Do you need to hire a developmental editor?

Once again, I have found myself privy to a debate about the merits of hiring editors. This time the focus was on developmental editors, and some of the comments... You have no idea how hard it was to bite my tongue and not go mental on social media.

Before I get too far down the track with this argument, I should remind my readers that a developmental editor looks at the story aspect of your manuscript. They will examine the structure, the character and plot development, the narrative voice, concepts of show vs tell, and all the nitty-gritty that goes with it. If you are looking at nonfiction (and not just creative nonfiction), a developmental editor still looks at structure, but they will examine the flow of information and the level of detail provided. Developmental editing is a huge job and the most important editing phase.

I have written about the stages of editing before, on numerous occasions, and still, I read far too many books that are lacking on the developmental editing front — both fiction and nonfiction. But I digress...

So... The comment that really got me riled up...

I quote:

"I was in a workshop with a literary agent ... she said she believed “all freelance editors were charlatins.” No joke. She wasn’t including copy editors in that group."

Okay, we'll ignore the fact that charlatans is spelled incorrectly. It was a comment made on social media, and even my phone spellchecker has failed me on numerous occasions. (Stupid autocorrect!) But the commenter in question also recommended that the writer who posed the original question about hiring developmental editors should seek an editor from Fiverr for all the good it would do them.

OMG, my eyes saw red. I so wanted to rip a new hole into the commenter for such remarks, but I would never do that on public social media. Nope, I turn such debates into a blog post instead. (Hmm... This could be a problem, but I'm doing it anyway.)

It's time to dispel some myths about what it is like working with developmental editors (myself included), and why I have made the decision to always hire a developmental editor for my personal writing projects.

My Viewpoint in Short

I don't care who you are, or how brilliant of a writer you think you are. ALL writers seeking publication need another set of eyes on their manuscripts prior to publication. End of story.

Whether you decide to hire a freelance editor or work out a deal with writing buddies, that is entirely up to you, but not all eyes are equal. And not all eyes understand the industry expectations. Even if you pay a freelance editor to work on your manuscript, there is no guarantee that you will capture the interest of your ideal agent or publisher.

Saying all that, if you decide to go from draft to publication missing any of the editorial phases (including developmental editing), readers WILL notice. Don't delude yourself thinking otherwise. This is probably the biggest flaw associated with self-publishing.

Quick disclaimer: I have zero issues with self publishing — I'm self-published myself — but as I've said before, there is a big difference between producing a quality product that just happens to be self-published and self-publishing just so you can get your work out there.

I have said it time and time again: if a story is gripping, pulling you in and refusing to let go, readers are forgiving of the typos and the odd grammatical error. However, if that story is lacking in any way (i.e., you didn't developmentally edit your manuscript properly), then the typos and grammatical errors will be all that they see. Readers will know that the story is off, but they won't know why, because they don't have the training or expertise to explain what is actually wrong with your story.

Being a developmental editor takes training, experience, and a working knowledge that is genre based. It's an art within itself — an instinct that develops over time. Sure, some concepts can be easily transferred to all genres of fiction (and creative nonfiction), but understanding the tropes and reader expectations is highly specialized.

And this is where working with developmental editors can go wrong.

Good Freelance Editors are Expensive

I would be completely delusional if I was to say that all writers should work with developmental editors. Sure, in an ideal world, this would be great, but most writers can't afford the hefty price tag that comes with hiring freelance editors. Not only that, there ARE charlatans out there who just start up a website and decide to call themselves editors — because they can — but they have none of the training or expertise to do a good job. Unfortunately, it's the charlatans that have given the rest of us a bad name, one that we freelance editors as a whole work so hard to dispel.

(A little backstory tale about myself: When I first started Black Wolf Editorial Service, I was actually accused of just calling myself an editor without any training or qualifications to back it up. It didn't matter that I had a PhD. The fact that my PhD is in science, in this person's view, gave me no right to call myself an editor. And this accusation didn't come through social media either. It was said directly to my face. Boy, it felt good to put that writer in her place, flaunting my Certificate of Professional Editing and Proofreading in front of her. I spent a fortune on that course, even though I could do the job without it. I did it because I knew someone out there would call me a charlatan without the piece of paper to back it up. I wonder what that rude writer would think of me now, knowing that I've been granted professional member status to the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd).)

Finding a good editor, who doesn't cost you an arm and leg, can be a tall ask. And for those self-publishing, you're potentially looking at hiring three different editors: developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader. And the money just flew out of the pocket for little return.

For those heading down traditional roads, hiring an editor is normally the last thing on your minds. In most cases, editing falls under the responsibility of the publishing house — but not all editing, and not all publishing houses. (I'll come back to this particular issue shortly.)

So, it's not surprising that many writers balk at the idea of hiring a developmental editor. There is a reason why I provide so much information on this blog (and writing more blog posts every day), educating writers about developmental editing (among other things), and what they might do for themselves. I have provided suggestions on how one might go about doing editing on the cheap, including how one might find critique partners.

I will continue to advocate for the usage of critique partners and beta readers before hiring editors, even if that means I don't get the clients. A writer can learn so much about their own writing by examining the writing of their fellow writers. In some ways, a writer can learn more about the mechanisms of writing by becoming a good reader of the pre-published works (not just the published ones). Yes, read the published works, but by reading the unpublished writer (the work in progress), you gain an appreciation for the writing process that you would never see if you read only published books.

If you are fortunate enough to have snagged yourself a critique partner with the trained editorial eye, hold onto them for dear life. They are GOLD! But for the rest of us, we're forced to resort to other methods.

