How to Find the Right Developmental Editor for Your Novel

While many writers recognize that working with a developmental editor can help strengthen their story and bring it to the next level, I often see posts in writing groups from writers who aren’t sure where to find one or how to determine if they’re the right fit for them and their project. The truth is, finding a developmental editor who is a good match for you takes some effort, but it’s worth it to ensure you’re working with someone who is professional, understands your genre, and will leave you feeling excited about revising your novel rather than defeated.

Here are some thoughts on how to find the right editor for you and your story.

The Role of a Developmental Editor

A developmental edit is vastly different from a copy edit or a proofread. A developmental edit looks at the story overall to evaluate strengths and weaknesses and offer guidance on how to improve the story. This type of edit looks at big picture concerns such as character development, plot structure, pacing, description, etc. Since a developmental edit often results in major changes to the story, this is not the time or place to be concerned about sentence-level issues and grammar. That will come after you’ve refined your story as best as you can.

If you’ve been working through your story but still feel like something isn’t quite working, that’s the time to hire a developmental editor.

Research Potential Editors

The first step towards finding an editor is to do some research and compile a list of possibilities. There are many ways to do this, including:

Asking for referrals: Connect with other writers you know or in writing groups you belong to and ask for some names. Authors are usually happy to share the names of their editors if they’ve had good experiences with them, and obtaining names through a referral can give you some confidence right away that this person is good (although you’ll still want to follow through with your own vetting process as described later on to be sure they’re a good fit for you).

Looking at your own network: Do you already know any developmental editors? You might follow editors on social media platforms, know of one through a writing group you’re involved in, or perhaps have connected with one at a conference or through other networking events. If you already know of any developmental editors whose content you enjoy or personality you connect with, add them to your list.

Looking at professional associations: Professional editing associations usually have databases of their members for the public to access, and finding an editor through a professional association can give some degree of confidence that this individual is a professional since they’ve committed to joining a professional organization.

Conducting a Google search: Searching for editors online can also be a useful way to find potential editors to add to your list. When using a search engine, be sure to include the type of editor (developmental) you’re searching for as well as the genre of your manuscript to help narrow it down.

Evaluate Credentials and Experience

Once you’ve compiled a list of potential editors, dig deeper into your options to begin narrowing down your choices. Looking at an editor’s website can give you a great deal of information about them.

First, check for any credentials/professional training they’ve obtained. While many developmental editors are writers themselves, simply being a writer isn’t enough to indicate that person is skilled at developmental editing. There is overlap in the skill sets, but performing a thorough, comprehensive, and professional developmental edit requires training. Check their website to see if they’ve listed the type of training they’ve received, and if none is listed, be sure to ask about their training if you decide to reach out to this editor in the next step.

Next, look for a services page that outlines the details of their developmental editing. Since each editor may do things a bit differently, the services page should give you some indication of what is (or isn’t) included in this specific editor’s developmental editing service so you can decide if it aligns with your needs. This page may also list specific pricing or a range, though some editors require you to reach out for a quote as they don’t list their prices on their website. If the editor does list pricing, however, this can help you determine immediately if they are within your budget or not. Another thing to check for is whether or not the editor works specifically with your genre. At the developmental level in particular, it’s important to work with an editor who understands the genre you write in so their feedback is tailored towards creating a story readers of your genre will resonate with and enjoy.

After determining if their service matches what you’re looking for, dig a little deeper to get a feel for their style and approach to writing/editing. First, check for an About page to get a feel for the editor’s background and personality to decide if they might be someone you’d have a good connection with. Additionally, if the editor’s website has a blog, reading through some of their posts can help you get a feel for their personality and how they approach editing and/or think about story and give you some insight into whether or not this feels like a person you would connect and work well with.

Reach Out to Each Editor

Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a handful of editors you think would be a good fit for you, reach out to each of them to get more information and to further evaluate if they’re a good fit. Things to inquire about prior to choosing one editor to work with include:

Availability and pricing: even if the editor has one or both of these on their website, it’s always a good idea to verify the information via direct communication
Familiarity with your genre: if it wasn’t explicitly stated on the editor’s website what genres they work with, be sure to verify that they have expertise in your genre
Editing process: inquire about the editor’s specific process for conducting a developmental edit. For example: how many read-throughs of your manuscript will be completed prior to you receiving their edit? How do they evaluate your own thoughts and goals for this project to ensure their feedback aligns with your vision for the story? Is there any follow up discussion after receiving the completed edit?
Payment: when does the editor require payment? Keep in mind that most editors will require a deposit to hold your date in their calendar and will not return your completed edit to you until you’ve paid in full.
Any other questions you have: editors should be happy to answer your questions as this is a big investment for you, and it’s best for all parties to feel confident this is a good fit before proceeding.

Along with evaluating the specific answers to questions you pose, use your communication with each editor as a means of evaluating their personality, style, and professionalism. Do you get a good vibe about this person, and do they strike you as someone who takes their business seriously? Are they overly formal or more casual (neither is good or bad, but one style may feel better to you than the other). Do they seem approachable and do you feel comfortable asking them questions? All of these things add up to your overall feel for the editor and whether or not they’re the right fit for you and your novel.

A Note About Sample Edits

While sample edits are common with copy/line editing and proofreading, these are not as common for developmental editors to offer. The reason for this is that a comprehensive developmental edit considers the manuscript as a whole in the feedback, so looking at only one chapter or less of a story doesn’t give the editor a solid enough understanding of the story to offer genuine feedback. Whereas a copy editor’s proposed changes will mostly be the same regardless of the rest of the story, a developmental editor’s thoughts about a specific opening might change based on what happens later in the story. Therefore, sample edits are not particularly useful in determining whether or not the editor’s feedback is “right” for your story and whether or not you agree with it.

However, asking an editor to review a few pages of your story for sample feedback can give you some insight into their feedback style so you can determine if their style feels like it would resonate with you. While not all editors do this, some will. I often do a small sample edit with the caveat that my suggestions are based solely on the small portion of the story I am reviewing simply so writers can get a feel for my feedback style. When reviewing a sample edit, if the editor offers to provide one, look to see if the feedback offered gives evidence for why the editor feels something should be changed and if suggestions for revision are offered. These two components are what separate a professional developmental edit from a beta reader.

Do keep in mind, however, that not all editors offer sample edits and, if they don’t, that doesn’t mean they’re not professional. Again, while this is very common practice for copy editors and proofreaders, it’s not as common for developmental editors. Your overall communication and information gathered about the developmental editor’s process can be enough to allow you to feel confident you’re choosing the right editor.

Choosing a developmental editor is a very personal decision, and one that you should spend a good amount of time considering before jumping into a contract. Doing your homework is the best way to ensure you hire a professional editor who will be worth your investment and help you to improve your story and reach your writing goals.

Lastly, to ensure your manuscript is in the best shape possible before you send it to your developmental editor, check out my free guide, 5 Essential Steps to Prepare Your Novel for a Developmental Edit. Revising your novel to the best of your ability before sending it to your editor will ensure you receive the most value for your investment by allowing the editor to focus on areas you either didn’t identify as an issue or were unsure how to resolve on your own.