Edit a novel you're proud to publish, with professional feedback

​Developmental editing will mould your manuscript into the book you dreamed it would be and improve the overall quality of your writing at the same time.

A developmental edit is for writers who want to get objective feedback about the technical and structural aspects of their manuscript. We all need another pair of eyes to go over our precious words, and Sandy Vaile offers feedback in an honest and nurturing way.

If any of these sound like you, then a developmental edit is going to yield fantastic results. 

• You want to make your story the very best it can be before you move onto copy editing. 
• You want thorough explanations of what is and isn't working, examples of correct techniques, and possible solutions. 
• You want to confirm that the story will draw readers in and keep them hooked until the end. 
• There are problems but you're not sure how to fix them. ​

​Book early to save one of the limited places in my diary.

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What is a Developmental Edit? 

Editing isn't about criticising your work, but giving constructive advice to help make your story the best it can be. I offer fresh eyes to see unrealised potential in your story, and participate in brainstorming to unearth any hidden gems.

My feedback will always be respectful and considerate because I understand what a huge step it is to share your work, but be prepared for honesty too. 
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A developmental edit looks at the big picture of your story including:

• What you're trying to achieve, i.e. genre and themes.
• Story structure, i.e. plot, sequence of events and pacing. 
• Character development, i.e. who they are, what they want, why they want it and how they're changed by this journey. 
• Basic story choices, i.e. Point of View, tense, narrative style is relevant to the genre, tone.  
• Fundamental techniques, i.e. the critical first pages, hooks to keep readers enthralled, dialogue, formatting, opportunities for active storytelling (showing), settings, description and word choices. 
• I can also provide feedback on a query letter, synopsis or pitch. 

What it's not: 

• A line-by-line copy edit (although I will mark grammar and commas).
• Proof-reading, which assumes the content is already exactly as you want it. 
• I don't accept poetry, children's books, erotica, memoirs or non-fiction.
• I will never try to change your unique narrative voice. 

How much of the manuscript to send: 
You can choose to have your whole or partial manuscript edited. Both will enable you to guage how close to ready your story is and if you're communicating what you hoped on the page. 

• The whole manuscript will help you make big picture decisions about the story structure.
• A partial manuscript will help you identify key issues to fix in the whole manuscript before paying for a full edit, including the opening scene. 

Ready to whip your manuscript into tip-top shape?

Reasonable Pricing

Developmental editing = $0.025* cents per word

(That's just $250 per 10,000 words)

Query letter or synopsis review = $0.15* cents per word
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(That's just $60 per 1,000 words)

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Benefits of a Developmental Edit

No matter how many times you edit your work, you can't see it clearly. Critique partners and beta readers are valuable sources of feedback, but they rarely pick-up everything because they can only give feedback on things they've learnt. 

How can you benefit from an edit?

• Understand what areas need attention and what you're doing well. 
• Draw on my skills and experience from more than a decade in the industry, including being publishing by one of the big traditional publishing houses. 
• Learn new skills that will improve your writing across all of your projects. 
• Prepare your work for copy editing or submitting to an agent/publisher. 
• Make sure you are conveying what you meant, not what you think ​you've written. ​

By the end of the process, your writing as a whole will be improved, not just the manuscript, and that's a win win situation! ​

The Booking Process

What I will need from you 

Once we have chatted and agreed on a timeframe, you will need to provide: 

• A rough synopsis (summary of what happens to the main characters). 
• The agreed wordcount that is formatted correctly (don't worry, I'll let you know what this means). 
• The completion date will only be confirmed once payment is received. 

What you'll receive from me 

After payment is confirmed and you have provided the requested information:

• Confirmed delivery date for your edits. 
• Detailed mark-ups and comments within the Word document. 
• A summary of the strengths and areas for improvement. 

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Looking for another type of edit?

​If you are past the developmental editing stage and have a polished manuscript that exactly the way you want to publish it, then you are ready for: 

• Copy editing 
• Proof-reading 

Let me know and I can refer you to a suitable professional. ​

Where to Next?

If your not sure of the best way to move forward with your writing, then grab a time in my diary and we can talk it through. (No obligation just useful information.)