DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
ANNA VERA HAS OVER TEN YEARS OF EDITING EXPERIENCE.
AND IN THOSE TEN YEARS, SHE HAS MADE DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING HER SPECIALTY.
Let's get one thing straight: developmental editing isn't for the faint of heart. It's the most thorough and advanced level of editing available, analyzing the manuscript on both a line-by-line and big-picture basis. Developmental editing works to polish the structure, delivery, and overall efficacy of the narrative, while also stitching together plot holes and continuity. Upon request, developmental editing can include a special focus, such as additional insight on identifying, refining, and amplifying the author's unique tone, voice, and signature style.
Developmental editing is without a doubt one of the best investments an author can make in the way of securing self-publishing success — and the good news is, the editorial guidance provided is cumulative! So, not only do authors walk away with a well-edited manuscript and detailed guidance on their next round of revisions, but they sharpen their skills as writers and knowledge of craft, which they can carry into future projects.
The Designing Principle: Tense, POV, and Plot Structure
The Designing Principle is the strategy behind your narrative. This revolves, predominantly, around the tense and point-of-view choices, but it also has a lot to do with plot structure. There is a common misconception that every plot structure must be comprised of three acts — that simply isn't true, especially for novels that incorporate longer narratives.
Developmental editing will identify the age category, genre, and unique elements of the narrative, and help the author make an informed decision regarding the strategic approach to their plot structure, point of view, and tense selections.
Harmonizing Internal and External Conflict
All well-told stories have one thing in common: a sense of harmony between internal and external conflicts, resulting in a narrative that is neither "plot-driven" nor "character-driven" — but rather, the very best of both worlds. Striking this balance isn't always easy, but that's where developmental editing comes in!
The Perfect Protagonist
Your protagonist's character arc is more important than the actual plot of the story. In fact, excellent stories exist during which very little happens externally, but the protagonist's internal journey is so significant that the lack of external conflict hardly matters.
What if I told you that by blending my degree in Psychology with my degree in English Literature, I have been able to establish a model for the perfect protagonist? We'll work together to guarantee your protagonist fits this model, and plumb the depths of their backstory — not just as characters, but as people — in order to truly bring them to life for your readers.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING ALSO FOCUSES ON:
SHOW DON'T TELL
WHITE WALL SYNDROME
CHEKHOV'S GUN
FLASHBACK INCEPTION
VONNEGUT'S "FOURTH BASIC"
AND MORE
Rates depend on the age category, genre, total word count, and requested turn-around time of the project.
