Choosing the best editing option for you and your novel isn't always as easy as it seems. I hope this information will help you choose the editing option that the absolute best option for you.
IF YOUR WRITING CONSTANTLY FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS MISSING OR WRONG, then you probably have a repeating problem or issue in most scenes in your novel. Rather than getting a full edit, which would be a waste as I would just be correcting the same thing over and over again, I would recommend the novel assessment.
YOU LOVE THE IDEA/PREMISE OF YOUR NOVEL, BUT YOU DON’T LOVE THE PLOT.
If you’re a plotter or can tolerate plotting, I recommend the concept/outline assessment because it’s cheaper and faster.
If you hate plotting, don’t have or don’t want to create an outline, or if you also have another problem you want addressed, I recommend the full novel critique.
If you’re struggling with plot, I don’t recommend the developmental edit because the individual chapter/scene feedback won’t help you if you’re facing major structural changes.
IF YOU LOVE SOME OF YOUR SCENES/CHAPTERS BUT HATE OTHERS.
If you hate some scenes/chapters because you don’t like the content (i.e. it’s a plotting level issue), the outline assessment is a good choice.
If you aren’t happy with half or more of the novel’s scenes in you, there’s likely a recurring problem and I recommend the novel assessment.
If you like the majority of your scenes, but feel that some scenes just aren’t working well or if you have other concerns in addition to disliking scenes/chapters, the full developmental edit is a great way to get feedback on every scene in the novel.
Note that I recommend the larger, more in-depth developmental edit to writers who are closer to being published or who are already published authors. This is because the level of in-depth feedback in the full developmental edit is more useful for writers who are not facing major corrections. It is for writers close to their final drafts. If it's likley you’ll be rewriting your novel, the chapter/scene feedback in the developmental edit will be useless to you.
YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY YOUR WRITING SOUNDS. DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THE SUCCESSFUL NOVELS YOU'VE READ.
This is your writing style or voice. If you aren't happy it, then I would recommend a voice/style assessment.
THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT YOUR NOVEL THAT YOU AREN’T HAPPY WITH.
If you’re unhappy with something specific (for example, dialogue, characterization, POV), I recommend an hour or two of tutoring so that we can key into what’s going wrong and how you can improve your writing.
IF YOU ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR NOVEL.
I'd love to help my fellow writers by answering any specific questions you might have through email-based tutoring. You can send me a list of questions with any applicable material.
YOU QUERIED AGENTS BUT HAVEN'T GOT ANY RESPONSES OR YOU’RE ABOUT TO QUERY AND WANT TO MAKE THE BEST IMPRESSION POSSIBLE.
Querying needs a good query letter as well as an excerpt from the novel, so I recommend booking a novel assessment first, so I can get a good understanding of your novel's strengths as well as to help you strengthen them or at least just the opening chapters. I would secondly recommend a query edit to make sure you’re pitching your novel in the strongest way possible.
YOU GOT CLOSE TO CATCHING AN AGENT OR PUBLISHER, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THEY PASSED.
If the agent or publisher requested a partial manuscript and then passed, then there are probably some issues that repeat throughout the novel or there is a problem with novel's selling ability. I recommend the novel assessment.
If the agent or publisher requested a full manuscript after a partial and still decided to pass on it, then I would recommend the developmental edit (if you think you need feedback on each chapter/scene) or a critique. More than likely you’ve got a boring middle section or not enough content in the middle of the novel. Another option to remedy this issue is the outline assessment, which would allow us to deal with the plot in a faster and cheaper way.
If the agent or publisher provided feedback on why they rejected you, great! We can use that information to determine the best option for you.
YOU CAN’T REALLY AFFORD AN EDITOR, BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO WORK WITH ONE.
If your budget is limited, but you really want to work with a professional editor, I recommend the novel assessment, from which you will get the most value.
YOU WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED WITH YOUR NOVEL.
If you want to revise your work with a complete sense of what needs to be improved, you have a couple of options.
If you have writing experience, have used beta readers, have gone through a few rounds of revisions, and want professional help to give the novel that final polish and edge, the full developmental edit is the best choice.
KEEP IN MIND: that if this is your first novel, you’re more than likely facing a much larger amount of revisions than you think. You could be facing a full rewrite, which means the detailed chapter-by-chapter feedback of the developmental edit won't necessarily be a waste, but it could be more useful as a learning tool (since you'll probably be cutting out most scenes altogether).
