Developmental Editing
work with an editor to polish your rough draft
Are you looking for developmental editing support on your completed—or almost completed—first draft?
schedule a discovery call
You have a piece of writing that you have drafted, revised, and reworked as much as you can with the support of your trusted allies.
However, you are aware that there is still something more waiting to evolve in your creative piece, and you are seeking a fresh set of professional eyes on your writing to help make it the best it can be. If this is you, consider Developmental Editing as your next step.
Developmental editing means working with an editor to revise your rough-draft writing to a more polished second draft. My developmental editing services are co-created and tailored to your individual needs and timelines and take into consideration your ultimate goals and plans for your creative piece.
Meet Marie
As the author of the award winning creative memoir, The Chocolate Pilgrim: A Journey to Self-discovery and Transformation on the Camino de Santiago, Marie guides you to write the stories you’ve been longing to tell. Her ability to nurture each person in their individual voice and intention results in her clients leaning into what makes their writing strong as they hone their craft and reach their goals. Whether your writing project is a work in progress or undergoing revisions, Marie offers practices that take you the next step towards realizing your writing dreams.
My Process
Initial Consultation
We meet to discuss your creative piece, where it is now, and what you wish to receive from our time together in order to get this piece where you want it to be.
In-Depth Review
I review your entire creative piece, looking for elements like a sense of continuity in your writing, the main themes of your story, and how your current structure holds everything together. I offer an abundance of comments, and develop an overarching, high-level review for you to consider as you move forward.
Feedback & Next Steps
We meet once again to review and discuss the observations and insights I gleaned from an editorial standpoint. Together, we review the greatest strengths in your piece, and any areas that could use some further development, clarification, or focus. I leave you with some concrete next steps to continue refining your project.
How do you know if you’re ready for developmental editing?
A developmental editor can save you immense time and effort, and help you craft your writing to a more polished state. Here are some ways to tell if your piece is ready for developmental editing.
- You’ve completed a first draft and want to know if the structure works. When I was writing my memoir, I worked with four different structures, and points-of-view, before I arrived at a first-person chronology of my Camino pilgrimage. Once I had the right structure, everything else fell into place, and my writing developed in a way I had never experienced before.
- You intend to enter a writing contest with specific requirements. Many writing contests have strict parameters when it comes to the focus of your story, the word count, and other elements. Hiring an editor for content submissions can help you not only develop your craft, but submit your entry with a greater sense of support and confidence.
- You enjoyed the writing process and want another set of eyes on your creation. After completing your first draft, sending your manuscript to an editor who can make suggestions for further development, is an important next step while you also take a much-needed pause in your creative efforts.
- Your aim is publication, and you want to ensure your draft is the most engaging and clean it can be before sending it on. Hiring a developmental editor is the first important step to ensuring there are no big question marks, plot holes, or interruptions in your structure. It can save a lot of time, especially if you receive feedback further down the publishing process that your structure could use some work before it can be considered a final product.
If you want to explore developmental editing, book a consultation with me today!
I can’t wait to learn more about your project.