Full Developmental Edit

A comprehensive, wide-ranging, deep-dive edit that considers and evaluates all aspects of the story: plot, character development, structure, stakes, pacing, dialogue, style, voice, etc.—or as one author I work with called it, a “literary root canal.” (But hopefully one you enjoy!) I offer single- and multiple-pass edits.

This is a very detailed edit that will not only help you develop, clarify, and fine-tune areas that will make your story as polished and tight as possible, but offer specific support for my feedback and clear, actionable suggestions.

Just a few of the exhaustive questions considered are:

  • How well does the story work, overall? Does it hold together from beginning to end? Are dramatic tension and conflict sustained throughout? Is the payoff satisfying? Are all the story questions answered and resolved, all loose ends tied up? Are there holes in logic, consistency, or sense?
  • Are the characters and their actions believable? Are they three-dimensional and compelling?
  • Is the manuscript structured in a way to give the story maximum impact and flow? Are there “dead zones” in forward momentum? Is pace strong? Does the plot compel readers—and the characters?
  • Are the stakes high enough to keep readers invested? Consistent? Urgent? Are tension and suspense maintained throughout to keep readers engaged? Is the story immediate, intimate, and visceral?
  • Does the prose itself most efficiently serve the story while still conveying the author’s “voice”?

And an exhaustive consideration and analysis of every facet of the story, including all the areas addressed in my downloadable Self-editing Checklist.

You’ll receive two separate documents: your manuscript with suggested changes and embedded comments and queries using Track Changes, and a separate—and very extensive—written editorial letter: the big-picture comments about the overall structure and form of the manuscript. The letter offers an overview of the areas where you might polish, develop, or clarify the story and, in conjunction with the specific embedded notes, serves as a very clear “blueprint” for you in approaching revisions. This type of edit also encompasses moderate line edits for polishing the prose itself.

To help us decide whether I’m a good fit for your manuscript, for developmental edits I offer new clients a sample edit of up to 1,000 words, along with a firm quote. Please send an excerpt from a midpoint of the manuscript in industry-standard format (double-space, one-inch margins, Times New Roman or Courier font) to me here.

Rates:
  • Single-pass rates range from 4.0 to 5.5 cents per word (.04 to .055), depending on the services you request and the amount of work required and agreed upon (exact quote settled before work begins).
  • Slightly higher rates can be quoted for up to two subsequent editorial passes of author revisions on a contracted manuscript (determined prior to contracting, in a firm quote). Rates range from 6.0 cents/word (.06) and up for a two-pass edit, and 7.0 cents/word (.07) and up for a three-pass edit.