developmental editing

the warrior class

Developmental Editing Services for Fantasy Fiction

​You've written your story. Your characters live on the page in a world that is alive and real and there. Now all you need to do is tweak and polish the structure to allow that world to shine through the page, breathe life into the minds of your readers, and echo in their imagination. Don't let confusing timelines or unnecessary plot points muddle the voices of your characters or get in the way of your story's purpose.  
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Trim, cut, and hone the structure of your story into a powerful and impactful novel. Developmental editing (also called substantive editing, structural editing, or manuscript critique) is a workshop of your story as a whole. I will carefully read through your unpublished manuscript and give you feedback and critique on a range of subjects. This is ideal for authors who have finished their stories but are unsure of the effectiveness of their plot, characters, timeline, and other large-scale areas of their narrative, and need a second pair of eyes to streamline your novel into a finished whole. 

attributes of the warrior class

a developmental edit covers...

  • Structure, plot, and pacing of your story (whether your plot points line up and your timeline is clear and impactful)
  • Characters (specifically my observations on their development and growth alongside the plot)
  • The overall style and voice of your writing
  • Setting and overall feeling of your world (including the magic, world building, and believability)​
  • Your theme and my impression of it (whether it felt like a integral part of your characters and plot)
  • The emotional impact (whether it connects)

steps for developmental editing

  • step one
  • step two
  • step three
  • step four
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Contact me to discuss your project. 

I'd like to hear about your story, genre, and specifics of what you'd like help with in the developmental editing process. 

After we've settled on the details and agreed to the contract terms, I'll send you an invoice for a 50% deposit.  All payments will be done through Paypal. 

I will then direct you to fill out a style sheet to help me in my critique of your piece. Th more information I have, the more effective my developmental edit will be. After you've filled it out, you can send me your story in a word document or pages file and we can get started. ​

I edit your story. 

After we've discussed your project I go away for a bit and edit. ​I read through your piece multiple times, reviewing the elements of your story and giving you extensive feedback. I use Microsoft Word track changes for most projects, though if you have a Mac I am more than willing to use Pages. 

​I'll keep in touch and contact you if I have any questions throughout the process. The exact timeframe will depend on the level of editing and the word-count.​

I email you feedback.

I will return your edited story in a .doc or .docx file with comments concerning plot, structure, voice, characters, setting, theme, and pacing. It will also include a handful of grammar, punctuation, and formatting edits, should I notice them, but it won't be my intent. ​​
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​You will also receive an editorial assessment: a written report in the form of a PDF detailing my notes and observations form the developmental editing process, including what I believed is working and what needs your attention. The length of this will vary depending on your story length, but will generally be between 8-20 pages long. 

​Once you've received your edited story, I'll email you an invoice for the remaining fee.

From better writing to a better writer. 

The goal of the developmental editing process is to improve the overall structure, effectiveness, and impact of your novel. Consequently, at the end of the process you will be able to email me to ask any last minute questions about my report. I'll spend up to an hour on my response, after which you will hopefully feel ready to begin revising your story. 
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My goal isn't only to improve your writing in this single piece. Though you will walk away with a polished, improved story, I hope you will also take with you some insight and tools that will help push your writing skills to the next level. 

developmental editing prices

Short Story
Novella
Novel
​5,000 words for $75
20,000 words for $230
70,000 words for $540
​10,000 words for $130
30,000 words for $300
100,000 words for $650
15,000 words for $175
40,000 words for $360
150,000 words for $775

​​​These are estimates based on word-count alone.
Contact me to discuss the specifics of your individual story, or to get a free sample edit to see if we'd be a good fit!