Transform outlines and drafts into full manuscripts.
Developmental editing combines big-picture evaluation and close reading to help you publish your most compelling work, sooner.
Wherever you are in your writing, developmental editing can help:
Get started: Identify your core argument, organize your thoughts into a working outline, think through target audiences—figure out where and how to begin.
Refine the manuscript: Craft a strong throughline, ensure clear arguments and rigorous analysis, address leaps in logic, reconcile the introduction and manuscript body, condense text to meet word limits, assess structure and transitions for flow—win over peer reviewers and future readers.
Respond to reviewers: Sort through reader reports, select feedback to incorporate into revisions, draft your response to the press—move faster toward publication.
All projects are unique, but they follow similar steps:
Initial consultation: I will listen and ask questions to learn about the people you want to reach, the signature claim you want to make, what you feel is and isn’t working, what pulls you to your topic, and what you hope will come from publishing.
Editing: I will next turn to your writing, be it in the form of an outline, a tangle of notes and partial chapters, or a full draft. With rigor and care, I will address the points of structure and content outlined above and will read your manuscript from the perspective of your target audience(s). This stage typically takes 2–4 weeks, depending on the scope of work.
Follow-up session: In our next session, we will discuss my feedback and plan your next steps (including, if you wish, copyediting and line editing).
These conversations are collaborative, generative, and clarifying. Ultimately, developmental editing is about generating Aha! moments—for you and your readers alike.
If you would like to discuss how I can support your work, I welcome hearing from you.
“I sincerely appreciated the seriousness and focus with which Jennifer approached my work. She was committed to my vision and allowed me to see throughlines more clearly. Her thoughtful, constructive, and creative feedback re-energized my writing and allowed me to see my work in a new light.”
“Your contribution has been huge. You have provided the intellectual coherence, organization, and stylistic integrity that transforms our individual and individualistic components from a rowdy crowd into a choir.”