What Is Developmental Editing? | Full Guide

What is developmental editing, and how does it differ from other levels of editing? I’ve heard this question many times from writers and editors alike.

Developmental editing happens early on in the revision and publishing process, and it focuses on the big picture elements of your story. 

Here’s everything you need to know about developmental editing, including developmental editing tips, rates, definitions of different levels of editing, and what the best developmental editors do to set themselves apart.

Comprehensive Guide to Developmental Editing

1. What Is Developmental Editing?
2. Developmental Editing Examples
3. Developmental Editing Checklist
4. Developmental Editing Tips
5. Types of Book Editing
6. Developmental Editing vs. Copy Editing
7. Developmental Editing vs. Line Editing
8. Developmental Editing vs. Editorial Assessment
9. How to Find a Developmental Editor
10. Developmental Editor Salary
11. Developmental Editor Job Description
12. Frequently Asked Questions about Developmental Editing

What Is Developmental Editing?

Every developmental editing definition out there varies slightly, but at its core, developmental editing is a type of extensive editing that includes the editing steps of an in-depth copyedit but with some rewriting, reorganizing, and reassessing of big-picture storytelling techniques like plot, characterization, dialogue, pacing, et cetera.

Developmental editing is the editorial process of restructuring a manuscript, looking at the skeleton of a project with a big-picture approach.

This type of editing is also called book doctoring, and it’s much more substantive and collaborative.

Book doctoring occurs in the earlier draft phase, so good developmental editors need to be good writers, first and foremost.

Developmental Editing Examples

Baking vs. Cooking

Copy editing is like baking: There’s exact measurements and rules to follow. There’s a science to it. You have to follow the recipe closely to get the desired result.

Developmental editing is more like cooking: it’s a little more organic. There’s not always a tried-and-true way of doing things. There’s not always one solution to an issue or one type of feedback you get back as an author. You won’t find a detailed recipe with book doctoring.

Shaping vs. Trimming

Developmental editors shape the text, whereas other types of editors like copyeditors or proofreaders trim, tighten, or cut down the language. Book doctors are not the grammar police, and they aren’t beta readers, either.

You shouldn’t use developmental editors merely as a second set of eyes. They do much more than review a piece of work. They dissect and pick apart scenes and whole sections and chapters like a surgeon would perform a transplant. This isn’t merely a facelift, people!

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Developmental Editing Checklist

1. Clarity and Flow

This type of editor pays attention to the presentation of a manuscript, but they also look out for clarity of ideas, making sure the chapters flow nicely into each other.

2. Narrative Shaping

Narrative shaping is a big part of developmental editing: looking out for plot holes, making sure the thesis or main ideas and themes land in the manuscript.

3. Marketability

Book doctors also assess the marketability of a manuscript and pinpoint the overall weaknesses and strengths of a manuscript. They take on the role of a writing coach in a lot of ways, teaching the author more about their craft by offering revision suggestions, examples, and samples.

More than any other type of editing, developmental editing focuses on the intended audience and acts as the reader’s advocate.

4. Editorial Letters and Supplemental Material

Along with detailed revisions, developmental editors will provide detailed editorial letters with fly-over thoughts about the manuscript as a whole. They will often include character charts, book maps with scene-by-scene summaries to help with pacing, timelines, et cetera.

Developmental Editing Tips

My biggest tip for book doctoring is to hone the craft of writing and know the elements of story inside and out.

Also, when you make big changes to a manuscript, be prepared to back up your decisions. Writers are precious about their manuscripts—which is totally understandable! You have to be kind, diplomatic, and clear in your communication.

Make a way forward for the writer in a way that isn’t too overwhelming. Creating a clear revision road map will help writers better digest your suggestions and changes.

Types of Book Editing

The four main levels of book editing include:

• Developmental editing
• Line editing
• Copy editing
• Proofreading

The descriptions of the different types of editing vary by publication, so if you’re an author looking for an editor or you’re an editor taking on an editing project, make sure to communicate clear expectations.

