Hi fiction lover! This question—what does a developmental editor even do?—has come into my mind several times, especially when I began working on my very first manuscript (not to be named). When I first looked up information about editors for fiction work, I was surprised at the different types—copyeditor, line editor, proofreader? But what caught my attention was the developmental editor, the person who looks at the big picture of your story.
While taking classes at EFA, I was most struck by the description of a developmental editor as a “detective.” Now, I want to have a Detective Conan moment, but I’ll control myself. But after my teacher explained a bit more, I was convinced! As a “detective,” a developmental editor (or DE), looks deep into the heart of the story and finds the clues that maybe even the author wasn’t aware of.
Why would the author not be aware of it? Sometimes, as writers we like to figure things out as we write, which means the draft we turn into the DE could have hints about what the manuscript could be, but the ideas aren’t totally formed yet. (Sometimes, the author can turn in a hot mess, and it’s the DE’s job to find the beauty of it!).
The DE not only identifies the problems in the story. I think some people are confused on this part! I remember reading about an author’s horrible experience with a developmental editor. She said that the editor simply gave her a list of what was wrong in the manuscript. It felt like a grocery list of condemnation—one bad thing after another. If you have beta readers/critique partners, I’m sure you know what it feels like to process the criticism.
But developmental editors aren’t simply giving critiques. Importantly, they are collaborating with the writer. The editor shouldn’t act like they’re on the high ground. And also, they don’t just identify problems within the story. They also explain it and solve it, with a good amount of examples and even modeling. After receiving a letter from the DE, a writer should feel motivated to tackle revisions (this doesn’t mean the writer won’t fight back at times in some suggestions).
Developmental editors, most importantly, must stay true to the heart of the story. This means that DEs won’t edit to show what they think should happen in the manuscript, but rather what’s best for the story. The editor aims to level up the story, which sometimes means not pointing out every wrong thing (different from the author’s bad experience). Rather, the DE focuses on some key segments to really elevate the manuscript, keeping the author in mind—after all, the collaborative effort means that DEs shouldn’t exhaust or overwhelm the author, but keep them inspired.
Inspired! That’s the key thing here. The developmental editor should encourage the author to keep going, to keep writing and working on their craft. A good DE points out issues with plot, pacing, character development, voice, etc., but if the author doesn’t want to keep writing after that, then all of that effort goes to waste. A DE also points out the strengths of the manuscript—what the author is already doing well—along with actionable next steps, and some further reading relevant to what’s happening in the author’s story. While making queries to the author, a good DE is always encouraging and respectful, knowing that the author bared their soul by sharing their work—a piece of their heart.
There are many details that go into developmental editing. But the next time someone asks you this question, what does a developmental editor even do?—I hope you have a little bit more understanding. Check out my services here (I am a detective/DE myself), and also my blog!