If you want to know what could be improved in each scene with the understanding that much of the feedback may be more helpful as a learning experience, then the developmental edit is an excellent option.
If your budget is limited and/or if you think that major rewrites might be needed, the novel critique is definitely the better option.
I look foward to working with you!
YOU LOVE THE IDEA/PREMISE OF YOUR NOVEL, BUT YOU DON’T LOVE THE PLOT.
If you’re a plotter or can tolerate plotting, I recommend the concept/outline assessment because it’s cheaper and faster.
If you hate plotting, don’t have or don’t want to create an outline, or if you also have another problem you want addressed, I recommend the full novel critique.
If you’re struggling with plot, I don’t recommend the developmental edit because the individual chapter/scene feedback won’t help you if you’re facing major structural changes.
IF YOU LOVE SOME OF YOUR SCENES/CHAPTERS BUT HATE OTHERS.
If you hate some scenes/chapters because you don’t like the content (i.e. it’s a plotting level issue), the outline assessment is a good choice.
If you aren’t happy with half or more of the novel’s scenes in you, there’s likely a recurring problem and I recommend the novel assessment.
If you like the majority of your scenes, but feel that some scenes just aren’t working well or if you have other concerns in addition to disliking scenes/chapters, the full developmental edit is a great way to get feedback on every scene in the novel.
Note that I recommend the larger, more in-depth developmental edit to writers who are closer to being published or who are already published authors. This is because the level of in-depth feedback in the full developmental edit is more useful for writers who are not facing major corrections. It is for writers close to their final drafts. If it's likley you’ll be rewriting your novel, the chapter/scene feedback in the developmental edit will be useless to you.
YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY YOUR WRITING SOUNDS. DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THE SUCCESSFUL NOVELS YOU'VE READ.
This is your writing style or voice. If you aren't happy it, then I would recommend a voice/style assessment.
THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT YOUR NOVEL THAT YOU AREN’T HAPPY WITH.
If you’re unhappy with something specific (for example, dialogue, characterization, POV), I recommend an hour or two of tutoring so that we can key into what’s going wrong and how you can improve your writing.
IF YOU ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR NOVEL.
I'd love to help my fellow writers by answering any specific questions you might have through email-based tutoring. You can send me a list of questions with any applicable material.
YOU QUERIED AGENTS BUT HAVEN'T GOT ANY RESPONSES OR YOU’RE ABOUT TO QUERY AND WANT TO MAKE THE BEST IMPRESSION POSSIBLE.
Querying needs a good query letter as well as an excerpt from the novel, so I recommend booking a novel assessment first, so I can get a good understanding of your novel's strengths as well as to help you strengthen them or at least just the opening chapters. I would secondly recommend a query edit to make sure you’re pitching your novel in the strongest way possible.
YOU GOT CLOSE TO CATCHING AN AGENT OR PUBLISHER, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THEY PASSED.
If the agent or publisher requested a partial manuscript and then passed, then there are probably some issues that repeat throughout the novel or there is a problem with novel's selling ability. I recommend the novel assessment.
If the agent or publisher requested a full manuscript after a partial and still decided to pass on it, then I would recommend the developmental edit (if you think you need feedback on each chapter/scene) or a critique. More than likely you’ve got a boring middle section or not enough content in the middle of the novel. Another option to remedy this issue is the outline assessment, which would allow us to deal with the plot in a faster and cheaper way.
If the agent or publisher provided feedback on why they rejected you, great! We can use that information to determine the best option for you.
YOU CAN’T REALLY AFFORD AN EDITOR, BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO WORK WITH ONE.
If your budget is limited, but you really want to work with a professional editor, I recommend the novel assessment, from which you will get the most value.
YOU WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED WITH YOUR NOVEL.
If you want to revise your work with a complete sense of what needs to be improved, you have a couple of options.
If you have writing experience, have used beta readers, have gone through a few rounds of revisions, and want professional help to give the novel that final polish and edge, the full developmental edit is the best choice.
KEEP IN MIND: that if this is your first novel, you’re more than likely facing a much larger amount of revisions than you think. You could be facing a full rewrite, which means the detailed chapter-by-chapter feedback of the developmental edit won't necessarily be a waste, but it could be more useful as a learning tool (since you'll probably be cutting out most scenes altogether).
If you want to know what could be improved in each scene with the understanding that much of the feedback may be more helpful as a learning experience, then the developmental edit is an excellent option.
If your budget is limited and/or if you think that major rewrites might be needed, the novel critique is definitely the better option.
I look foward to working with you!