Developmental Editing vs. Copy Editing

If you’ve wondered what is the difference between developmental editing and copyediting, the baking vs. cooking analogy is probably the most helpful. But in general, copy editing abides by specific rules.

Copy editing fixes and flags inconsistencies, from mechanical or topical errors to infelicities of grammar, usage, syntax, and punctuation.

Developmental editing addresses the big-picture story elements, reshaping the novel before working on a line-by-line or word-by-word edit.

Developmental Editing vs. Line Editing

Similarly, line editing is a sentence-by-sentence edit, and developmental editing is more focused on organizing, expanding, or improving content to help with a writer’s main goals.

Line editors or content editors look at word choice, awkward or clunky language, transitions, overall flow and pacing, fixed run-on sentences, danglers, et cetera. Line editing also includes the basic steps of copy editing.

Developmental Editing vs. Editorial Assessment

Developmental editing includes more in-depth feedback than editorial assessments or evaluations, and they include lengthier editorial letters and more detailed revision plans.

Devo editing includes pretty major rewriting, whereas a manuscript critique offers broader feedback through margin notes.

Editorial assessments are critical, close readings of a manuscript. Developmental editors get their hands dirty and do the heavy lifting.

How to Find a Developmental Editor

If you publish your work with a traditional publisher, the editorial team will find a developmental editor for you or handle it in house.

If you’re looking for a freelance developmental editor, I recommend trusted editorial agencies and editing groups like the Editorial Freelancers Association and ACES: The Society for Editing. You can browse editors’ profiles or even make a members-only job posting.

Where you find a book doctor depends on the type of project. If you’re looking for developmental editing for children’s books, the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators would be a great place to start.

Developmental Editor Salary

Because book doctoring is more of a hands-on, collaborative approach than other kinds of editing, the turnaround times for developmental editing tend to be longer, and developmental editing rates tend to be higher.

Earnings can differ quite a bit if you work as a developmental editor for a company or if you freelance. Typical developmental editing rates are $61 to $70 an hour, according to the Editorial Freelancers Association. As of June 26, 2023, the average developmental editor salary in the United States is $65,657.

RELATED: University of Chicago Editing Certificate | Review, Cost, Curriculum

Developmental Editor Job Description

Someone looking for developmental editing services is going to want an editor who is diplomatic and collaborative with strong writing skills. They need to execute revisions with precision and should have experience coaching or guiding writers toward improving their work.

A developmental editor job description should include proficiency in narrative shaping and in-depth knowledge of the publishing landscape to assess a book’s marketability.

Frequently Asked Questions about Developmental Editing

What do developmental editors look for? 

Developmental editors look for:

• Clarity and flow of the overall structure of a book
• Strengths and weaknesses of story elements like plot, pacing, characterization, dialogue, et cetera
• Marketability based on trends in the industry, making sure to be the reader’s advocate
• Chapter and scene sequencing, making sure main ideas and themes carry through the whole book

What is an example of a developmental edit? 

One example of a developmental edit I performed had to do with the second book in a sequel. The author tried to loop the reader in to the current story quickly, which made the first few chapters slow and a bit of an info dump.

Rather than reminding the reader of everything that happened in book one straight away, we worked to organically include helpful refreshers naturally through dialogue, internal monologue, narration, and appropriately spaced flashbacks.

This developmental editing example required a significant amount of rewriting and even restructuring of the opening chapters. It affected the dynamics between characters and adding certain scenes that weren’t originally there to organically share information.

What is the meaning of developmental editing? 

The meaning of developmental editing is, at its core, narrative shaping. Good developmental editors work on restructuring, expanding, and even rewriting content with a holistic, big-picture view.

This post has been all about developmental editing definitions and tips, including what to look for in a developmental edit as well as developmental editing rates and examples. If you’re interested in becoming a freelance editor or expanding your editorial business, check out my e-course, Freelance Editing 101: Launch or Grow Your Editorial Business.