Developmental Editing

With this in-depth editing service, I’ll scour your manuscript to identify all its strengths and weaknesses, assessing storytelling elements such as plot, theme, character, pacing, voice, dialogue, worldbuilding, POV, and more. Not only will you get marginal comments to address specific moments in the manuscript, but you’ll get a multi-page editorial letter detailing all my broad feedback and providing recommendations on next steps.

This is a great choice for authors who have written draft after draft and are ready for both scene-level notes and big-picture feedback from a professional.

$0.025 per word

Developmental edits include two read-throughs: first a straight read so I can get a feel for the story and understand what happens, and then a slower read-through during which I leave all my margin feedback.
All feedback is designed to be constructive—meaning I won’t just point out issues, I’ll provide guidance on how to solve them.

Payment plans are available upon request.

Deliverables:

  • An annotated copy of your manuscript with margin comments full of objective feedback on plot, character, pacing, dialogue, world-building, and more, with a focus on specific instances within the manuscript

    • may include some light line edits as examples, along with the occasional typo correction

  • An editorial letter of 5–30 pages detailing my broader feedback and recommendations regarding your manuscript’s next steps

    • includes a section on the things I feel you’re doing well as an author

  • Two optional 30-minute meetings over phone, Zoom, etc. during which we can discuss the manuscript and/or my feedback

    • these meetings can be taken in any order at the author’s discretion: one before the edit and one after, both after—whatever you like

  • Editor availability for eight weeks after, to answer any questions or concerns about the edits.

Due to the level of detail involved in a developmental edit, this service is best for completed manuscripts that have gone through at least one round of revision using feedback from critique partners.

“Working with Alex was a game-changer for my novel. Beforehand, I felt completely lost—disconnected from my story, overwhelmed by revisions, and unsure of how to move forward. But Alex’s developmental edit changed everything! His feedback wasn’t just insightful; it was transformational. He has a rare gift for understanding a writer’s vision while pushing them to improve in ways that feel both exciting and achievable. ”

— Taya Williams, Author, USA