[Everything You Never Wanted to Know about Developmental Editing, But Should]

Every request for editing I get asks me for a copy edit.

And yet, when I start reading the paper, I see that what it needs is not a fix for its writing issues (although it will need that too in the end). What it needs is a fix for the thinking issues. The paper actually needs a developmental edit.

What’s the Difference Between a Copy Edit and a Developmental Edit?

Well, quite simply, a copy edit fixes language problems (rephrase to remove awkward phrasing, remove extra words, tighten sentences, replace passive with active, find punchier verbs etc.).

Sample Editorial Comments

A developmental edit fixes deeper problems that are less related to writing and more related to thinking. So, the moment I have to put in comments like these, we’re looking at a developmental edit:

1. “This abstract needs to be rewritten. Here’s why.” [restructuring]

2. “This is a whole new and different idea, and tacking it on here is too much of a throwaway.” [restructuring]

3. “The Findings section is quite long - about 20 pages. You need to shorten it so that you can make space to have a longer Intro and Lit Rev, which form the basis of the paper. I would suggest that you merge the two subsections ‘X’ and ‘Y’.” [restructuring]

4. “This part of the paragraph is actually what you need to start your paper with. Tell us the context first. Then problematize elements of the context, as you do here. Then tell us how this context relates to larger/more macro questions. And tell us what you do to understand the issue, how you see it differently, and want us to see it differently.” [restructuring, story]

5. “I couldn’t find your “however”; I couldn’t find in your text what the problem with using classic theories of social relatedness was.” [story]

6. “The new Introduction does not yet address the concerns of the reviewers about the positioning and value of this study.” [story, contributions]

7. “Why is this theory the best one to explain your data?” [theorizing]

8. “What are the stakes of this question? Why does it matter that we learn how consumers use X to co-create Y? Tell us what theoretical and practical implications this question (and its answer) has.”  [theorizing]

9. “How did we go from talking about active and passive participation to talking about your research? There’s a missing transition here. I think you need to put in a small paragraph about how participation has been studied in X setting in order to determine the effects of it on Y.” [transitioning]

An edit qualifies as a developmental edit the moment an editor either starts asking you to clarify what you mean or suggesting you either delete, expand, or re-place your text.

Identifying Whether You Need a Developmental Edit

So how can you decide whether what you really need is a developmental edit? I’m so glad you asked. If you are facing some or any of the following issues, you need a developmental edit:

• Readers tell me that my writing is difficult to understand / to follow my train of thought / to figure out what I’m trying to say.

• My manuscript is being submitted to a second (or third) journal, and with all the changes, I don’t know where I’m at and I don’t know how to fix up the mess I have.

• My co-author is disengaged from the project and I really need some help to sort through my thoughts and the writing and tell me what’s worthy and can stay and what I should delete.

• I’m having trouble determining whether the flow works .

• I’ve got a deadline, I’m not progressing, and I don’t want to send my co-author / the journal utter rubbish.

• I have so many different theories and concepts in this paper - how do I make them all work with an 8,000 word limit?

• The reviewers say my contribution is unclear and there is no clear story.

• I’m starting a manuscript, I’m sole author, and I need help in sorting out my ideas, and building the manuscript.

If you just felt your head nod, or if you can see yourself in these comments, then what you want is a developmental edit, not a copy edit.

In part 2 of this article, I’ll describe what it’s like to work with a developmental editor, what the process looks like, and how much all this might set you back by (not as much as you think).