To learn more about the role
of a developmental editor in traditional and indie publishing, click to read this more
Not exact matches
Once you have a consistent bedtime worked out, a daytime routine will fall into place, says Tanya Remer Altmann, a pediatrician and
editor -
in - chief
of The Wonder Years: Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate the Major
Developmental Milestones.
«Humans need meaningful relationships, particularly when they are
in major
developmental periods,» says John H. Lounsbury, dean emeritus
of the School
of Education at Georgia College & State University and consulting
editor of the National Middle Schools Association.
Now as a freelance
developmental editor and consultant, Jim has helped many writers
of both fiction and non-fiction bring a work
in progress through to publication.
She has served as senior
editor of the online Journal
of the Behavioral and Social Sciences and is the
editor of the CLEP test preparation manual
in Developmental Psychology.
In the case
of developmental editing, we might not even know what
editors do.
A substantive edit, also known as a
developmental edit, involves the assistance
of an experienced
editor who will hold your hand as together you identify and fix the issues
in your book.
Professional authors receive
developmental editing from their house
editors, but indie authors must seek it out for themselves, and it is especially critical
in the beginning
of one's career when one is still learning the craft.
Working with a
developmental editor usually means at least a round or two
of editing and rewriting before you can send the book to the next stage
in editing.
I think you're looking for more
of a
developmental editor — it's worth getting recommendations from other authors for this type
of edit — preferably
in a genre you're writing
in.
The concept
of a
developmental editor doesn't appear
in the book, nor are there any recommendations for professional feedback on the core content, story, characters, organization, and style
of the book.
A
developmental edit (also referred to
in the industry as a content edit) includes your Midnight Publishing
editor reading the material and providing
in - line comments and a chapter - by - chapter additional summary on facets
of the storyline beyond grammar and syntax.
If you have an editing level that includes content editing, your assigned
editor will offer
developmental suggestions and queries to improve the clarity, arc, and soundness
of your book's argument (
in the case
of nonfiction); and the characterization, dialogue, and plot development (
in the case
of fiction).
Developmental editors will be able to advise you on what works well
in terms
of big - picture decisions.
In other words, would you negotiate for a cover designer,
developmental editor, copy
editor, and formatter to collectively take some 50 percent
of your sales?
In a post on editing, author Ruth Harris concentrates on nine benefits primarily of «developmental» editing, as we say in the States, or «structural» editing, as it's called in the UK — the specialization of editors who work with how you're telling your story and, if necessary, how to reconstruct what you're doing to make it far more effectiv
In a post on editing, author Ruth Harris concentrates on nine benefits primarily
of «
developmental» editing, as we say
in the States, or «structural» editing, as it's called in the UK — the specialization of editors who work with how you're telling your story and, if necessary, how to reconstruct what you're doing to make it far more effectiv
in the States, or «structural» editing, as it's called
in the UK — the specialization of editors who work with how you're telling your story and, if necessary, how to reconstruct what you're doing to make it far more effectiv
in the UK — the specialization
of editors who work with how you're telling your story and, if necessary, how to reconstruct what you're doing to make it far more effective.
However, I still don't really believe — and I can't prove it exactly, but I'm pretty sure — from when I talk to
editors and writers, that they're not getting a lot
of developmental editing from publishers because they're
in a hurry.
To me, critique partners are
developmental editors — some have more experience than others, but when I'm swapping critiques with someone, we are (usually) doing an
in - kind swap for
developmental editing (sometimes it's more
of a line edit or copyedit, depending on need or skill
of the person involved).
Book Agent Jennifer Azantian earned a B.S.
in clinical and
developmental psychology from the University
of California, San Diego where she was an executive
editor for the Trition Psychology Report.
If you're lost
in the forest
of your nonfiction book -
in - progress, nonfiction
developmental editor Blake Atwood can guide you toward daylight.
If you're looking at an autobiography, business manual, or any book
in the realm
of non-fiction, specialist
developmental editors will take a goal - oriented approach to developing your plan.
As I mentioned
in Part One
of this series, not all
developmental editors handle the proofreading aspects
of a manuscript and focus solely on the overall «big picture.»
She has worked as an advocate for authors and readers
in a number
of in - house roles at HarperCollins Canada and Penguin Random House Canada, and now applies her enthusiasm and skills to a variety
of book projects as a proofreader and
developmental, substantive, stylistic, and copy
editor.
