Developmental Edit
You finished your draft.
You can feel where something isn’t holding, but you can’t name it.
Let’s find out what.
A finished draft doesn’t tell you what it’s doing. You’ve lived inside the story for months, maybe years—every scene felt intentional when you made it, and you know it all by heart. But the cumulative architecture, the way arcs and pacing and worldbuilding compound into something that either lands or doesn’t, isn’t visible from inside the draft. That’s not a flaw in you. That’s the cost of being the person who wrote it.
A developmental edit is the structural pass after that draft is done. I read your full manuscript with a reader’s investment and an editor’s diagnostic eye, then deliver an editorial letter, an annotated manuscript, and a prioritized revision roadmap. You walk out knowing what your book is actually doing, where the foundation holds and where it cracks, and what to address before line editing or copyediting becomes worth the investment.
It’s your story. I diagnose what the structure is actually doing, so you can revise with rationale, not gut feeling.
I specialize in speculative and romantic fantasy:
Gothic Fantasy
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Magical Academy
Supernatural Suspense
Occult Detective Fiction
Paranormal Romance
Romantasy
Urban Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Supernatural Thriller
Other genres are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Not sure a full developmental edit is what you need? You might be earlier in the process than you think, or you might just need a smaller read first. Find your path.
What This Is
Structural diagnosis with prescription. I tell you what’s working, what isn’t, why, and what to do about it. You get analysis grounded in craft, not “I didn’t like this part.”
Whole-book analysis. I read for patterns across the manuscript—how character arcs progress, where pacing flatlines, where worldbuilding contradicts itself, and where the emotional architecture supports the plot or works against it.
A revision plan you can actually use. The editorial letter, annotated manuscript, and revision roadmap give you priorities, not a pile of equally weighted notes. You know what to fix first, what to fix together, and what to leave alone.
What This Isn't
A beta read (beta reads reflect what a reader experienced; this diagnoses the structure underneath and prescribes a path forward)
Draft Zero Development (the collaborative, session-by-session partnership; a developmental edit is a one-time diagnosis you take away and revise from on your own)
Line editing or copyediting (sentence-level work comes later, after the structure holds)
Proofreading (different stage entirely)
Ghostwriting or rewriting (I diagnose and prescribe; you revise)
Complete Manuscript
You have a finished draft, and you’re ready to know what it’s doing.
Standard Developmental Edit
Includes:
Editorial letter covering structure, plot architecture, character arcs, pacing, worldbuilding, voice, emotional engagement, and thematic coherence—with rationale, not just verdicts
Annotated manuscript with in-line margin queries, scene-level observations, and pattern flags
Prioritized revision roadmap: what to address first, what to address together, and what to leave alone
Delivery: 4–6 weeks from project start
developmental edit Plus
Everything in Standard, plus:
60-minute video or phone call to walk through the editorial letter, ask questions, and pressure-test your revision plan
50-page re-read of revised pages within 6 months of delivery, with a focused written response on whether the revisions land
Delivery: 4–6 weeks from project start; call scheduled within 2 weeks of delivery; re-read available for 6 months after delivery
Pricing by Word Count
| Word Count | Standard | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 60,000 | $1,800 | $2,200 |
| 60,001–80,000 | $2,500 | $2,900 |
| 80,001–100,000 | $3,000 | $3,400 |
| 100,001–120,000 | $3,600 | $4,000 |
| 120,001–140,000 | $4,200 | $4,600 |
| Over 140,000 | Let's talk first | Let's talk first |
Manuscripts over 140K face different realities depending on your path. Traditional publishing (especially for debuts) often comes with hard word count limits set by agents and acquiring editors. Indie publishing has more flexibility, but pacing and reader expectations still matter. I’ll still edit your book. I just want to make sure a developmental edit is the right next step for what you’re working on.
How It Works
Discovery
You share a brief overview: genre, word count, where you are in the process, and any specific concerns you want me to focus on
If we're a good fit, I send a quote, and we lock the start date
The Diagnosis
I read your full manuscript with a reader’s investment and an editor’s diagnostic eye operating simultaneously—tracking emotional engagement, confusion points, and the structural choices producing those reactions in the same pass
I map patterns across chapters: how arcs progress, where pacing flatlines, where worldbuilding contradicts itself, where the emotional architecture supports the plot or works against it
I draft the editorial letter, mark up the annotated manuscript, and build the revision roadmap—delivered together at the end of the engagement, not in pieces
The Follow-Up (Plus only)
We meet for a 60-minute call to walk through the letter and pressure-test your revision plan
Within 6 months of delivery, you can send up to 50 pages of revised material for a focused re-read
What You Provide
Complete manuscript (Microsoft Word, .docx preferred)
One-paragraph premise plus a 1–2 page synopsis covering the full arc, including the ending (optional but strongly recommended—gives me your stated intent to compare execution against)
Brief content/trigger warnings if applicable (optional)
Any specific questions or areas of concern you want me to focus on (optional)
Context on where you are in your process (first draft, post-revision, pre-query, pre-publication, etc.)
My Commitment to You
Honesty grounded in craft. I will tell you what’s working, what isn’t, and why. My job is to give you a diagnosis you can act on—not reassurance that leaves you guessing.
