Developmental Editing Package for Novel (up to 50K words)
Why hire a developmental editor?
You’ve written a book. But maybe you aren’t sure where to go next with the manuscript. Or potentially you’ve had a consult with an agent, and the feedback was surprising. Perhaps you’ve hit a plateau and aren’t sure where to head next. You might feel like throwing your hands up, wanting to improve what you’ve created, but with no idea how to begin. That’s where a developmental editor can help.
As a dev editor, I provide an assessment of your manuscript, giving feedback on what is working well and helping you identify opportunities to strengthen and improve your work.
I will empower and collaborate with you.
How do I work?
My first step is to look at the big picture of what you’ve created.
I will ask you: What was the story you meant to tell? Then I will read your manuscript and ask myself: What was the story I read?
It’s my job to align myself with the vision you had for the story.
After my first reading of your manuscript, I will ask you questions about characters, themes, outcomes, and more. I might let you know what could be missing from your manuscript and offer suggestions.
I also align myself with the reader.
What does the reader still need? Do events happen in a logical order? Does each scene build on the previous?
I will reflect on what the manuscript offers as a whole:
- What’s working well?
- What’s central to the story?
- What’s missing?
- What’s extraneous?
- What can be strengthened, simplified, or clarified?
- Are any sections disjointed?
- Do sections of text need to be moved around?
- What opportunities are there to further develop characters?
- What potential changes could add to the reader’s enjoyment?
Bear in mind, everything I offer is a suggestion. Only YOU can decide what you will add to or subtract from your story. I will point out what needs attention and why, asking questions to help you come up with the solutions only you can create. My notes are always positive, empowering, and thoughtful.
Developmental editing is not copyediting. It’s a thoughtful analysis of your creation as a whole.
TESTIMONIAL
Maegan Blackwell is a thoughtful, thorough developmental editor. In fact, she’s stellar! Her feedback on my middle-grade novel in progress felt like a gift—a bird’s eye view on structure and creative, actionable suggestions to strengthen it as well as little notes of praise and encouragement to keep my spirits up for the ensuing revision. She gave me permission and tools to see my project anew and make changes in my own way. The best part? I now have a roadmap as a guide at my elbow.
If you hire her, you’ll partner with an editor who has skills and wisdom for how to make a project sing and empowers you to keep it going as you best see fit.
--Danielle Davis,
author of the middle grade novel, ZINNIA AND THE BEES
and the picture book, TO MAKE illustrated by Mags DeRoma.
Why hire a developmental editor?
You’ve written a book. But maybe you aren’t sure where to go next with the manuscript. Or potentially you’ve had a consult with an agent, and the feedback was surprising. Perhaps you’ve hit a plateau and aren’t sure where to head next. You might feel like throwing your hands up, wanting to improve what you’ve created, but with no idea how to begin. That’s where a developmental editor can help.
As a dev editor, I provide an assessment of your manuscript, giving feedback on what is working well and helping you identify opportunities to strengthen and improve your work.
I will empower and collaborate with you.
How do I work?
My first step is to look at the big picture of what you’ve created.
I will ask you: What was the story you meant to tell? Then I will read your manuscript and ask myself: What was the story I read?
It’s my job to align myself with the vision you had for the story.
After my first reading of your manuscript, I will ask you questions about characters, themes, outcomes, and more. I might let you know what could be missing from your manuscript and offer suggestions.
I also align myself with the reader.
What does the reader still need? Do events happen in a logical order? Does each scene build on the previous?
I will reflect on what the manuscript offers as a whole:
- What’s working well?
- What’s central to the story?
- What’s missing?
- What’s extraneous?
- What can be strengthened, simplified, or clarified?
- Are any sections disjointed?
- Do sections of text need to be moved around?
- What opportunities are there to further develop characters?
- What potential changes could add to the reader’s enjoyment?
Bear in mind, everything I offer is a suggestion. Only YOU can decide what you will add to or subtract from your story. I will point out what needs attention and why, asking questions to help you come up with the solutions only you can create. My notes are always positive, empowering, and thoughtful.
Developmental editing is not copyediting. It’s a thoughtful analysis of your creation as a whole.
TESTIMONIAL
Maegan Blackwell is a thoughtful, thorough developmental editor. In fact, she’s stellar! Her feedback on my middle-grade novel in progress felt like a gift—a bird’s eye view on structure and creative, actionable suggestions to strengthen it as well as little notes of praise and encouragement to keep my spirits up for the ensuing revision. She gave me permission and tools to see my project anew and make changes in my own way. The best part? I now have a roadmap as a guide at my elbow.
If you hire her, you’ll partner with an editor who has skills and wisdom for how to make a project sing and empowers you to keep it going as you best see fit.
--Danielle Davis,
author of the middle grade novel, ZINNIA AND THE BEES
and the picture book, TO MAKE illustrated by Mags DeRoma.
Why hire a developmental editor?
You’ve written a book. But maybe you aren’t sure where to go next with the manuscript. Or potentially you’ve had a consult with an agent, and the feedback was surprising. Perhaps you’ve hit a plateau and aren’t sure where to head next. You might feel like throwing your hands up, wanting to improve what you’ve created, but with no idea how to begin. That’s where a developmental editor can help.
As a dev editor, I provide an assessment of your manuscript, giving feedback on what is working well and helping you identify opportunities to strengthen and improve your work.
I will empower and collaborate with you.
How do I work?
My first step is to look at the big picture of what you’ve created.
I will ask you: What was the story you meant to tell? Then I will read your manuscript and ask myself: What was the story I read?
It’s my job to align myself with the vision you had for the story.
After my first reading of your manuscript, I will ask you questions about characters, themes, outcomes, and more. I might let you know what could be missing from your manuscript and offer suggestions.
I also align myself with the reader.
What does the reader still need? Do events happen in a logical order? Does each scene build on the previous?
I will reflect on what the manuscript offers as a whole:
- What’s working well?
- What’s central to the story?
- What’s missing?
- What’s extraneous?
- What can be strengthened, simplified, or clarified?
- Are any sections disjointed?
- Do sections of text need to be moved around?
- What opportunities are there to further develop characters?
- What potential changes could add to the reader’s enjoyment?
Bear in mind, everything I offer is a suggestion. Only YOU can decide what you will add to or subtract from your story. I will point out what needs attention and why, asking questions to help you come up with the solutions only you can create. My notes are always positive, empowering, and thoughtful.
Developmental editing is not copyediting. It’s a thoughtful analysis of your creation as a whole.
TESTIMONIAL
Maegan Blackwell is a thoughtful, thorough developmental editor. In fact, she’s stellar! Her feedback on my middle-grade novel in progress felt like a gift—a bird’s eye view on structure and creative, actionable suggestions to strengthen it as well as little notes of praise and encouragement to keep my spirits up for the ensuing revision. She gave me permission and tools to see my project anew and make changes in my own way. The best part? I now have a roadmap as a guide at my elbow.
If you hire her, you’ll partner with an editor who has skills and wisdom for how to make a project sing and empowers you to keep it going as you best see fit.
--Danielle Davis,
author of the middle grade novel, ZINNIA AND THE BEES
and the picture book, TO MAKE illustrated by Mags DeRoma.