CONGRATULATIONS!
You have done something that less than 5% of writers achieve: You’ve completed your project, whether that’s a short story, novella, novel, or series.
Seriously. Take a moment, you star, and glory in the sheer amazing level of determination, not to mention all the creativity, that went into finishing an early draft.
And now what? That is the question that brought you here.
The Content Edit (AKA Developmental or Structural Edit) focuses on projects in the early stages.
What a Content Edit Does & Does Not Do
- Focus on story level questions such as
- Character Arcs
- Plots & Subplots
- Pacing
- Worldbuilding
- Language
- Politics
- Religion
- Economics
- Weather
- History
- Not concerned with finer details such as
- Continuity ➛ Line Edit
- Sentence Structure ➛ Line Edit
- Word Choice ➛ Line Edit/Copy Edit
- Grammar or Style ➛ Line Edit/Copy Edit
- Not book coaching – your piece must be finished, no matter how roughly, before it can be edited
- Please note, while I am more than happy to review revisions, I do charge for my time and expertise.
The Process
- Send me your project and a summary. The summary should address the following questions:
- A brief outline of the project (3 pages MAX).
- Your overall intention. Why did you write this? What do you hope it will be?
- How do you want your readers to think/feel about this piece after they’re done reading?
- Anything else you think might help me better understand your goal for this piece.
- I will read the summary and send you a written questionnaire to ensure I fully understand what you want. You may complete the summary at your convenience.
- Once I understand your goals for the story, we will coordinate about scheduling and pricing.
- I use Editorial Freelancers Association standards for my pricing as a guide – I can be flexible with payment options as I understand most writers aren’t millionaires.
- I will fully read and review your project. I will send you several documents (listed below).
- You will have a chance to address concerns, ask follow-up questions, and discuss revisions options, either via email or scheduled call/video chat.
What You Receive from Me
- A thorough read and review of your current project
- A book wiki, which includes:
- Characters
- Major settings
- Basic timeline(s)
- Important items
- Other aspects, depending on the project
- An editorial letter addressing the following aspects:
- Structure
- Plot Summary
- Pacing
- Rate of Revelation
- Point(s) of View
- Reader Distance
- Emotional Arcs
- Dialogue
- Description
- Reader Response
- Sensitivity Issues – while this is NOT a sensitivity read, I may flag issues for your consideration.
- Overall Thoughts
- Recommendations for addressing issues identified
M. K. Martin 