My First Developmental Editor

Okay, time for some self-confessions. I'm a writer and proud of it! I was a writer BEFORE I retrained to be an editor.

I became serious about my writing back in 2012 (or something like that). I actually threw in the day job at the end of 2013 and decided to sink all of my efforts into getting the book that I was writing published. Let's just say that I was completely delusional about what it would take to snag that elusive traditional publication contract. At the time, I didn't even know that self-publishing was an option. In hindsight, I'm so glad that I was completely ignorant about the publishing industry as a whole, because boy-oh-boy did I make some mistakes, but I've learnt a lot too.

For a large portion of 2014, I was writing in complete isolation. I had crafted a good story, one that I still love, but notice I said good. I had so much to learn about the craft, and the learning curve was steep.

I discovered critiquing sites like Scribophile, and was into the thick of it. Those early years were where I learnt the most about crafting excellent fiction. I was able to see what others were pointing out about my own writing AND I was able to work out why it was irritating. Scribophile was great... until it wasn't.

I had hit this point where no one would read my novel past a certain point. It was like they got exactly what they wanted out of me (free editing), but I was getting nothing in return — and certainly not what I needed the most. That was when I hired my first developmental editor. I paid for only a critique (or manuscript assessment), and finally got the answer to my questions about my manuscript: Is the story working and what do I need to do to improve it?

That particular manuscript is still sitting in the metaphorical drawer, but it's not because the manuscript isn't any good. It's actually the first book in a series, and the more I learnt about traditional publication and the industry as a whole, the more I realized that I needed to shift tactics.

Since then, I have taken numerous classes on developmental editing (for both my work and my writing), and I have hired another developmental editor for my most recent manuscript. While critique partners are great, there is something about having the professional viewpoint in your pocket that is valuable beyond measure.

It's more than writing.

The real issue with hiring a developmental editor is the simple fact that not all editors are the same. An editor who specializes in romance won't necessarily understand the tension beats needed for thrillers or the world building needed for science fiction and fantasy. Yet, an editor who specializes in thrillers won't necessarily know what the requirements are for the various sub-genres of romance. To complicate matters, it takes a different set of skills to work on the developmental aspects of a manuscript compared to the copyediting aspects.

This is where understanding the type of editor that you need for the given stage of a project, and their genre specialties, is crucial. Without that knowledge, you could easily be putting money into something that you don't need.

Which brings me back to my remarks earlier about the different types of editors that you might work with in a publishing house.

Some writers are fortunate and can send their early draft manuscripts to an editor at their publishers. The editor then tears apart that manuscript, suggesting (or insisting as the case may be) rewrites. The writer does what they're told and through the cycle again it goes. When the editor is happy, they will then pass it onto the next editor in the sequence, who is often a copyeditor, and through the publishing cycle your book goes.

That initial editor may not bear the title of developmental editor, but that is exactly what they are.

Ladies and Gentlemen, even the likes of Stephen King and Brandon Sanderson will be working with developmental editors through their publishing houses. The difference between most of us and them: they have the name that will sell anything they write, even if it turns out to be dribble. (Thankfully, neither of them actually write dribble.)

However, not all traditionally published writers are that lucky. For most, the first editor at the publishing house that sees their work is a copyeditor. Sure, the copyeditor might mention things about the structure of what you have produced, but they won't have the same eye as the developmental editor. So, getting that developmental editor as part of your team will not always come from a publishing house.

Taking the Writing to the Next Level

And back to the original question posed in the title of this post: Should a writer hire a freelance developmental editor?

Remember that years ago, I hired my first developmental editor because I couldn't get people to read through my FULL manuscript and provide feedback. I knew something was off, but I had no idea what, because no one would read my story past a certain point. That professional eye gave me the kick-in-the-butt I needed to take my writing skills to the next level.

For me personally, it's about pushing myself, and always developing my skills as a writer (and an editor). As my current developmental editor has said to me, he can take a good manuscript and make it great. He can take a great manuscript and make it excellent. However, he can't take an okay manuscript and turn it into a masterpiece. He can only help a writer take their writing to the next level.

This is my philosophy too. I can only help writers move up a single level at a time. They have to put in the hard work to develop and grow, and I'm honored that many writers have already allowed me to be part of their journey.

Majority of the writers that I work with are still in the early stages of their careers, learning their craft. I love mentoring them through the process, and feel giddy when they start to see exactly what I've been pointing out to them for themselves. Sure, I have to work harder when I see their manuscripts again, but I get to watch the growth and the excitement along the way.

Do you NEED to hire a developmental editor? No. There is nothing stopping you from getting published if you choose to use critique partners only. In fact, I strongly believe that working with critique partners is a necessary part of a writer's journey. But sometimes, critique partners aren't enough (as was the case for myself).

Will a developmental editor help your career? Yes, but only if you find the right editor for you — that gets you and your work. Hiring a developmental editor is not just an investment in your book. It's an investment in your writing career.

Services Offered by Black Wolf Editorial

Black Wolf Editorial Services offers a range of editing and mentoring package. From substantive line editing of the short story, to working with manuscripts that clock in at 100,000 words, there is something for everyone.

Perhaps you just want to know if your story is going in the right direction. Or maybe you just want a little help to get you going, writing that novel that you have always wanted to write.

Do take a look at our preferred genres. Like all editors, we have our strengths.

But if you have that one-off question, and would just like to read about it for yourself, do take a look at the articles found on The Editor's Blog.