Editorial investment. I don’t skim. I read your manuscript at full attention—reader’s eye and editor’s instincts active at the same time—and track patterns across the whole book, because that’s what it takes to give you a revision plan worth using.
Respect for your vision. This is your story. My job is to diagnose what the structure is doing and offer paths forward—not to rewrite your book in my image. Every prescription comes with a rationale so you can interrogate it and decide whether it serves the book you’re trying to write.
Administrative Policies
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If I haven’t read the prior installments, a reading fee scoped to those books is quoted before booking.
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50% deposit due upon booking to secure your start date. Balance due upon delivery of the editorial package.
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I respond to emails within 1 business day.
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24 hours’ notice required to reschedule
Missed sessions without notice are forfeited
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+50% rush fee (subject to availability)
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The Plus tier includes a 50-page re-read of revised pages within 6 months. Beyond that:
Full manuscript re-read post-revision: 50% of the original rate
Focused re-read (specific sections only, outside of Plus): quoted by scope
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Before reading begins: Full refund of any payments made, minus a $25 administrative fee
After reading begins: Deposit forfeited; partial feedback delivered for work completed; no further balance due
If I cannot complete the edit due to unforeseen circumstances: Full refund of any payments made, or option to reschedule
What This Service Prepares You For
A developmental edit is the structural pass before sentence-level work or external review. It’s ideal before:
Line editing (don’t pay for prose polish on a structure that needs to change)
Copyediting (same principle, one step further)
Querying agents or submitting to publishers (so you’re not rejected for fixable structural issues)
Self-publishing (structural confidence before your final passes)
FAQ
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A beta read reflects what a reader experienced. A developmental edit diagnoses the structural choices that produced that experience and prescribes a path forward.
Beta readers tell you, “I got lost here.” A developmental editor tells you you got lost because the POV shifted mid-scene and the reader didn’t know whose head they were in, then shows you how to fix it without losing the tension you built.
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The difference is in the collaboration style, not the stage.
A developmental edit is a one-time diagnosis. I read your whole manuscript, deliver an editorial letter, an annotated manuscript, and a revision roadmap. You take it away and revise on your own.
Draft Zero Development is collaborative throughout. We work through the manuscript together, session by session—building the foundation if you don’t have one yet, or pressure-testing revisions if you do. The partnership evolves as the work changes shape.
Same diagnostic eye; different working relationship. The “Which Edit Do I Need?” guide can help you figure out which one fits.
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Two things:
A 60-minute call where we walk through the editorial letter together, pressure-test your revision plan, and give you space to ask the questions that come up between reading the letter and starting to revise.
A 50-page re-read window: within 6 months of delivery, you can send up to 50 pages of revised material, and I’ll give you focused written feedback on whether the revisions land.
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Read the editorial letter first, all the way through, before you open the manuscript. Sit with it for a few days.
The roadmap is built so you can revise in passes—structural decisions first, scene-level next, line-level last.
The annotated manuscript is the reference document you work from once you’re actually revising.
The letter explains the diagnosis; the manuscript shows you where to look.
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Yes. If you have particular concerns (“Is the pacing too slow in Act 2?” “Does the romance feel earned?” “Is my magic system internally consistent?”), let me know. I’ll pay special attention to those areas and address them directly in the editorial letter.
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Good. You should interrogate every piece of feedback you receive. My job is to diagnose what the structure is doing and offer rationale for the prescription. Your job is to decide whether that diagnosis matches the story you’re trying to write. Sometimes the answer is “that’s working as designed, and the feedback is wrong for this book.” That’s a legitimate outcome—and you’ll be able to say so with confidence because you have the diagnosis to push back against.
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Yes, but if I haven’t already read your prior books, let’s talk first. For developmental editing of a series, I need to know what you’ve established in the previous books—worldbuilding rules, character histories, the arcs already in motion—before I read your new manuscript. If I’ve already read the previous installments, we’re set. If I haven’t, I’ll read them as part of the engagement, which adds time and a reading fee scoped to the books involved, quoted upfront before you book.
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I specialize in speculative and romantic fantasy because that’s what I read—paranormal romance, romantasy, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and adjacent subgenres. I already know the territory. For genres outside this specialty, I consider projects case-by-case; reach out and we’ll see if I’m the right fit.
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I treat all manuscripts as confidential by default. If you require a formal NDA, I’m happy to sign one.
No AI Touches Your Book. Ever.
Your manuscript doesn’t go into any AI tool. Not for summaries, not for feedback, not for “just checking.” Not at any stage, and not without your written permission. This applies whether your book is unpublished, in progress, or already out in the world.
The work you’re paying me for is my work. Editorial letters, annotated manuscripts, revision roadmaps, session feedback, narration prep—all of it is written by me, on my own, without AI assistance of any kind. That includes the behind-the-scenes notes and drafts. My reading brain and Word’s basic spell-check are the whole toolkit—no cloud-based writing or analysis tools, nothing AI-powered. Your manuscript travels only where the work requires: secure storage and delivery back to you.
Neither your book nor your name ever enters an AI system. If that line ever needs to move, I’ll ask you first. You can say no, and it won’t change anything about our work together.
The formal version lives in the Terms of Service.
Ready to Book?
If you have your draft and you’re ready to know what it’s actually doing, reach out. Let’s diagnose the structure together.