What Is Developmental Modifying? The Author’s Information to Developmental Modifying

You’ve written a book. Congratulations! But wait . . . now what? What do you do with your manuscript? How do you turn it from a rough draft into a publishable book?

The next step is to get professional developmental editing. A developmental editor will help you take your rough, unpolished ideas and turn them into an amazing second draft.

If you’re new to the world of editing, the term “developmental editing” might sound a little confusing. What is developmental editing? What makes it different from other kinds of editing, like line editing, copy editing, or proofreading?

And of course, how do you find a great developmental editor, and how do you know they’re the right editor for you?

Good news: you’re in the right place. I’m a developmental editor, and in this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about developmental editing so you can make your book the best it can be.

What Is Developmental Editing?

Developmental editing, also called substantive editing, involves feedback on the big picture of a novel, nonfiction book, or other writing piece. A developmental editor will critique structural elements like the plot, characters, theme, and organization of ideas. Developmental editing usually happens after the first or second draft of a book.

Developmental editing is a type of book editing that focuses on ideas, the substance of your story. You might also see it listed as “substantive editing” or a “substantive editor,” depending on where you look.

A developmental editor will focus on:

Your book’s genre. What type of story are you writing? What elements do readers expect from that type of story? Are those elements present in interesting and innovative ways?
Your book’s structure. Is there a beginning, middle, and end? Does the story include all the elements of storytelling, starting with an inciting incident and building to a climax and resolution? For a nonfiction book, have you communicated your point clearly, and organized the ideas in a logical flow building from the start of the book to the end?
Your book’s characters. Do you have too many characters, or too few? What are their goals? Do they make interesting choices to achieve those goals? Do those choices show strong characterization and move the plot forward?
Your book’s theme. What is this book really about? Why did you choose to write it, and what makes it important to you? What do you want readers to take away from it? How can you make that theme more powerful and impactful throughout the story?
Your book’s point of view. What point of view are you using in your book? Is it an effective choice for your story? Is it consistent throughout the book?
Your readers’ expectations. Will your book satisfy your readers? Will it stand out on the shelves as a book that brings something new and exciting to its genre?

A developmental editor will not make changes to the words on the pages of your book. They won’t rewrite sentences or paragraphs.

Instead, they’ll give you holistic feedback about your entire book that will guide you through rewriting your next draft.

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Developmental editors do not make changes to the words on the pages of a book. They do give you holistic feedback on your entire book.

They’ll tell you where your book’s structure is strong and where it needs more work. They’ll also give you suggestions for how to think about making those changes. It’s up to you what specific changes you want to make in your story!

Looking for developmental editing? Our editors are experts in a wide variety of genres, and they’ll give you invaluable feedback to take your writing to the next level. Check out editing here »

What Is Developmental Editing NOT?

“Editing” means a lot of things, and developmental editing isn’t the only option out there. Here are two more types of editing, plus two other avenues for writing and getting feedback on your book. While these will also help you get your manuscript ready for publication, they’re not developmental editing, and a developmental editor will not give you this kind of feedback.

Sometimes, you’ll find an editor who does both developmental editing and another type of editing, like line editing, copy editing, or proofreading. These are all separate skill sets, though, and generally, you’ll need to hire different editors to do each type of editing.

1. It’s NOT Line Editing

A line editor edits lines—that is, your word choice, the sentences and paragraphs and words on the page.

A line editor will make sure that the words in each sentence most clearly communicate your ideas. The goal is to make your writing as smooth and polished as possible while maintaining your unique writing voice. It’s a tricky line to walk, but the best line editors will polish your writing while ensuring it is always your writing, through and through.

The line editor will use Suggestion Mode, Track Changes, or another tool to keep track of each edit they make as they change the words on the page. You’ll then be able to accept or reject each change.

Developmental editors don’t worry about word choice, and often don’t use Track Changes to give you feedback.

2. It’s NOT Copy Editing or Proofreading

A copy editor does not focus on ideas or on rewriting lines. Instead, a copy editor corrects typos, including errors in grammar and punctuation. They may also fact check information like names, dates, and notable facts.

Like a line editor, a copy editor will track their changes throughout your manuscript, which you’ll then accept or reject. They’ll then create a style sheet, a guide to all the style choices you make throughout your book: Oxford comma, or no Oxford comma? Color or colour?

A copy editor will also make sure your writing is consistent, so you don’t accidentally write your character Aeryn’s name as Eryn that one time.

