Developmental Editing: Why We All Need A Developmental Editor

“A developmental editor is someone who can take a ‘helicopter’ view of your entire piece of writing and give you a specific sense of what’s working, what’s not, and in some cases come up with solutions.” – Strawberry Saroyan, book consultant and author of Girl Walks into a Bar.

Why is Developmental Editing Important?

Writers often struggle with keeping perspective on their own work. They’re too close to it to know what does or doesn’t work for another reader. Writers unconsciously fill in the narrative gaps with their own knowledge of the book. They can be enthralled with their subject, without considering general interest. This can apply to fiction and non-fiction writers.

“The biggest issue is answering the pesky but crucial ‘who cares?’ question. But I think that applies in any genre—fiction, non-personal non-fiction, etc. It’s important for authors to keep in mind that profound and meaningful to them doesn’t automatically mean profound and meaningful to their readers.” – Sarah Saffian, Developmental Editor

For some writers, it can be daunting to put their literary baby in front of someone for ideas as subjective—and fundamental—as plot and character development. Unlike punctuation, there is no objective authority on how a book should work. But professional developmental book editors work at a remove, which means they’re better suited to giving you an honest opinion than, say, your spouse, best friend, or even a fellow writer. Also, you pay them, so they’re incentivized to get it done. They’re not like a book critic, looking to espouse their own opinions for public consumption. A developmental editor is a personal story analyst for you.

Talk to enough developmental editors and you’ll hear the same phrase repeated. “It’s about showing the writer what works.” As Saffian says, it’s not about rewriting. Instead “the idea is so that the author herself can come up, with guidance, with how to make it better, in his or her own voice.” Since most developmental editors are also writers, they have a keen respect for the writer’s voice.

How Do I Find a Developmental Editor?

There are plenty of resources out there, including Blurb’s Dream Team, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the Editorial Freelancer’s Association. The key is getting someone with a good reputation that has experience in your genre or area of expertise.

Publishing consultant Kim Bookless told our own Forrest Bryant that a manuscript evaluation is a crucial first step to finding out if a developmental editor understands you and your book. If you think they do, you can engage them for more in-depth developmental editing.

So, when do you take on a developmental editor? It depends on where your own strengths lie. Saroyan suggests that any time a writer gets stuck is the time.

“If someone needs a developmental editor after they’ve had a great kernel of an idea —that’s all—then that’s the time to hire someone on this particular project. In such a case, the job might just take a few hours. On the other hand, it could be time to hire a developmental editor when a client actually thinks they’re done—but wants a new pair of eyes on the project.”

For an author of non-fiction, that might be early on. It’s important that non-fiction starts with a solid premise as this directs a lot of the research and fact-finding. Fiction editors may be among the ones that come later in the game, looking at the whole narrative for consistency and development. But just as with writing, there are no rules here. A lot of fiction writers have great ideas but need a little help on their story arc or character development.

Developmental editing is a worth-while investment. Your book’s reputation depends on it. As Bookless advises: “These days it’s easy for readers to share their bad impressions of a book online, and bad reviews don’t go away.” Investing a little upfront, to give your book the development work it needs, can go a long way toward garnering positive reviews.