What Is Developmental Editing?

So what is developmental editing? The terminology used in editing a novel can be really (really) confusing. Ultimately what matters is what support YOUR manuscript needs, and what type of editing will benefit YOU most. It doesn’t really matter what the editing is called.

But when you are looking for an editor, or discussing the type of editing you need, it can be useful to understand the difference between the different types of editing.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of editing – big picture editing (developmental editing) and sentence-level editing (copy/line editing). This blog post is talking about just developmental editing. See my editorial services page for a breakdown of everything covered in a copy/line edit.

When it comes to developmental editing, you might also hear people talk about:

• structural editing
• substantive editing
• manuscript critiques
• manuscript assessments
• manuscript evaluations
• manuscript appraisals

Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably. Sometimes editors use them to describe slightly different services.

While the terminology can be confusing, the underlying purpose is always the same: helping authors improve the overall effectiveness of their manuscript.

What Is Developmental Editing?

Developmental editing is an umbrella term to cover everything that can’t easily be handled at the sentence level.

Where copyediting and line editing focus on the words themselves (at sentence level), developmental editing looks at the bigger picture. It examines how the manuscript functions as a whole and whether it’s working for its intended readers.

This means looking beyond grammar, punctuation and sentence structure to consider things like plot, character development, pacing, narrative voice and reader engagement.

You might have read a book and felt that bits of it “just don’t work”, or “just don’t feel right”. You might have noticed that some characters feel a bit flat, and you aren’t particularly bothered what happens with them. This is where developmental editing comes in.

Developmental Editing asks:

• Does the story make sense?
• Are the characters compelling?
• Is the pacing working?
• Are there plot holes or convenient coincidences?
• Does the manuscript deliver on the expectations of its genre?

What Does a Developmental Editor Look At?

Every editor has their own approach, but I like to think about developmental editing in six key areas.

1. What?

Firstly, I look at the overall structure of the story.

I’ll look at whether the plot is working, whether there are any significant plot holes or convenient coincidences, whether any subplots are confusing or distracting, and whether the themes are clear and consistent.

2. How?

How does the reader experience the story? A technically correct story can still fail to engage readers.

This part of the analysis focuses on whether the manuscript is compelling, whether it maintains momentum, and whether it delivers the emotional experience readers are expecting from the genre.

3. Who?

What sort of characters are we spending time with? How has the characterisation been handled? This is often at the heart of a successful novel.

Here I’ll consider factors such as point of view, narrative voice, character differentiation, cast size and whether the characters feel distinct and believable.

4. Why?

Why should readers care? This feeds back into characterisation. Strong stories are built on characters having meaningful goals, facing conflict and dealing with tension.

Without these elements, even beautifully written prose can struggle to maintain reader interest (and this is when characters can start to feel a bit flat).

5. When?

This part of the review looks at how fast the book moves. Pacing is about much more than writing short chapters, and faster isn’t always better!

Developmental editing looks at the flow of events, timeline consistency, story momentum and whether key story beats occur at the right moments.

6. Where?

Where does the story happen? This covers setting and world-building (which can play a huge role in reader immersion).

Whether the novel is set in a cosy British village, a fantasy kingdom or a distant galaxy, the setting needs to feel convincing and support the story being told.

What Is the Difference Between a Developmental Edit and a Manuscript Critique?

This is where things often become confusing. I’ve called developmental editing an “umbrella term”. This is because there are two main types of developmental editing. One is called (confusingly!) a Developmental Edit, and one is called a Manuscript Critique.

Both services review the same things, and both services produce a written feedback report.

The main differences are:

• the depth of analysis
• how feedback is delivered
• how much collaboration is involved

A full developmental edit typically involves a comprehensive written report, detailed comments throughout the manuscript, extensive feedback on specific sections and a greater degree of ongoing discussion between editor and author.

A manuscript critique includes the same comprehensive written report, but doesn’t include marking up the entire manuscript and tends to involve less back-and-forth between the author and the editor. That’s not to say that there is no editorial support after the feedback report has been sent – just that there tends to be slightly less of it.

For many independent authors, a manuscript critique provides the professional guidance they need at a more accessible price point.

Why I Prefer Manuscript Critiques

Over the years, I’ve offered different forms of developmental editing.

Early on, I provided highly detailed developmental edits with extensive comments throughout the manuscript, suggested rewrites and detailed explanations of how individual issues could be addressed.

While some authors found this useful, I discovered two things.

Firstly, producing that level of feedback required a huge investment of time, which made the service expensive.

Secondly, I found that many authors didn’t necessarily need hundreds of comments. What they really wanted was a clear explanation of what wasn’t working and practical advice on how to fix it.

Today, my developmental service takes the form of a manuscript critique.

I read the manuscript, analyse it across the key developmental areas, and identify the most important issues that are holding the book back. Rather than overwhelming authors with every possible observation, I focus on 3-5 main areas that will make the greatest difference.

The result is a detailed report containing actionable feedback that authors can apply during revision.

Why Does Terminology Matter?

One of the biggest challenges in developmental editing (by which I mean the umbrella term!) is scope creep.

Stories can almost always be improved further. There is rarely a clear finish line. And that’s why it’s important for both editor and author to understand exactly what’s included right from the start.

Whether you call it a developmental edit, manuscript critique or manuscript assessment matters far less than making sure everyone understands what they’re getting.

Clear expectations create clear boundaries, and clear boundaries help the editing to run smoothly.

Is Developmental Editing About Telling Authors What To Do?

Every suggestion made in a developmental report is just that – a suggestion.

Yes, my feedback is based on my professional experience, but it’s also informed by my interpretation of the manuscript. Another editor might have a different perspective.

Authors remain in control of their books at every stage. My role is to highlight opportunities for improvement, identify potential issues and offer professional guidance, but ultimately it’s entirely up to the author if they choose to take this feedback on board.

There is absolutely no judgement from me when an author chooses to go their own way. It’s their book, and it’s their baby, and if they are happy then I am too.

If you are looking for developmental editing support for your novel, please do get in touch!