Developmental editing is the first and most expensive editing pass: a structural review of plot, pacing, character arcs, point of view, and theme. It happens after your draft is complete and before any line-level work. A developmental editor delivers a 10-25 page editorial letter and an annotated manuscript, not corrections to individual sentences.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Developmental editing is the only edit that can fix structural problems before they become unfixable. Polishing prose that gets cut in revision wastes weeks; a developmental edit prevents the polish-on-the-wrong-scenes mistake. It is also the most variable in quality — the choice of developmental editor matters more than the choice of any other editor.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A complete draft (not chapters as you write them).
- A summary or outline for the editor to anchor against.
- A clear statement of your goals: what kind of book are you writing, for whom.
- A 4-8 week schedule for the editor’s read plus your revision pass.
- A budget of roughly $2,000-$8,000 for a 90,000-word novel.
- A clear handoff: who owns which revisions and on what timeline.
Chapter iii·Example
A debut novelist sends a 95,000-word fantasy draft to a developmental editor with a one-page summary of her intent. Four weeks later she receives a 15-page editorial letter recommending she cut a 12,000-word subplot, swap the order of chapters 4 and 7, and rewrite the antagonist as a single character rather than two. The author spends three months on revisions before line editing begins.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom’s Edit studio gives you a developmental critique on demand, so you arrive at a paid editor with a stronger draft.
See the Edit studio