At a Glance: Developmental editing is an intensive, big-picture review of your manuscript. We analyse your story’s structure, pacing, and character development to ensure your narrative is strong, cohesive, and ready for the next stage of publishing. It’s also about learning; we don’t just tell you what’s wrong, we explain why and how to fix it. This means you have the tools to carry on to your next novel.
Incredibly intense but worth it
Development editing (also called substantive editing) is the most intensive type of editing. It focuses on every aspect of the novel and has a learning element attached to it.
In a development edit, we analyse and develop every aspect of your manuscript to help you create something you can be proud of. Throughout the learning process, you will be told not only what changes should be made, but why. It’s important when undergoing a development edit to take into account the learning aspect, as it’s quite a work and time intensive process.
The Process:
Development editing can be very difficult. Having someone pick apart every element of your hard work can feel quite dispiriting. But, there’s no question it will not only make your work stronger, it will also provide you with tools to take into your next project.
Working together, we create a schedule:
- We’ll have a discussion about what you feel may need the most help and what elements you’re most unsure about. The editor will do a hard edit. That means they will go through the entire project and make comments about things that may not be clear, things that could be said better or differently for clarity, and analyse your characters and structure, looking for any inconsistencies or aspects that could be altered.
- The project will be sent back to you, so you can work through it at your own pace. You’re never alone, though; you can always contact the editor if you have questions!
- You send it back to the editor, and the process is repeated until you’re happy with the final manuscript.
FAQs
How is development editing different from copy editing? Development editing looks at the “big picture”—your plot, character arcs, pacing, and structure. And it’s about learning the elements of craft along the way so you have tools to take into your future writing projects. Copy editing happens later and focuses on the technical “fine-tuning,” such as sentence flow, grammar, and consistency. Development editing is an intense way to really dig not only into the manuscript, but into developing yourself as a writer.
Will a development editor change my “voice”? Never. At Global Wordsmiths, our goal is to amplify your unique voice, not replace it. We act as a professional sounding board to help you tell your story in the most effective way possible, ensuring your vision shines through clearly to the reader. And we’re here to teach you how to use YOUR voice in the best way possible.
What exactly do I receive in a development edit? You will receive a comprehensive editorial report detailing strengths and areas for improvement, alongside an annotated manuscript with specific suggestions. We provide actionable advice on how to tighten your narrative and deepen your characters. And of course, if you want to talk it through at any point, we can schedule a meeting and work through anything you’re unsure about.
Is development editing worth it for first-time authors? Absolutely. For first-time authors, a development edit is an invaluable masterclass in craft. It helps you identify common pitfalls and structural habits early on, saving you months of aimless rewriting and significantly increasing your chances of publication..
