The Road to Publishing

Do you have an idea for the next great novel of our time? And you’re just letting it kick around in that noggin of yours? Well, Hemingway, I’m one of the only editors you can meet before you even begin to type out that masterpiece in your head.

Yeah, that's right, I'm a Developmental Editor.

Pretty cool, right? Call me Leo Tolstoy; because I’m about to get all up in your head. Then, we can get all those unspoken thoughts out onto paper together.

Henceforth begins an epic journey, made by you, on your way to the Big Ol’ Publishing Capitol. First stop? The Inn of Developmental Editing.

Here at the Inn of Developmental Editors, we like to look at the big picture and help you create a unified vision for your story. We can brainstorm your ideas for your hero Zalyn’s journey to save his love, Dianara, from the clutches of the nefarious Fallon Grimeorso. We can plan plots, create characters, hatch romantic subplots, and create endings together. This means focusing on the story’s structure and sometimes coaching you through your plot and story. After this initial meeting, most writers part ways until they’re ready to reunite for the first proper edit of the work they’ve accomplished.

But, wait. What if you’ve already written Zalyn’s quest and have seemingly perfected his romance with Dianara? No worries, I’m still the first stop you’ll make on your way to that sparkling and elusive land called Publishing Capitol. Some editors, like myself, like to get their hands a bit dirtier than others; and dig into substantive editing. This would include prose, editing the story as a whole, utilizing track changes, and specific rewrites at the chapter, section, paragraph, and line levels. Over time, this has become more and more popular, and it seems that the two terms have blended into one.

After all, the story begins with the sentence. However, grammar and punctuation are not at the forefront of my mind. I’m much more concerned with the voice, prose, and clarity of the line.

The most important thing to remember now is that we’re partners on the trek to that shiny spot at the end of the road. Trust and mutual respect are integral to our partnership and the success of your journey. We developmental editors at the Inn always try to remember that a story is a creation and not unlike a child to most authors. I am always honored that a creator would entrust their ideas or manuscript to me, allowing me to help them identify the strengths and weaknesses within. Just like we are partners, you have a partnership with your audience as well. When changes are made, we must remember the readers’ potential thoughts, wants, and needs; good developmental editors will understand what readers may think of Zalyn’s heroism and Dianara’s actions.

While you rest your weary head at this, the first stop on your journey, feel free to drop your script here. While you relax after your literary battles with that nefarious Fallon Grimeorso, I’ll pull out my trusty red feather quill. This may take a while, but rest assured that you’re in good hands. At the end of your time with me, you can choose to accept or reject my suggestions, and you can then tuck your script under your arm and move on to your next stop on the road to Publishing Capitol. Depending on your editor and how deep they dive into your manuscript, this will be either the Line Editing Lodge or the Chalet of Copy Editors.

Here at the Inn of Developmental Editors, we’d like to wish you well on your journey. Oh, and don’t forget to watch out for those dragons of self-doubt on the way to the Capitol!

Psst—we can’t always write them out, but a partner on the road to publishing weakens their powers!