A proofreader’s role is similar to a copy editor’s, but while the copy edit happens before the book is formatted for publication, the proofread is the final pass of the formatted book before it ships. A proofreader will catch any final errors right before it’s published.

If your copy editor and book formatter have done a great job, your proofreader’s job will be very easy!

Developmental editors don’t worry about typos, punctuation, or grammar. In fact, they’re used to receiving messy first drafts, so don’t worry if your manuscript is riddled with typos—I promise, your developmental editor won’t mind!

3. It’s NOT Beta Reading

Beta readers aren’t professional editors. Instead, they’re regular readers, the kinds of people whom you’d like to buy your book after it’s published.

Beta readers are volunteers who will read your next-to-final draft of your manuscript. They’ll tell you how your intended audience might respond to your book.

Beta readers will probably give you substantive feedback on whether they like the characters or whether the plot twists make sense. Some beta readers might also pick up on typos as they go.

If you have an edited book nearing publication, check out our guide to beta readers to learn how to find beta readers and get the best feedback from them.

Remember, though, beta readers are not a substitute for professional editing.

While beta readers will tell you their impressions of their favorite parts of your book, a professional developmental editor will do an intensive analysis of your whole book and give you expert guidance about how to make it the best it can be.

And while beta readers may catch a few typos, a copy editor or proofreader will scrutinize your book word by word to make sure every single keystroke is correct.

4. It’s NOT Ghostwriting

A ghostwriter is hired to write a book for another person. Often, the person has a great idea for a book and knows all the content they want to include. They may not be a writer themselves, though, and so they hire an experienced writer to turn their ideas into a publishable book.

Ghostwriting and developmental editing both involve a big picture look at the organization and structure of a book. But a developmental editor won’t write your book for you—instead, they’ll give you the feedback you need to do your rewrites yourself.

What Kinds of Writing Need Developmental Editing?

The short answer is, all kinds of writing! Just about every type of writing can benefit from developmental editing.

Looking for a more specific answer? Here are some types of writing that developmental editors often work with:

Novels
Short stories
Novellas and novelettes
Nonfiction books
Articles

Generally, developmental editors will focus on one or more types of writing, and often will specialize further to focus on a handful of genres within that type. One developmental editor might work with space opera novels, and another might work with how-to books.

If you have a piece of writing that you want to get published, there’s a developmental editor for you.

When Should You Get Developmental Editing?

Developmental editing comes early in your writing and editing process. I recommend hiring a developmental editor after your first or second draft of your book.

Your developmental editor will read your manuscript and give you high-level feedback on the shape of your story. It’s best to do this before you get too deep into fine-tuning details, like polishing your words, sentences, or grammar.

If you’re writing your first book, I recommend getting a developmental edit after the first draft. Your editor will give you invaluable feedback about story structure, genre, and the shape of your book, and you’ll get the most out of your editing process by getting that feedback early on.

If you’re an experienced writer who has written many books, I recommend getting a developmental edit after the first or second draft. You may already be familiar with some of the most substantive changes you want to make between the first and second drafts, and after you have done all that you can with your story, your editor will help you take your book to the next level.

If you’re on your third draft or more, and you haven’t gotten a developmental edit, I still recommend getting one! This is the most impactful kind of editing you can get, and you’ll be surprised how much insight and story wisdom your editor will be able to give you.

For most developmental editing packages, you’ll need a finished draft of your book. Sometimes, developmental editors will also work with you to finish a draft of your book, but I recommend finishing your first draft before you reach out to editors.

But Wait, What if You Get Traditionally Published?

All this talk of hiring an editor might sound like it’s just for writers who are self-publishing. After all, if you’re going the traditional route and hoping to be published by one of the big five publishing houses, won’t they provide all the editing you need?

Well, yes—and no.

Publishers in the traditional publishing industry do have robust teams of editors. We haven’t even talked about acquisitions editors, assistant editors, publishers, and more—all titles you’ll see within the major publishing houses.

If you’re offered a publishing deal, you’ll be connected with an acquisitions editor who will work with you throughout your book publishing journey. That will definitely include copy editing and proofreading (usually done by a different editor than your acquisitions editor).

It may include some developmental editing. This feedback will come from your acquisitions editor, or even from your agent before you query your book to publishers.

Keep in mind, though, at this stage, the goal of every person you work with is to publish a book that will sell, and to do that as fast as possible. They’re not interested in a lengthy back-and-forth with many drafts of revision. In fact, if they think your book will take that level of work, they will probably reject your query.

It’s best not to query agents and begin your traditional publishing journey until you’re confident your book is ninety-nine percent ready to publish. That means, even if you’re planning to be traditionally published, I still highly recommend hiring an independent developmental editor to work with you early on in your writing process.

