There is not a writer writing today who could not use editorial assistance of some kind. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and career novelists with multiple bestsellers regularly get help. If you’re an author with a publishing contract, that kind of help could come courtesy of the house with which you’ve signed. But if you’re trying to attract an agent or traditional publisher, looking into a hybrid publisher, or planning to self-publish, you should consider securing some outside guidance.
There are copyeditors and line editors who mostly focus on the basic but necessary elements—like punctuation, spelling, and the rules of grammar. Before that stage, however, you’ll likely need a developmental editor to help you look at the larger picture, whether the manuscript is fiction or non-fiction.
What a Developmental Edit Looks Like for Fiction and Non-fiction
In the case of a non-fiction book, you might be prodded about whether your thesis is supported by your existing arguments, if you are missing any key points, or if you have repeated similar ideas. Is there a point of view you’re neglecting or a balance of tone that’s not being achieved? Does the structure you’ve chosen allow for the easiest way into your subject? And are you employing a tone or using language that is most appropriate for the market you want to reach?
If you’ve written a novel, a developmental editor will help assess issues such as whether the pacing works or if you need to go lighter on the descriptions or world-building to speed things up. Is the reader’s interest maintained throughout the pages? Are there plot holes or situations that strain credibility? They will share their thoughts on whether your characterizations are realistic and appealing (or perhaps appropriately unappealing). They’ll scrutinize your handling of perspective and point-of-view to ensure a consistency that does justice to the story you want to tell. They might flag if your prose is too worked over in places and drawing the wrong kind of attention. And, ultimately, an editor will assess if all of your efforts coalesce into an ending that satisfies.
The above concepts are just some of the concerns that could be addressed. But a professional developmental editor, such as one at KAA, will have worked with scores of published authors and understand that the most effective way to collaborate with a writer is by addressing them as an individual and their manuscript as unique—rather than approaching the project with a standardized, rote list of questions to answer.
Why You Need a Professional Editor, Not Just Friends and Family
You might think that you already have a built-in support group of like-minded peers or fellow writers to offer their opinions of your work (and you should definitely utilize those people, acknowledging the reality that multiple drafts are a necessary part of the evolution of your manuscript), but after that phase, a developmental editor is still worth your time.
The people in your orbit who can offer feedback will not be as impartial and constructively honest as someone you hire. A friend or colleague will only tell you so much or be able to advise so far. And if you do work with an editor from KAA who’s had years of experience working at major publishing houses with many published authors, you’ll also be collaborating with someone who has a greater understanding of the marketplace, a better sense of the type of competition you’ll be facing, and their finger on the pulse of the trends you should (or should not) lean into. They know what works on the page, and they know what sells in the real world.
Why Editing is Essential Before You Shop the Book
There’s also the possibility that you think your manuscript is already strong enough to pique someone’s interest and that any remaining issues can be resolved once you’re signed, but you need to understand the contemporary publishing climate. Editors today are not allowed the same kind of leeway to really shape a book the way they used to. Gone are the days when Maxwell Perkins took the time to cut almost 100,000 words from Thomas Wolfe’s classic, Look Homeward, Angel. Or when Raymond Carver’s editor convinced him to abandon almost half of his critical second book to hone his signature minimalist style.
In the current culture, a manuscript should be as solid and as tight as possible when a publisher first sees it and even when an agent reads it at the very beginning of the gatekeeping process. And if you’re opting for the alternative scenario of a hybrid publisher or self-publishing, it’s just as important to be confident that the book you’re offering up to the public (with your name on it) is the best work it can be.
So maybe stop and ask yourself if another set of highly qualified eyes would be helpful for you and your project. At KAA, you’ll find editors who have worked across all genres of fiction and all categories of non-fiction and can make a real impact on the quality and success of the book you want to publish.
Explore KAA’s Editing Services here.
Written by David Cashion, Executive Editor at KAA
A twenty-year veteran of the publishing industry, David Cashion has worked with professors and rock stars, scientists and actors, historians and comedians, in addition to experienced journalists and novelists. These partnerships have resulted in multiple national bestsellers and many critically-acclaimed volumes. He began his career at Hyperion, where he edited the memoirs of songwriter Jimmy Webb and TV personality Drew Carey. At Viking Penguin, he worked with nonfiction writers such as Jeff Gordinier, Kathleen Flinn, and Peter Irons, and novelists such as Robert Alexander and James Robertson. While an Executive Editor at Abrams Books, he collaborated with authors including James Ellroy, makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, John Leguizamo, and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett. Having edited across a wide spectrum of categories, David is comfortable guiding aspiring and established book writers through their efforts on multiple subjects and in many categories.
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