Roles of Your Editor

Roles of your editor can really depend on what kind of editing you’re getting done. Each service looks different, and each editor will look at specific things for your manuscript. With developmental editing, we focus on the plot more than the nitty-gritty of word choice and grammar.

I’ve heard horror stories from other authors who have gotten their developmental edits back only to find entire scenes rewritten within the document, paragraphs deleted or moved, and very little developmental advice and guidance given. Authors, that’s not what a developmental editor should do to your story.

The role of a developmental editor is to look at your story and focus on the bigger issue things. We look at things like character arcs, plot structure, story flow, readability, and basically everything that goes into helping you tell the best story. It’s not to make changes or corrections to the manuscript, and it’s certainly not a chance for an editor to tear your story, or you, to shreds.

When I do developmental edits, I read each manuscript a minimum of two times. I take notes for myself on things I want to revisit and provide helpful inline comments along the way. While I might point out a paragraph or sentence that’s awkwardly structured, I won’t ever change it. If anything, I’ll make a suggestion in the editorial report, or comments.

Most importantly, a developmental edit should be a partnership. This is your chance to voice concerns. This is your story, not the editors.

Here's an example of a comment I left on a developmental edit. I have permission from the client to share this:

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