Limited Time Summer Offer Summer 2024: Mini Developmental Edits for Fiction Writers
I'm opening up my schedule to do a handful of mini-developmental edits this summer. Only four slots are open, so it's first come, first served.
What is a Developmental Edit?
A developmental edit focuses on the story's structure and big-picture items: theme, genre conventions, stakes, plot logic, worldbuilding, narrative drive, character arcs, characterization, point of view, and voice, as well as more craft-focused issues that require attention–but it is not a copy or line edit.
Who is this for:
A writer who feels stuck in revision and knows there is a problem with the novel's opening and setup but can't figure out how to fix it.
A writer who's been querying with interest in the query letter only to have the agents pass after they request the partial or full manuscript
A writer who has received a revise and resubmit from an agent but is uncertain how to approach the rewrite.
A writer who is drafting but feels lost in the middle, or last half of the book, can’t get back on track, and needs a jumpstart to help them flesh out the remainder of the story.
Categories and Genres I Work With:
Categories: Upper Middle Grade, YA, NA, and Adult Commercial (Genre) Fiction
Genres: Fantasy, Soft Sci-Fi, Women's Fiction, Coming of Age, Speculative Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, Horror, Romance, and Dark Romance.
Things I Require:
A one-page book summary (form provided).
A list of the major turning points of the story + protagonist workbook (form provided)
Your query letter and synopsis. (If you don't have these, you will need to write them–even if you are not at the query stage)
The first 10,000 words of your manuscript in publishing industry format.
A list of your specific concerns (form provided)
The Deliverables:
Developmental edit of the first 10,000 words (including inline comments and track changes).
A scene list detailing any issues with narrative drive, plot inconsistency and pacing problems.
An editorial letter detailing my findings and suggested next steps.
A 50-minute follow-up call to discuss the editorial letter, suggestions, and how to approach suggested edits.
A final read-through after you've implemented the suggestions you agree with.
A brief follow-up letter to discuss the manuscript changes you made.
Investment:
$500
Turnaround time for Deliverables:
Developmental Edit: 2-3 weeks.
Why am I doing these?
Because I really enjoy them and love seeing the results: writers on fire and stories that work! And I have more capacity this summer for one-off projects.
Here's a review from a client for a recent mini-dev edit!
"I was absolutely thrilled when my most recent manuscript got a revise-and-resubmit from a dream literary agent. But after a few solo attempts to rework my plot, I was stuck. Stacy looked at my first few chapters and was able to give me exactly what I needed: a fresh perspective and a story expert's suggestions. I could not be a more satisfied client. I plan to return to Stacy any time my stories need unsticking. Thank you, Stacy!"
Anne Lassere, Speculative Fiction Author
I just received an update from Anne.
“I've just about finished my revision of (TITE NAME OMITTED FOR CLIENT PRIVACY), thanks to your expert guidance. I've enlisted a fresh beta reader and will let it sit for a bit before I resubmit it to the agent. I'm attaching my first four revised chapters… You've already helped tremendously.”
I can’t wait to dive into her pages!
If you are interested in a mini-developmental edit, fill out my contact form and tell me more about your story. From there, we can schedule a chat and make sure we're a good fit.