Because
of your very insightful blog I now have the courage to ask... How does a first time author reach out to a
Developmental Editor they are interested
in working with?
, an
editor with over 25 years
in traditional publishing, one
of the most valuable things a
developmental editor does is ask questions.
For Mary - Theresa Hussey, an
editor with over 25 years
in traditional publishing, one
of the most valuable things a
developmental editor does is ask questions.
(The exception
of course, is when you hire a
developmental editor, who is invested
in helping you shape the story from beginning to end.)
I really like your story because I think it's one that many
of our
editors on Reedsy can relate to: you previously worked
in - house for Simon and Schuster and are now freelance and focusing on
developmental editing (or editorial assessments).
Our
developmental editing services pair you with experienced
developmental editors, writing teachers, and industry insiders to help you craft a book that reaches its fullest potential and has the best chance
of success
in the marketplace.
You definitely won't need a
developmental or content
editor because the story, or,
in case
of nonfiction, the concept, should already be developed.
I've had several friends read my work
in progress, as well as a
developmental editor... I've been lucky that they are fans —
of both the genere and
of my voice.
In this article, she discusses what she learned from rewriting her first series
of children's books with the help
of a professional
developmental editor.
In my experience, it seems that continuity errors in fiction writing are most likely to occur when the author revises sections in separate chunks, when the author puts aside the novel for a few days and then returns to it again, and when the wires of the author and developmental editor cross while making content change
In my experience, it seems that continuity errors
in fiction writing are most likely to occur when the author revises sections in separate chunks, when the author puts aside the novel for a few days and then returns to it again, and when the wires of the author and developmental editor cross while making content change
in fiction writing are most likely to occur when the author revises sections
in separate chunks, when the author puts aside the novel for a few days and then returns to it again, and when the wires of the author and developmental editor cross while making content change
in separate chunks, when the author puts aside the novel for a few days and then returns to it again, and when the wires
of the author and
developmental editor cross while making content changes.
These 9 tips come directly from my 50 + years
of working with authors as a
developmental editor in major publishing houses and with private clients.
This style
of consultation might include a discussion
of what a
developmental editor does, what that role might be like
in your revision process, and how that fits with the goals
of your book.
Developmental Editing Sometimes called structural or substantive editing, this is an intense,
in - depth process wherein the
editor digs into the structure
of the book, possibly rearranging sections and even rewriting some to improve the overall flow
of the book.
In the case
of developmental editing, which focuses on the big picture
of our story, characters, and plot, we might not even know — really — what
editors do.
To share an example
of the issues a
developmental editor should notice, these are the story elements I look to improve
in my editing clients» work:
But a
developmental editor would stop short
of copyediting or proofreading
in most cases — or risk not getting paid for what amounts to a separate task!
A good
developmental editor is like some hybrid
of a detective and a psychologist, sniffing out problems and proposing solutions so that you can polish and hone before putting your beloved manuscript
in front
of a wider audience.
In addition to being able to look for those story elements above, a
developmental editor needs a deep understanding
of how they interrelate.
The issue
of how to best integrate backstory details emerges frequently
in my own work as a
developmental editor.
In all three scenarios, a
developmental editor can bring clarity to your project using his or her editorial mindset and knowledge
of story development.
Hiring help — whether
in the form
of a
developmental editor to help you polish your manuscript or a publicist or social media manager to help you market it — is a good idea if you have big goals.
I can hear some people asking so yes,
in the good old days agents and publishers used to serve the function
of a
developmental editor and would work with an author to further hone a story that wasn't quite ready for prime time, if they thought the story had sufficient promise.
Learn what a
developmental editor does to bring out the best
in your novel from one
of Reedsy's top fiction
editors.
As a
developmental editor, I focus a lot on the storytelling aspect
of writing craft
in my posts here: character arcs, plots and subplots, stakes and motivations, etc..
Good
developmental editors look for opportunities to increase a story's impact, to make scenes more powerful and dialogue more effective, to create multidimensional characters, to build
in the kinds
of tension that keep readers turning pages and the kinds
of resolution that leave them satisfied.
Filed Under: Craft
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editor, fiction, Garth Stein, Kay Scarpetta, novel, Patricia Cornwell, Racing
in the Rain, writer, writing
The recent downsizing
in the industry and the absence
of developmental editing by commercial book publishers has established a broad choice
of great
editors available for hire.