Before You Publish Your Book: Check Out These Next Steps
Is your manuscript complete and you wonder if you’re ready to publish? Hiring a freelance editor to proofread or run a copyedit might seem like the obvious next step. However, your manuscript might still need work at the big-picture stage, which could mean you need a manuscript evaluation or a developmental edit.
A manuscript evaluation or a developmental edit can provide you valuable answers and guidance on where your story stands currently, and what you need to do to take it to the next level.
While the two services cover much of the same territory, the difference lies in comprehensiveness, time, and cost. This blog post will go through the similarities and the differences between a manuscript evaluation and a developmental edit and how you’ll be able to decide which service is right for you.
Let’s hop to it!
An Experienced Perspective Can Help You Take Your Story to the Next Level
The process of taking a story from Draft Zero to ready-to-publish typically involves multiple stages ranging from a broad overview of the story to in-depth, comprehensive feedback.
Authors often struggle with the post-writing or post-revision stage because they require a certain level of objectivity that’s hard to come by after months or even years intimately working on the story.
Getting a fresh set of eyes on your work is your best bet in taking your story to the next level. Sometimes, it might be enough to get the feedback you need from your writing partner or writing group. But in most cases, writers benefit from an experienced professional who is trained to strengthen a plot, cast of characters, and other storytelling elements from the ground up.
The Similarities Between a Manuscript Evaluation and a Developmental Edit
Both services involve reading the entire manuscript, and both services focus on the big-picture storytelling elements such as concept, structure, voice, character development, organization of story events, showing versus telling, among others.
Both services include comments in the margins (I use MS Word track changes feature), an editorial letter summarizing my findings, and a follow-up Zoom call.
Note: I follow the principles of three-act structure for commercial fiction in all of my coaching and editing services. You can expect suggestions for improvement, including feedback on genre conventions, audience expectations, and general storytelling standards, based on these principles.
What is a Manuscript Evaluation?
This service is the best fit for writers who might ask: I just finished the first (or an early) draft of my story. Now what?
A manuscript evaluation is intended to provide generalized feedback on big-picture areas to help you understand what shape your story is in, what aspects work, and what you need to improve upon. This is more of a broad overview of your story, although I always ask a few specific questions to help underscore the big-picture feedback. I’ll provide illustrative examples from key areas of your manuscript to highlight the bigger issues in your manuscript.
TIP: If you’re still working on your story and you haven’t quite completed a full draft, then it’s too early for a manuscript evaluation. However, if one of the reasons you haven’t finished is because you’re stuck, then you may benefit from personalized coaching. You can read about that service HERE.
The evaluation covers big-picture areas by asking fundamental questions:
What is your story premise? Can you distill it to a single sentence?
What is your genre and are you following genre conventions?
Does the writing fit the chosen genre?
Do you have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
Is your main character obvious and do we understand their story goal?
Are your transitions between time and place clear?
Does the reader care about your main character?
…and the list goes on!
What is a Developmental Edit?
This service is the best fit for writers who might say: I’ve written several drafts, and I’ve workshopped my pages with [writing partner, writing group, writing coach, etc.] I need some help tightening the plot, reducing the word count, strengthening my characters, identifying plot holes, etc.
All stories are worth writing, but the tricky part is writing a plausible and engaging story that keeps your readers turning the page, wanting to know what happens next.
I apply the same questions from a manuscript evaluation, but I dig deeper in those questions in a developmental edit and get very specific in my questions, suggestions, and overall notes:
What is the story hook and is it strong enough to engage me in the bigger story that’s about to unfold? Why or why not?
Is your genre evident throughout the story? Anytime I see a scene where I feel pulled out of the story, I’ll flag it.
Is the story question plausible? Why or why not?
Are the characters’ motivations relatable? Why or why not?
Where can emotion be injected? I’ll flag the areas where I feel disconnected emotionally.
Does the narrative voice remain consistent across the story? I’ll flag the areas that slip.
Does the story conflict escalate? I’ll flag the areas that could use more oomph and explain why.
