Seven Ways to Make the Best Use of a Developmental Editor
It is becoming increasingly common for academics to work with developmental editors. These are editors who help you think through the bigger picture issues in your work, including argument, structure, narrative flow, and engagement with sources. They edit full book manuscripts as well as drafts of individual chapters and articles.
Working with an editor is a big investment of time and money as well as emotional energy. Your manuscript is something that you have put hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours into and so you want to be sure you and your editor have the best possible experience working together. So here are some things to keep in mind as you consider working with an editor.
1
Figure out whether you want to work with an editor. As you begin investigating this process, determine whether you truly want to work with a developmental editor. You might start by identifying goals for your writing. Do you want (or need) to develop your work on a conceptual level? Do you have the time to implement the kind of broad suggestions that a developmental editor might provide? Are you in a space where you can be open to this feedback?
As an editor, I believe that strong feedback on writing can generally improve most work, but if you are not in a headspace where you can take on feedback or if you have already received a lot of useful feedback from others, perhaps this kind of editing wouldn’t be right for you. Or, if what you mainly need is help smoothing out your text or dealing with grammar and mechanical errors, you would benefit more from a line or copy editor.
2
Identify when you’d like to start this work. Scholars work with developmental editors at many different moments. Some like to begin before they have drafted anything and use conversations with editors or writing coaches to help them start determining the arguments and organization of their books or articles. Some come to editors after receiving reader reports for help in guiding their revisions. Some share full manuscripts, wanting an editor to help them submit the strongest manuscript possible to a university press.
If you work with a developmental editor, you will receive substantial feedback on your work, though of course the scope of revisions will depend on the state of the manuscript. So to make the most of this relationship, it makes sense to send writing to an editor when you will actually have time to revise based on their feedback. Note that many editors book out three to six months (or more) for bigger projects so identifying a timeline for editing early can help you ensure that you are able to secure an editor.
3
Determine your budget. How much money are you able or willing to devote to editing? Does your institution have funds that you could apply for to support a project like this? If you are paying out-of-pocket, what is a realistic amount that you would like to spend? Knowing your budget is important before you talk to an editor so that you can communicate it clearly and then determine together what kind of editing it could fund.
If your budget is small, don’t automatically rule out working with editors. Often they are willing to help you identify ways that they could support your work. If you budget is tight, perhaps they could read just the introduction of your book, helping to strengthen this key chapter and giving suggestions about the organization of the rest of the manuscript based on it. This rate sheet from the Editorial Freelancers Association can give you a sense of how much editing costs.
4
Find the right editor. Take some time determining which editor you would like to work with. If you have colleagues who have worked with editors, ask they what they like about them. Think about whether you want an editor with a disciplinary background similar to yours (many academic editors have PhDs or MA degrees) or if you want someone from a related field. You might prefer the latter if you are trying to reach an expanded readership or are wanting a non-expert reader to help identify areas that are unclear.
I suggest talking with several editors before you select one. Ask them about their experience working on similar manuscripts, how they approach editing, and what they see as the role of an editor. Also pay attention to how you connect with them on a personal level; again, this is someone who you are entrusting with your manuscript! Learn more about finding an editor here.
5
Communicate clearly with your editor. Once you decide on an editor, be sure to clearly communicate what kind of support you need. Are you concerned about your argument? Do you worry about the manuscript’s structure? Have you gotten feedback before that you tend to have difficulty clearly articulating points? Be sure to point out things like this to your editor. Also flag any particular questions or concerns you have about various chapters and ask the editor to keep these in mind as they read. The more you can guide the editor’s work, the more they will be able to strengthen your manuscript in productive ways.
Also be honest about how you are with feedback. Let them know if you find dealing with feedback difficult. While this doesn’t mean they won’t give you feedback, they can soften their tone and work to support you through the process.
6
Meet shared deadlines. When you book time with an editor, they are saving that time on their calendar for you. If you don’t send them your manuscript by the agreed upon date, they may not have other work to replace it (and hence might not get paid). So try as best you can to meet the deadlines you set with your editor. And if a deadline is approaching and you worry that you won’t be able to meet it, let your editor know as soon as possible since sometimes they can shift around their schedule. Some editors required non-refundable deposits to hold a place in their calendar. If this is the case, be sure you understand the terms of such conditions.
7
Provide feedback to your editor. Some scholars end up working with editors over the course of many projects. So don’t hesitate to provide your editor with feedback along the way. It’s so helpful to me when clients share what kind of comments most helped them (I loved it when you pointed out places where I was unclear in my writing!) or aspects of my editing that didn’t work for them (You spent a lot of time discussing transitions. That’s something you can ignore in the future since I work them in at a later stage of writing). Letting your editor know how they can best meet your needs will help ensure a strong, supportive partnership.
I hope this advice helps you have the most positive relationship possible with a developmental editor. If you have other ideas about how to best work with editors, please let me know, and happy writing and thinking!
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