You’ve put in the hard work; you’ve spent hours writing and polishing off your book baby; you’ve done a thorough read-through and maybe even hired some Beta Readers to give you feedback. Now, it’s time for the most exciting part of writing a book: the developmental editing phase!
Developmental editing (also known as structural editing) is the first stage of book editing, where a professional will help you look at the big-picture stuff, or as I like to call it, the bleeding, beating heart and soul of your novel.
I’ll help you overcome those nasty plot holes you can’t seem to fix and help you dig deeper into characters who seem to have a mind of their own. I’ll help you see the overarching themes of your novel that you might not have even known existed while looking at whether the current structure of your novel is working.
Basically, I’ll dive headfirst into your narrative and draw out the beautiful, pumping veins of it so you can see what’s working and what needs work before it can become the masterpiece you hope it to become.
A developmental edit will provide you with in-line track change comments as well as an editorial letter.
Developmental Edit Cost: $0.025 AUD per word
Developmental Edit
Our developmental edit will unpack:
- Your book’s genre and if it currently meets readers’ expectations
- The structure of your story and if it is effective in how it flows together
- Each character’s story arc, development and uniqueness
- The themes within your novel, and if they are conveyed effectively
- Your worldbuilding and settings
- And so much more!
I can’t wait to work with you!
How long will a developmental edit take?
Developmental editing is the most important kind of editing you should do for your book. Though it might seem like an easy feat, I dive into your book, taking it slow to really get to the crux of each scene, character, and chapter.
For this reason, I expect each developmental edit to take approx. 6 weeks. 🙂
What genres do you edit?
I currently offer developmental editing for all genres aside from children’s books and non-fiction.
Do you offer a developmental edit sample?
Yes!
However, please note: because developmental editing looks at the ‘big picture things’ (like how your characters develop over the course of your novel or how your themes work together to create a story your readers will love), a sample edit may not reveal too much to you (we won’t have read the full novel when we do it).
What my authors have to say
Working with Abbie has been such a rewarding experience. Her detailed feedback and thoughtful insights into my story meant so much, and I felt genuinely encouraged throughout the process. I’m incredibly grateful for the care she put into both her tracked changes and the editorial report—they were clear, constructive, and deeply considered. I came away feeling motivated, supported, and excited to implement her suggestions.
Natalie Arbutante
Abbie’s developmental edit completely reshaped my manuscript. She picked up on structural issues I hadn’t been able to see myself and offered practical, achievable solutions that didn’t compromise my voice. Her notes on character motivation and pacing were amazing. Suddenly scenes that felt “off” made sense, and I knew exactly how to fix them. I’m genuinely proud of the draft I have now, and it’s a huge step up from where I started.
Charlotte Hayes
It is terrifying handing your book over to someone and knowing it will come back with so many comments and notes, but it is SO worth it. I don’t think I would have ever gotten to where I am now on my author journey without Abbie and I will definitely be using her services for all my future books. She really felt like a writing bestie!!!