Development editing

Congratulations, you’ve finished the first draft of your manuscript. It might be a little rough around the edges, and you’re now unsure of what to do.

A development edit is an excellent first step. It’s the most comprehensive editorial service and focuses on the big-picture elements of your manuscript, ensuring it’s cohesive, compelling and targets its intended audience.

What Is included in a development edit

For fiction:

• Story structure and pacing – an assessment of the structure of your book, identifying and fixing issues of pacing and narrative progression, and removing plot holes.

• Scene and chapter flow – improving transitions between scenes and momentum across the manuscript.

• Character development – ensuring your characters are fully realised, believable, and emotionally resonant.

• Point of view and voice – assessing consistency, tone, and whether your chosen POV best serves the story.

• Theme and emotional arc – helping clarify what your story is trying to say and making sure it delivers on that.

For non-fiction:

• Clarity of concept – ensuring your message and purpose for the book are clear to the reader.

• Structure – checking your ideas progress logically, with a compelling argument.

• Voice and tone – aligning your voice with your subject and audience.

• Use of evidence and examples – making sure your supporting material strengthens your message.

As well as these points, I will also provide an in-depth, line-by-line edit to make your prose the best it can be.

I mark-up using tracked changes in Microsoft Word so you can see exactly what has been amended.

If you’re interested in this service for your manuscript, please drop me a line using my contact page here.