Are the problems and solutions too easy or predictable? I’ll flag all areas that could be made more complicated or where twists/surprises could be added.
Are the stakes high enough to make me worry about the characters? If I start feeling too comfortable with what’s happening on the page, I’ll mark it.
Why is the main character pursuing their story goal? If I start losing track of what this story is about, I’ll make notes accordingly.
How does the pacing align with the story events? Where are there mismatches?
Are story events told in scene or exposition? I’ll note any place where I feel there’s more telling than showing.
Are the characters original or plastic? Do we care about what happens to them? Where are the disconnects?
Are there troubling shifts in POV, and is the POV used the best choice?
How do the settings add to the conflict and emotion?
…and the list goes on, including plenty of questions that are specific to your particular story world.
Note: I do not reshape or change your manuscript in a developmental edit. I will make concrete suggestions about moving chapters around or cutting certain scenes or adding various elements, and explain my reasonings, but I will not actively cut or change anything.
The reason for this is because YOU are the author. You have final say on anything that I suggest. For me to go ahead and move, cut, change anything without your permission would be disrespectful to the fact you’re the owner. You should have the opportunity to review my feedback, decide how and what to revise based on my feedback, and make the final decision.
There is an option to have me re-read the document after changes are made, and I offer a discount on the standard DE price.
What Next Step is Right for You?
A manuscript evaluation is less expensive than a developmental edit, takes less time to turn-around, but it’s also more generalized.
Maybe you’re more curious about how your manuscript reads? Maybe you’re still making decisions about how to end your story? Perhaps you haven’t quite nailed down your antagonist? A manuscript evaluation is your best bet if you’re still exploring big-picture aspects of your story and some important decisions still need to be fleshed out. It’s also a great service to choose if you aren’t worried about a significant deadline and you want to take the extra steps to get your story-ducks in a row.
If you’re ready to make significant changes to your draft and you’re ready to collaborate with someone who wants to help you turn out the best story possible, then choose the developmental edit. This service assumes the author has finalized all the big-picture decisions such as character development, structure, tone, narrative tense, etc, and is ready to see if those decisions are rockin’-and-rollin’. Often, a developmental edit will require some back-and-forth emails throughout the process, especially if, in the midst of the project, significant issues emerge.
How I Work with Authors
As a freelance writing coach and editor, I do more than simply fix mistakes and flag problematic areas in a manuscript. I consider myself the author’s teammate, and I collaborate with authors to refine their vision. Whether I’m coaching writing technique, strategizing a roadmap to master the next rewrite, providing a chapter-by-chapter analysis, or crafting a detailed editorial letter—you can be assured that I’m here to help you write the best book possible.
My unique process starts with a Zoom call where we can have an interactive conversation about your story. When we agree on the process (which is customizable by you!), I’ll send you a contract so you can feel confident that your story is in excellent hands. I’ll also send you a list of questions about the vision you have for your story and ask you to send me a list of materials (depending on the service you’re interested in).
Then I get to work and send you regular updates via email. You always have the option to request a call if you need to get in touch with me during the process.
I’ll return all documents highlighted with helpful and supportive feedback, along with a detailed editorial letter. After you have some time to go through my comments and suggestions, we can hop on another Zoom call where you have the opportunity to ask questions or bounce ideas off me.
Check out my Work With Me Page to get more information, including which services might be unavailable, and guidelines for submitting your work to me.
If you’re unsure about which service is right for you, then hop on a free consultation call with me, and we can figure out the best service for you. It’s also possible that you aren’t ready for an editing service at all, and that you may benefit from coaching. All of this can be determined on a consultation call.
Note: If an author signs up for a developmental edit, and it becomes clear to me that the manuscript isn’t quite ready for such an in-depth job, I’ll notify the author and suggest we make the switch to a manuscript evaluation. The vice-versa scenario is also true; if an author requests an evaluation, and it’s clear the draft is beyond that stage, I’ll contact the author and point them toward the service that would best fit their needs.