Thank you, Kristen. For anyone on the fence about getting a developmental editor, let me share my story:
This is my seventh completed novel. (I have 3 or so first drafts of other manuscripts; I don't consider those completed!) I'd written around 7-8 drafts of this book, gotten feedback from multiple knowledgeable readers along the way, made substantial edits, and I knew it was a strong manuscript but I was hearing crickets from agents. (My query letter and synopsis had been through a similar process, too.)
The developmental editor agreed that it was a strong manuscript but not quite at the level to break into traditional publishing in my genre. There were definitely things that needed to be pointed out, things preventing my already-strong manuscript from breaking through. Now I'm doing the hard work of actually editing. I have no idea if I'll ever get a traditional book deal for this, but at least I'll know that I did my best.
So if you're at that stage where you've done everything you know to do, a developmental editor is worth paying for.
I was thinking about the conversations between the editor and writer. Obviously the point is to honor what the writer is trying to accomplish, helping them to create their best possible book. How does a writer know if the developmental editor has hijacked the project? When the writer might feel like they were lead away from the story they wanted to tell as opposed to guiding their story with clarity and in a more marketable way?
A writer has supposedly invested some money into that business relationship, so what are some things they can do to ensure the editor will understand their vision?
This is such a great question. And I honestly think it comes down to choosing the right editor. But I’m going to address it in a future newsletter. Stay tuned! And thank you for helping me. I was just thinking last night how burnt out I am coming up with newsletter topics and this one makes me excited. 😆
I’m always helping patients learn how to communicate with their doctors and learn when that relationship doesn’t work…I am beginning to think about those conversations with my writing process. When to advocate because of knowing yourself and when to trust the professional in front of you - or when to keep looking. It’s tricky.
What you do for patients is such an incredible and necessary skill! Helping people understand when to advocate for themselves, when to trust the professional, and when the relationship simply isn’t working. I try to keep that same balance in mind as an editor: I have expertise, but the writer will always know their own book and vision in a way I don’t.
Love this! I've done the first two stages, but I worry a little if I should get help with a copyedit before querying more. As an ADHD author, I use a lot of whitespace and keep paragraphs short—sometimes I wonder if I 'should' make them longer, but I feel like this is part of my voice. (And I use a lot of em-dashes too. I did manage to keep the exclamation points just to appropriate dialogue, though!)
Ideally, this is something one of your editors should tell you. I always tell my clients if they should get a copy edit to look over their ms before they submit. But most agents will overlook small mistakes.
My impostor syndrome tells me I need a developmental editor… Alas, my wallet tells me to just shut up and keep writing. Wonky finances aside, your insights are always appreciated, Kristen.
I had an editor who gave me a full edit (line/copy/dev) on about 10 short stories I had written. Since then, 3 of those stories are either published or due to be published later this year.
I cannot recommend enough in having a professional set of eyes to review your work.
Thank you, Kristen. For anyone on the fence about getting a developmental editor, let me share my story:
This is my seventh completed novel. (I have 3 or so first drafts of other manuscripts; I don't consider those completed!) I'd written around 7-8 drafts of this book, gotten feedback from multiple knowledgeable readers along the way, made substantial edits, and I knew it was a strong manuscript but I was hearing crickets from agents. (My query letter and synopsis had been through a similar process, too.)
The developmental editor agreed that it was a strong manuscript but not quite at the level to break into traditional publishing in my genre. There were definitely things that needed to be pointed out, things preventing my already-strong manuscript from breaking through. Now I'm doing the hard work of actually editing. I have no idea if I'll ever get a traditional book deal for this, but at least I'll know that I did my best.
So if you're at that stage where you've done everything you know to do, a developmental editor is worth paying for.
This was concise and informative. Thank you!
I was thinking about the conversations between the editor and writer. Obviously the point is to honor what the writer is trying to accomplish, helping them to create their best possible book. How does a writer know if the developmental editor has hijacked the project? When the writer might feel like they were lead away from the story they wanted to tell as opposed to guiding their story with clarity and in a more marketable way?
A writer has supposedly invested some money into that business relationship, so what are some things they can do to ensure the editor will understand their vision?
This is such a great question. And I honestly think it comes down to choosing the right editor. But I’m going to address it in a future newsletter. Stay tuned! And thank you for helping me. I was just thinking last night how burnt out I am coming up with newsletter topics and this one makes me excited. 😆
I’m always helping patients learn how to communicate with their doctors and learn when that relationship doesn’t work…I am beginning to think about those conversations with my writing process. When to advocate because of knowing yourself and when to trust the professional in front of you - or when to keep looking. It’s tricky.
I enjoy learning from you!
What you do for patients is such an incredible and necessary skill! Helping people understand when to advocate for themselves, when to trust the professional, and when the relationship simply isn’t working. I try to keep that same balance in mind as an editor: I have expertise, but the writer will always know their own book and vision in a way I don’t.
“A developmental edit is a master class in writing. “ This is so true for me, and having my MS developmentally edited by a pro changed how I write.
Love this! I've done the first two stages, but I worry a little if I should get help with a copyedit before querying more. As an ADHD author, I use a lot of whitespace and keep paragraphs short—sometimes I wonder if I 'should' make them longer, but I feel like this is part of my voice. (And I use a lot of em-dashes too. I did manage to keep the exclamation points just to appropriate dialogue, though!)
Ideally, this is something one of your editors should tell you. I always tell my clients if they should get a copy edit to look over their ms before they submit. But most agents will overlook small mistakes.
Really helpful Kristen! I think all levels of editing are useful, sometimes opening up new possibilities to writers that they may not have seen.
Yes all helpful & different uses.
My impostor syndrome tells me I need a developmental editor… Alas, my wallet tells me to just shut up and keep writing. Wonky finances aside, your insights are always appreciated, Kristen.
Find friends who can help to start! They’re free.
Shared!
I had an editor who gave me a full edit (line/copy/dev) on about 10 short stories I had written. Since then, 3 of those stories are either published or due to be published later this year.
I cannot recommend enough in having a professional set of eyes to review your work.
I’m so glad it turned out so great!
This was really helpful, especially the house analogy. I thought I kind of understood different editing stages, but it turns out I did not!
No one does. Everyone wants a copy edit, but hardly anyone needs one for a long, long time.
I’m in the early processes of writing my first book, as well as revising a script. Thank you for this invaluable information!
Love the house analogy!
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this information. I didn’t understand the nuances of the editing process before reading-that’s now corrected. 🔵 Chris
I don’t do erotica. Just contemporary romance.
So happy to help!
Happy to help!