✍️ Desk of Amy Suto: What Does a Developmental Editor Do?
Breaking down one of my favorite services as a freelancer.
Happy Sunday! In today’s newsletter, you’ll read about…
✍️ What a freelance developmental editor does
☕️ What it takes to become a developmental editor
😎 Things to think about before hiring a developmental editor
📖 3-Minute Story: What Does a Developmental Editor Do?
Want to turn your good book into a great book? Then it’s time to find an editor!
When I was working on my book Six-Figure Freelance Writer, my writing days were filled with curiosity and exploration. I was bringing all of my wares to the table to help people live full, profitable lives as freelance writers based on my own experience.
By the time the draft was done, my proverbial table was overflowing. I worked with two developmental editors who gave notes on the structure, order, and content of the book. Slowly, the misshapen clay I had generated turned into a piece that was as beautiful as it was functional.
Every author has a team — and one of the most impactful team members is your developmental editor.
✍️ The Role of a Freelance Developmental Editor
A few months ago, my partner Kyle and I took a pottery class in Manhattan. The instructors who worked there were full-time artists with a biting sense of humor: art school kids who truly loved pottery, but hid their passion under sarcasm and a deep knowledge of obscure memes.
After we finished our pieces on the pottery wheel and sat down at a long art table to do the finishing touches, my partner Kyle noticed one of the instructors was building a piece based on a photo.
“What are you making?” Kyle asked him.
“Oh, I’m recreating a student’s bowl that blew up in the kiln,” the instructor casually said.
Kyle and I were shocked at the kindness, and when we probed further we realized that a lot of student’s pieces don’t make it through the kiln alive, and these instructors didn’t have the heart to tell them.
Instead, these thoughtful teachers just rebuilt the broken mugs and bowls from scratch for their students to display proudly in their cabinets.
A great developmental editor has to operate in a similar space. We see the full picture of what an author is trying to build, understand their vision intimately, and then work silently in the background to strengthen the scaffolding of their book and shape it according to their vision.
Some book concepts can get smashed in the draft, and it’s our job to put them back together, even if we have to fill the cracks with gold in a kintsugi-style of repurposing what was broken into something even more artful.
☕️ Becoming a Developmental Editor
It’s raining in Buenos Aires today.
I’m at my favorite coffeeshop as I write this piece, and I’m going through a manuscript for one of my clients and preparing for a few discovery calls that landed on my calendar with other authors needing help whipping their books into shape.
As the warm summer rain bats at the windows, I reflect on what it’s taken to get here. I think about the classes at USC that changed how I approached story structure, the times in various TV writer’s rooms where I soaked up different showrunners’ approaches to creating memorable characters, or the many hours I spent working on my own books.
The best developmental editors I’ve worked with are authors in their own right: it takes a writer to understand the intricacies of what a fellow writer is trying to achieve.
Becoming a developmental editor is not just about mastering language or understanding story mechanics: it’s about cultivating a deep empathy for fellow storytellers and readers, and a keen eye for detail. It requires patience, a love for reading across genres, and the ability to provide constructive, actionable feedback.
😎 When and How to Hire a Developmental Editor
I wrote a piece on my blog all about When and How to Hire a Developmental Editor, so I won’t rehash too much of it here.
Overall, there’s a balance that must be struck during the editing process. Authors should think about their readiness for in-depth feedback, their openness to reworking significant portions of their manuscript, and the alignment of their vision with the editor's expertise. It's crucial to find someone who not only understands your genre but also resonates with your narrative style.
As I gaze out at the rain-soaked streets, my thoughts drift to the manuscripts in my inbox. In Buenos Aires, every street mural tells a story, much like every page I edit. And in each, there lies the potential for something extraordinary.
✨ 2 Quotes to Inspire You
"Art is what you can get away with." — Andy Warhol
"I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration." — Frida Kahlo
✍️ 1 Journal Prompt for Reflection
Editor's Perspective: Imagine yourself as a developmental editor for a day. Choose a favorite book and jot down what changes or enhancements you would suggest if you were the editor. How would these changes impact the overall narrative and character arcs?
Feel free to share your reflections in the comments:
💻 New Blog Posts on AmySuto.com
📚 New Chapters of My Thriller Novel Let Me Be Your Ghost
🎥 Video of the Week: What I Spend in a Day in Buenos Aires, Argentina
📸 Photo of the Week: Buenos Aires Views
I took a street art tour last weekend and explored a new neighborhood and attempted to capture some of its beauty on camera. Buenos Aires is a city with breathtaking architecture that casually appears around every corner.
Follow me on X/Twitter or Instagram for more!
⚡️ Upcoming Wednesday Edition: How Much Money Can You Make as a Self-Published Author?
This Wednesday, ✍️ From the Desk of Amy Suto paid subscribers will get an exclusive issue about…
✨ How much money do self-published authors make in a year?
🧪 Do self-published authors make more or less than traditionally published authors?
📚 How can you build a full-time living as an author?
Sending creativity and good writing vibes your way,
-Amy
p.s. I create my newsletter voiceovers and my podcast episodes using the tool Wondercraft AI, a text-to-speech tool that speaks in YOUR voice. 🎙 Use my code SUTO50 or this link to get 50% off your Wondercraft AI subscription! (paid/affiliate link)
As a dev editor, this was one of the best way I've seen our jobs described: A great developmental editor has to operate in a similar space. We see the full picture of what an author is trying to build, understand their vision intimately, and then work silently in the background to strengthen the scaffolding of their book and shape it according to their vision.