Developmental Editing

Developmental Editing is typically the first stage your manuscript should start with in the editing process. It will be the most substantial form of editing your manuscript will go through, and this stage will take the longest amount of time. A developmental edit will look at the development of your story as a whole. It will pick apart any issues in your work such as pacing, overall structure, plot holes, settings, continuity, and character development. You will be provided with direct and honest feedback that may substantially change your manuscript. This is why developmental editing is commonly referred to as 'Substantial Editing.' It is not uncommon for significant changes to occur during this process. Large amounts of chapters may be deleted, secondary characters may be completely cut, and plots may be reworked. Although this may be especially painful for you as the writer, developmental editing is a crucial part of the editing process. The aim is for a better structured manuscript

It is recommended that your manuscript is thoroughly self-edited beforehand, as frequent grammatical errors may distract my work as your editor while I'm immersing myself into your story.
Because large amounts of text may be deleted during the developmental edit, it is strongly recommended that you start with this process first. Developmental editing does not reserve time for grammatical or spelling errors.