Then, when it’s time to query, you’ll know you have a publication-ready book!

What Are Typical Developmental Editing Services?

We’ve looked at what developmental editing is, how it compares to other types of editing, and when you should consider getting an edit for your book. But in the most practical terms, what does it involve? When you connect with an editor to get feedback on your book, what can you expect?

Here are two types of developmental editing packages you might find.

A Manuscript Critique

A manuscript critique, also called a manuscript evaluation or manuscript diagnostic, is a one-off editing package where your editor will read your whole book and give you holistic feedback. Depending on the editor, this feedback may come in a few different forms:

One or more phone calls. You and your editor will probably get on the phone (or on Zoom) together once or more during your developmental edit to discuss your goals for your book and your editor’s recommendations. The developmental editing process is very collaborative, and I highly encourage you to make sure your editor offers this kind of connection and discussion.
An editorial letter. An editorial letter is just what it sounds like: a letter, ranging from five pages to twenty-five pages, explaining your editor’s recommendations for your book. The editor may send this ahead of your call to discuss, or may send it after to incorporate all the changes you decide on together.
A set of deliverables. Some editors have specific deliverables they offer to their editing clients along with or instead of an editorial letter. These deliverables may analyze the book through the lenses of genre, theme, point of view, character development, and more.
A scene list spreadsheet. One kind of deliverable an editor might offer is a spreadsheet to help you track and analyze your scenes.

A manuscript critique like this can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months to complete.

Book Coaching/Ongoing Developmental Editing

In this kind of developmental editing package, your editor will offer you ongoing editorial support as you revise your manuscript. You’ll likely have weekly, biweekly, or monthly calls with your editor. During your calls, your editor will offer you feedback on your writing, and you’ll have a chance to ask questions and brainstorm ideas together.

Ongoing developmental editing is like having an editor on retainer. Your editor will support you through the writing process and help you write your best book.

Depending on the editor you choose, your editor might recommend different packages than the ones listed above. But these two types of packages are great places to start as you look for feedback on your book.

Where Do You Find a Developmental Editor?

You know why you need a developmental editor, and you know what to look for. How do you find the editor who’s right for you?

The good news is, you don’t have to live in New York City to work with a great editor. Freelance developmental editors connect with writers anywhere in the world.

Here at The Write Practice, we have a great team of developmental editors we recommend to all our writers. They’re experts in a range of genres: fiction and nonfiction, short stories and epic novels, children’s literature to young adult to adult, book club fiction and historical fiction, fantasy and sci-fi, literary fiction and romance, and more.

Get started by checking out the editing packages we offer here. (You’ll notice we offer both a manuscript diagnostic and ongoing developmental editing!)

Then, fill out the form at the bottom of the page, and we’ll connect you with a great editor for your book.

Meet Your Developmental Editor

Get the developmental editing that’s right for you. Learn about the editing packages we offer and meet your developmental editor.

Get Developmental Editing »

Okay, but Do You REALLY Need a Developmental Edit?

“All good writing is rewriting,” as the saying goes. Your writing—especially your long-form writing, like a novel or nonfiction book—is not the best it can be until you’ve edited it. And the most important kind of editing you can give it is developmental editing.

If you skip a copyedit or proofread, you’ll get Amazon reviews that say, “How did this book make it past an editor?” or, “This author seriously needed to hire an editor; I could barely finish the book.”

If you skip a developmental edit, though, you might not get Amazon reviews, because readers may become so frustrated or disinterested by problems in the story that they’ll put it down.

You’ve worked so hard to write your book. Give it the care, attention, and investment it deserves, and send it to a great developmental editor for feedback.

Your book, and your readers, will thank you!

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You’ve worked hard on your book. Now, you might want to hire a developmental editor to give it the care, attention, and investment it needs to make your book even better in its next draft.

Have you worked with a developmental editor before? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments!

PRACTICE

For today’s exercise, practice thinking like a developmental editor.

First, find a scene you’ve already written, or choose a chapter from a book you’ve read. Don’t have a book on hand? Use the Amazon preview to read the first pages of this book.

Next, answer these questions about the scene:

What’s the genre of this story?
What’s the point of view of this scene?
Who are the characters in this scene?
What are their goals?
As a reader, what expectations do you have for this book based on this scene alone?

Take fifteen minutes to read your scene and answer the questions. When you’re done, share your analysis in the practice box below and don’t forget to leave feedback for your fellow writers!