# Developmental Editing

## What Developmental Editing Is

The big picture. Structure, pacing, argument, character development, narrative arc. The editor reads the complete first draft and writes a detailed editorial letter addressing large-scale issues.

This is intellectually the most demanding phase of editing. It requires holding the entire book in mind while diagnosing weaknesses and imagining solutions. Three qualities are required that cannot be taught: judgment, taste, and empathy.

## What Developmental Editors Look For

### Structure
- Is the book's organising principle clear? Does the reader understand why chapters appear in this order?
- Does the structure serve the material, or is material forced into an ill-fitting structure?
- Are there structural alternatives that would serve the story or argument better?
- In fiction: does the plot structure arise from character, or is it imposed from a template?
- In nonfiction: does the argument build logically? Are there structural gaps?

### Pacing
- Are there sections that drag — where the reader's interest would flag?
- Are there sections that rush — where the reader needs more space to absorb what's happening?
- Is the ratio of scene to summary appropriate? (Too much summary reads as thin; too much scene reads as slow)
- Do chapters and sections end at points that propel the reader forward?

### Character (Fiction)
- Is the protagonist's internal arc driving the plot?
- Is the protagonist active or passive? (Passive protagonists kill momentum)
- Do secondary characters have their own internal lives, or are they functional props?
- Are subplots connected to the main story, or floating independently?
- Is the protagonist changing through the course of the story?

### Argument (Nonfiction)
- Is the central argument stated clearly and early enough?
- Does each chapter advance the argument?
- Are there logical gaps — places where the evidence doesn't support the claim?
- Is the author making claims beyond what their evidence warrants?
- Does the book need material it doesn't have? Does it have material it doesn't need?

### Missing and Surplus
- Is anything missing that should be there? A scene the reader needs, a chapter that would strengthen the argument, a character whose absence creates a hole?
- Is anything present that should be cut? A subplot that goes nowhere, a chapter that repeats what an earlier chapter established, a character who doesn't contribute?

## The Editorial Letter

### Structure of an Effective Editorial Letter

1. **Open with genuine, specific praise.** Not flattery — identify what the writer is doing well and name it precisely. This is not just kindness; it protects the writer's confidence and helps them understand their strengths.

2. **Address structural issues in order of importance.** Start with the biggest issue — the one that, if solved, would most transform the book.

3. **Propose solutions constructively.** Frame as "what if" rather than "you must." Offer possibilities rather than commands. Multiple options are better than a single prescription.

4. **Maintain the author's ownership.** The book belongs to the author. The editor's job is to help them write the best version of their book, not to rewrite it as the editor's book.

### Tone
- Honest without being harsh
- Specific without being pedantic
- Constructive without being condescending
- The editor must hold two perspectives simultaneously: the author's creative vision and the reader's experience

## The Acquiring Editor vs. the Specialist Developmental Editor

**Acquiring editor**: Usually does developmental work on a proposal or partial draft, allowing early shaping. Their relationship with the author often spans the entire lifecycle of the book.

**Specialist developmental editor**: Usually brought in when a completed manuscript has serious structural problems. They may not have a prior relationship with the author.

Both require the same three assets:
1. **Subject expertise** — understanding where the author is coming from
2. **Market knowledge** — understanding what the target audience needs
3. **Tenacity and tact** — navigating conflict when author preferences and audience needs diverge

## Common Developmental Problems

### In Fiction
- Plot without internal story — things happen but they don't mean anything to the protagonist
- Passive protagonist — the main character reacts to events instead of driving them
- Sagging middle — the first act is compelling, the third act is dramatic, but the middle meanders
- Disconnected subplots — storylines that don't affect the main narrative
- Resolution without escalation — the climax isn't earned because the complications didn't build

### In Nonfiction
- Interesting content without a compelling concept — facts and ideas without an organising argument
- Excessive reliance on sources without authorial synthesis — the author curates but doesn't think
- Failure to explain why the subject matters beyond its own confines
- The "dissertation problem" — a book written to demonstrate knowledge rather than communicate it
- Scope creep — the book tries to cover everything instead of making one argument well
