Developmental edit
A developmental edit is the first and deepest stage of editing, working on a manuscript's structure, plot, character, pacing, point of view and theme before any attention goes to individual sentences.
A developmental edit reads the whole book as a story and asks what it is trying to do and where it is not doing it. Where the throughline goes quiet. Whether the protagonist actually causes the ending. Which subplot is competing with the main one instead of feeding it. Which character the reader is supposed to be worried about in chapter nineteen, and whether they still are.
It is also called a structural edit, a content edit or a story edit. The names vary between editors; the job does not.
What a developmental edit looks at
- Structure. Where the story starts, where the inciting incident lands, where the middle sags, and whether the ending pays off what the opening set up.
- Character. Whether the protagonist wants something and chases it, or is a passive protagonist the plot happens to. Whether their character arc is earned.
- Stakes and conflict. What the reader is afraid will happen, and whether that fear grows.
- Point of view and distance. Whose head we are in, and whether the narrative distance suits the story.
- Pacing. Specific places where attention drops, named by chapter or scene, because "the middle is slow" is not a note anyone can use.
What you get back
The traditional deliverable is an editorial letter covering the big problems in order of importance, plus notes in the margins pointing to the places the letter is talking about. Length varies a great deal by editor and by book, so ask to see a sample before you book.
Final Boss Editing delivers development edits as a video walkthrough plus written notes. You can have one free and live on Twitch, where the edit is public, or privately. There is an example of the written notes from a paid edit, and the archived free edits, such as this one on building conflict into scenes, show what the live version sounds like.
Where it sits in the editing order
Editing runs in four stages, each assuming the one before is finished:
- Developmental edit: is this the right story, told in the right order?
- Line edit: does every sentence do its job well?
- Copy edit: is it correct and consistent?
- Proofread: are there errors on the finished pages?
The developmental edit comes first because it makes work disappear. Polishing a chapter at sentence level and then cutting that chapter in revision is paid-for work thrown in the bin.
Developmental edit vs manuscript assessment
A manuscript assessment covers the same ground as a report only, with no notes in the text. It diagnoses. A developmental edit diagnoses and shows you where, scene by scene. If you are not yet sure whether your problems are structural at all, an assessment is the smaller first step.
Signs you need one
- Beta readers finish the book but cannot describe the story back to you accurately.
- The feedback is "I liked it?" with no specifics.
- You have rewritten the first three chapters many times. Endless opening rewrites usually mean the problem is structural and you are sanding it from the wrong end.
- It is your first novel or first feature script. Structure is the thing hardest to see from inside.
Expect to rewrite. A developmental edit ends with a plan, not a clean file, and the revision that follows is often the biggest one the book will get.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a developmental edit and a line edit?
A developmental edit asks whether the story works: structure, character, pacing and point of view. A line edit asks whether the sentences work: rhythm, word choice, clarity and voice. The developmental edit comes first, because there is no point polishing a scene that is about to be cut.
Is a developmental edit the same as a structural edit?
Usually, yes. Structural edit, content edit and story edit are common names for the same stage. The labels are not regulated, so ask any editor what the deliverable actually is: how many pages of notes, on what, and in what form.
Does a developmental editor fix grammar and typos?
No, or not on purpose. Those sentences may not survive the revision, so correcting them now is wasted work. Grammar and consistency belong to the copy edit, much later.
When should I get a developmental edit?
After you have a complete draft and have revised it as far as you can on your own. It is the right stage when readers say something is wrong but cannot say what, or when you know what is wrong and cannot see the way out.