What Is Development Editing and Why Do You Need It?
When it comes to making your manuscript the best that it can be, the process of copyediting can only take you so far. Sure, copyediting involves replacing this word with a better word or making sure your periods, commas, and other forms of punctuation are in their right places. However, even when all the grammatical errors have been eliminated and every bit of text has undergone spell checking, how do you know whether your draft is ready for publication?
This is where development editing comes in. This level of editing involves providing in-depth comments, suggestions, and critique concerning the more overarching parts of the writer’s manuscript. Take, for example, the draft of a fantasy novel; a developmental editor would offer a keen eye on such things as major plot points, the overall outline of the story, the created setting, the narrator’s tone, and even the development of the characters. This would offer a second opinion for the writer to consider when tweaking various parts of the manuscript, which is a great help when they’ve run out of ideas for improvement.
Here are a couple of reasons why development editing would aid your written work in progress:
Beta reading
What is considered “good writing” is subjective and dependent on the reader, and writers often have a difficult time determining whether their own writing is up to par or not. After all, it’s hard to know when something you’ve created is “good” when you don’t consider feedback from someone else, specifically a stranger (who is, preferably, unfamiliar with your creative process). Not only does a development editor offer you such feedback, but also, you get a taste of how palatable your writing is in the eyes of a beta reader, an invaluable person to have and listen to before you offer your work to the general public.
A “bird’s eye view” of your manuscript
Even after several read-throughs, it’s easy for a writer to miss a detail or two in their manuscript that seems inconsistent with their story/theme or generally out of place. Poorly edited manuscripts that have gone on to be printed as books are prone to such mistakes, and what’s worse is that these errors have been immortalized on paper for more discerning readers to spot and criticize—truly a nightmare for every writer! Thankfully, someone who’s skilled at developmental editing, with a “bird’s eye view” of the work, can help spot these inconsistencies and even offer some improvements to the style or the story.
Market insights
Even when a manuscript by itself passes all the copyediting and developmental editing tests, how would the writer know whether it will sell well in its intended market? Ideally, a developmental editor would possess the right kind of knowledge about what kinds of books trend and flop in their respective genres and target markets. As such, if you were, say, a writer who specializes in young adult fiction, you would definitely benefit from the aid of a developmental editor experienced in editing for this genre. It’s the perfect example of complementing a well-written work with a well-suited audience.
Overall, regardless of how skilled a writer is or how many works they’ve already published, a developmental editor is undoubtedly one of the most important members to have on their editorial team. Such an editor possesses both micro and macro lenses on what can be improved in a writer’s manuscript as well as which elements would work in combination for this same manuscript to be well-received by its readers.
If you think your manuscript could use some developmental editing and well-meaning critique, check out TheManuscriptEditor.com and explore our range of editing services! With a team of all human professional editors (no AI used), you can rest assured that your written work will be in good hands.
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