When and Why You Need a Developmental Edit

The term “edit” and “editor” get thrown around a lot in the writing world, which can easily become confusing as these terms can apply to a broad range of things. There are copy editors, acquisitions editors, content editors, developmental editors…the list goes on.

So what exactly is developmental editing and where does it fit into the grand scheme of completing a novel?

What is Developmental Editing?

A developmental editor looks at the big picture of your manuscript to make sure there are no major issues with your plot, character arcs, timelines, setting, etc. In developmental editing, we’re looking to make sure any glaring flaws with your story are addressed before moving forward.

Developmental editing is not editing at the sentence level. This type of edit isn’t about finding the best word choice or phrasing or whether your grammar is 100% correct. This round of edits is to ensure you have the best story possible before moving on to perfecting your prose. Because, really, there’s no sense in worrying about sentence-level issues when there might be bigger issues that would require significant rewriting to address first.

When Should You Seek a Developmental Edit?

Since developmental editing looks at your overall story to address any major concerns, my advice is to seek one after you have a solid manuscript, but before you move on to smaller level, polishing concerns.

This doesn’t necessarily mean after your first draft. Your first draft will need some revision regardless of your experience or skill level. And a lot of that revision you’ll be fully capable of addressing on your own. You’ll go back through and realize you accidentally dropped a plot point, or you’ve done too much telling rather than showing, or you need to strengthen your character arc. Anything that you’re able to address on your own first, address.

Once you’ve gone through and feel the overall story is as strong as you’re capable of making it, that’s when you want to pursue a developmental edit.

Why?

First, this is your story. You’re the author, the one who dreamed this story into existence, and you want to make sure your vision for it is fully formed before seeking outside opinions. Getting input from others, whether an editor, critique partner, or friend, too early might influence the way you see the story, and your original vision may be lost. Trust in your vision and revise your manuscript to reflect that vision before looking for feedback.

Secondly, an effective developmental edit can only address about three to five big picture issues at once. Addressing too many issues will only result in you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to incorporate all the feedback into the next draft. Therefore, if there are issues you’re aware of with your manuscript and you have a good idea of how to fix them, knock those out first so your editor can work on addressing issues you may not have found on your own or weren’t sure how to remedy without input. This maximizes your investment in your edit as it will allow the editor to offer you feedback you couldn’t have found on your own rather than wasting time (and money) on issues you already knew existed. 

Timing your developmental edit wisely will save you time by making sure you aren’t going back and revising prose you’ve already spent months perfecting or by spending months trying to resolve an issue you aren’t sure how to fix on your own.

Why Do You Need a Developmental Edit? 

Obtaining a quality developmental edit of your manuscript is an investment, and it can be tempting to decide you don’t need one simply to avoid the expense.

But if you take your writing and yourself as a writer seriously, this is a step you don’t want to skip.

Investing in a developmental editor on your own prior to sending your manuscript out to agents will give your manuscript the best shot at standing out in the slush pile. Some writers, mistakenly, believe that as long as their concept is good, an agent and/or publisher will be willing to work with them and will pay to have their work sent to a developmental editor. But the truth is, publishing is a business. Not only do publishers prefer to take on manuscripts that need less work rather than more, but by working on your own with a developmental editor prior to querying your manuscript, you’ve proven that you take yourself seriously as a writer. And you’ve polished your manuscript to the best of your ability to give it the best shot at being noticed by agents and publishers.

The truth is, no matter how many times we as authors go through our manuscripts, we’re too close to the story to catch certain issues. We’ve grown attached to the story as it is, and it can be too easy to dismiss a potential problem simply because that’s the way we pictured the story when we started writing it.

Having a fresh pair of eyes on your manuscript can help you find issues you might miss. It can also help you to brainstorm solutions to those issues you might not have come up with yourself. Even if the solution an editor suggests doesn’t resonate with you exactly, it might help you think about the story in a different way and find your own solution that works better for you and the story.

While swapping manuscripts with a critique partner or beta reader can help you obtain feedback on your manuscript, a professional editor takes this one step further by not only pointing out potential issues with the manuscript but also providing suggestions and guidance on how to resolve those issues. The suggestions are shared with you in an organized, helpful manner so you know what you need to do to improve your manuscript rather than guessing at how to resolve something a beta reader points out as an issue.

A good developmental edit will also help you to strengthen your writing skills for future manuscripts, not just the one you’re working on presently. By sharing with you not only that something is an issue in your manuscript but also why it is an issue, you can learn from this manuscript and apply those lessons to your next one.

Every manuscript, no matter how advanced or novice the author, can benefit from a quality developmental edit.