I need to mention what is not included in most developmental edits:
Line editing (rewording or help with prose) or ghostwriting
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure (unless mentioned as a global issue)
Fact checking
Formatting or layout
A critique of a rough draft (more on this below)
If you’re ever uncertain what will be included in your developmental edit, be sure ask the editor prior to hiring them. They should be willing to answer any questions you have!
What is Included in a Developmental Edit?
Every editor works differently, but at the very least, you should receive an “editorial letter” when you have a developmental edit done. The editor will read your entire book and compose an editorial letter, noting any issues and, sometimes, ideas for fixing them. Some, though not all, developmental editors will include comments and markup in the manuscript itself.
How long the editorial letter will be depends on how in-depth the editor gets. I know fabulous editors who write shorter letters and others who write “letters” that are practically novella-length. Length may also be determined by the writer’s experience level. For example, letters to my long-time clients, who have a lot of writing/publishing experience, tend to be much shorter than letters to newbie writers, who benefit from more explanation or encouragement.
When Should Developmental Editing Be Done?
Though it’s clear that developmental editing is the first step, there’s often confusion about when that first step should be taken.
Developmental editing should take place after the book is finished. Since this level of editing involves the story as a whole, most developmental editors want the entire book at once, rather than just pieces of the book parsed out over time.
Especially if this is your first book, the beginning of the story could change many times prior to completing the book, so having an editor weigh in on every chapter as you go may be a waste of money. If you’d like this type of feedback as you write, I recommend joining a critique group or having a beta reader or two…or even hiring a book coach who offers this type of service.
Developmental editing should also take place after several rounds of self-editing. First drafts are not ready for a professional edit! Unless you’re a very experienced writer, it will likely be a waste of money to pay someone to edit your first/rough draft. An editor who has to spend time wading through “easy fixes” won’t even be able to see the “deep fixes” that may be needed.
Instead, work on improving your book to the best of your ability first. Go through multiple drafts, analyzing all the elements listed above in what a developmental edit covers, and then, when you can edit no more, consider a paid edit.
When is Developmental Editing Unnecessary?
Not every writer needs to hire a developmental editor. For example, if you’re submitting to agents or editors for traditional publishing, hiring a developmental editor may not be necessary. Publishing houses, for instance, will likely have their own developmental editor, who will work with you after they purchase your book.
You likely don’t need a developmental editor if you’re just writing for fun. A good developmental edit isn’t cheap. Paying for a professional edit of any kind is an investment in your writing career. If you’ve no intention of embarking on a writing career or seeking publication, a professional edit isn’t likely to do anything more than lighten your wallet.
While you might want a developmental edit to help you improve your writing prior to submission, or if you’re just writing for fun, there are less expensive ways to achieve this, with writing courses, or a critique partner(s), a critique group, or beta readers, for instance. You may wish to save a professional edit until you choose to self-publish this book or another in the future.
Additionally, don’t hire a developmental editor if you’re only looking for someone to tell you how well you write. That’s not the point. The point of a developmental edit is to help improve a story or book. It’s a rare book that can’t be improved in some way. Even the very best books I’ve edited had something I could pinpoint to improve on!
If you can’t take constructive criticism, don’t really want honesty in your feedback, or you’re very sensitive about your writing, you should skip paying someone to be honest with you, because you might not like what you hear. If you don’t think your story can be improved, or you don’t want to learn, skip hiring an editor.
What Happens After a Developmental Edit?
So you hired an editor! Good job! You’re one step closer to publication. After you receive your developmental edit back from the editor, though, it’s time to get to work again.
I suggest to my clients that they read the entire editorial letter, followed by all the comments in the manuscript, before deciding on any changes they wish to make. I also recommend they take notes as they read through my comments, so they don’t forget any ideas that pop into their heads.
I also recommend, after reading through everything, that they take a day or two to process, and then come back to it again. I remember, in my writing days, feeling a little hot under the collar about something my editor said…only to realize, two days later, that she was completely right. I just needed to let my ego settle down before I could see the bigger picture.
Remember, regardless of what an editor tells you, it’s your book, and you aren’t obligated to make any of the changes suggested. But I highly recommend at least considering their recommendations.
If you find yourself feeling defensive after reading an editor’s comments, take a step back and remind yourself that the editor is:
offering their professional opinion, which may or may not coincide with your vision;
working to help you create a good reader experience;
looking at things from a marketability standpoint;
on your side, wanting your book to be the best it can be.
It also helps to think of your editor as an ally, rather than an antagonist. Just as characters are helped on their journeys by allies, your editor can be your ally. Approaching your edits from a defensive standpoint isn’t helpful. Remember that an editor is a first-time reader…if they “misunderstood” something in your story, other first-time readers are likely to “misunderstand” also.
Once you’ve processed for a couple of days, reread the letter and the comments (and any notes you took), and flesh out your next steps. Depending on the level of edits suggested by the editor, and which of those changes you wish to execute, the next level of revisions may include anything from a full rewrite to just tweaking things here and there. It doesn’t help to dive in without making a plan, so take your time.
To summarize:
A developmental edit covers the big-picture, macro-level components of your story/book.
You should do multiple rounds of revisions prior to investing in a paid developmental edit of your book.
Consider a developmental edit to be a learning experience, not a way to get someone to tell you you’re a great writer.
You’ll be provided with an editorial letter at the very least and, often, markup in the manuscript itself with comments.
Use the editor’s suggestions to determine your next steps.
In my next article, I’ll go over copy editing and line editing. If you’re interested in talking to me about getting one step closer to publication with a developmental edit, please reach out below. I’d be happy to talk about your editing needs!
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Whether preparing to self-publish or to start the submission process, I’m here to help! You can Request a Quote today. If I think we might be a good fit, I’ll provide a 3- to 5-page sample edit of your manuscript to show you what I can do for you!