Developmental editing for the novel as a whole.

A close, rigorous reading of your complete manuscript, designed to reveal the larger patterns shaping structure, character, pace and reader experience.

Enquire about a developmental edit

See the manuscript clearly before you revise it.

A developmental edit looks beyond individual sentences to the architecture beneath them. I trace what the novel promises, how its tensions develop, where character choices carry emotional weight and where the reader’s attention may begin to loosen.

The result is not a list of disconnected problems. It is an editorial argument: a clear explanation of what the book is trying to become, what currently prevents it from getting there and which revisions will have the greatest effect.

Honest enough to be useful. Specific enough to act upon. Always in service of the story you intended to tell.

What you receive

Annotated manuscript

Detailed comments beside the passages that prompt them, so you can see how the reading experience develops page by page.

Editorial overview

A substantial report bringing together structure, character, pacing, point of view, theme, voice and commercial positioning.

Revision priorities

A practical hierarchy of changes, helping you distinguish foundational work from decisions best left until the larger shape is secure.

The edit is especially useful when…

You have completed a full draft but can no longer see it objectively.
Feedback has been contradictory, vague or focused only on surface detail.
The opening works, but the middle loses momentum or the ending does not yet feel earned.
You are preparing for submission, publication or a decisive new draft.
You want exacting feedback without having your voice rewritten for you.

Questions about developmental editing

Do I need a developmental edit or an editorial assessment?

If you’d find it helpful to see comments beside particular scenes and passages, choose the developmental edit. You’ll also receive a report that brings the feedback together. If you want a bespoke, in-depth report explaining the hows and whys of revision, with specific examples and a practical roadmap, an editorial assessment may be the better fit.

Should I finish my novel before booking an edit?

For a full developmental edit, I need to read the complete story, including the ending. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Give it your own revision first, then let me know where you’re getting stuck. You can enquire about availability while you’re still working on it.

Does developmental editing include copyediting?

This service focuses on how the novel works: its structure, characters, pace and the reader’s experience. It isn’t a sentence-by-sentence copyedit or a final proofread. It’s worth resolving the larger revisions before polishing sentences that may change.

Want a feel for working with me? Read feedback from authors and browse books I’ve worked on.

Tell me about your manuscript.

I work with a limited number of projects at a time. Send the genre, word count, current stage and the kind of editorial support you are considering.