My developmental editing package focuses on the “meat” of the novel: the character and plot. When performing a developmental edit, I do not worry about word choice, sentence structure, your voice, or any of the artistic elements of the story. I focus solely (and intensely!) on how to make the story fantastic.

This package comes with a developmental letter, which has two components: a chapter-by-chapter breakdown and overall comments.

The chapter-by-chapter breakdown is where I list the primary issues with each chapter. This can be several pages long, usually with about one or two paragraphs of advice per chapter. I pay close attention to whether the chapter has sufficient conflict, is necessary to the story, pushes the plot forward, and is free of plot holes, inconsistencies, characters behaving outside their personalities, and any other plot or character related issues that could lower your chances of publication.

My overall comments focus on the story as a whole. I look closely at the quality of the characterization and plot. I may point out inconstencies that stretch throughout the novel, such as story “rules” that don’t work or change (common in Fantasy and SciFi), back stories that don’t add up, issues with the timeline (events that couldn’t happen in the order they’re portrayed), missing elements of the plot structure (catalyst, pinch points, climax, etc.), continuity issues (hair colors changing, locations moving, etc.), plot holes, elements that do not fit with the genre or target readership, point of view issues, cliches, etc.

My overall comments will also include ways to increase tension, improve the novel’s flow, strengthen the character’s journey, shorten or lengthen the word count if needed, and improve marketability.

Developmental edits do not include notes or changes within the manuscript.

COST: $14 per 1,000 words