Welcome back for another segment into the world of developmental editing!  Last time, I spoke about what development editing is and gave a few examples of what it looks like. Today, I want to dive a bit deeper and talk about why developmental editing is so critical for a professional writer. It’s one of those things that you might not hear spoken about in the TV shows about an author working with a publisher, but it really is essential for a strong final piece. Keep reading to find out why!

The 4 top reasons why developmental editing is crucial for a professional writer

After some thinking, these are the top 4 reasons that professional writers should lean into the world of structural editing. In my experience, these are the biggest benefits that I rely on when writing books.

1. It helps someone else see your vision: You started this book for a reason. You have a specific vision and end goal in mind. A professional developmental editor can read your book and then tell you, perhaps for the first time ever, whether or not the book is actually getting the reader to the end point that you want. Does it match your vision? Is it achieving your goal? They are a great first stop on your editing adventure in this sense.
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2. It shows you what is working and what isn’t: Whether this applies to plot holes, character arcs, or pacing, a thorough developmental edit will provide you with a thumbs up and thumbs down on what currently works and what doesn’t in the overall reading experience.
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3. It helps you see snags and holes and awkward sections:  You’ve heard that expression where “the first draft is just you telling yourself the story”, right? If not, now you have! However, we tend to have blind spots, since we are essentially brain-dumping the plot onto the page (regardless of whether it is a first draft or a fifth draft). A comprehensive developmental edit can help you see what is actually making it onto the page and what isn’t. The editor can help you see where you need to rewrite, explain more, and adjust the content.
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4. It gives you confidence to keep moving forward: It is unnerving to give your currently untested book baby to an editor. However, getting back detailed, supportive, and constructive notes will typically provide a confidence boost to keep on working. Whether you’ve written 1 book or 100 books, getting that kind of support is helpful to keep words flowing!

Developmental editing helps bring your piece to life

A professional writer is going to be experienced in writing and editing on their own, but there is still that moment of uncertainty where they will need to send their writing out into the world and get a feel for how the public is going to perceive it. An experienced structural editor will bring your story to life and give you a sense of what it looks like, feels like, and even a sense of how the public will perceive it, in a positive way and a negative way.

You hear so much about the role of copy editing, beta reading, and sensitivity reading. With these points above front-of-mind, however, it makes sense why professional writers should rely on developmental editing, too, right?

Thoughts? Feelings? Disagreements? Please share it all below!