Developmental Editing
Base rate: 4¢/word*
- Turnaround is generally 3 weeks, depending on manuscript length and availability
- Includes margin notes, a 10-20+ page editorial letter, and a one-hour follow-up meeting
Also known as story editing, a developmental edit involves examining and refining the story map (or redrawing it entirely if necessary), finding (and filling) the plot holes, and looking at the big picture:
- Story—the events from beginning to end
- Plot—how the story is pieced together through cause and effect
- Conflict(s)—what poses a problem for the main character(s)
- Characters—the people driving your story
- Character arcs—the changes your characters undergo throughout the story
- Dialogue—what your characters say to one another
- Pacing—the heartbeat of your story
- Setting—where your story takes place
- World-building—the design of a fictional world, its inhabitants, and their way of life
- Point of view (POV)—the voice that’s telling your story
- Narrative—how it all comes together
- Genre and subgenre—the “groups” your story essentially belongs in
If that sounds like a lot, well . . . that’s because it is.
You might be wondering if you need a developmental edit and most editors would say a resounding “YES!” without exception.
I’m not most editors, however.
Although I agree it’s a good idea much of the time, a developmental edit is expensive. The EFA median rate is about 4¢ per word (and what I base my project rate on while considering other factors). That rate, however, equates to $40 per 1,000 words (4 pages at 250 words/average).
*Based on a novel’s word count, the cost for a developmental edit is roughly:
100,000 words = $4,000
80,000 words = $3,200
60,000 words = $2,400
But not every aspiring author has that kind of cash flow, even with payment installments available.
I’m not trying to undersell services, but an Alpha Read might be more feasible if you need a developmental edit but cannot afford one, and you can learn more about that here.
Schedule A Free Consultation On A Developmental Edit With Dark Star Lit
