A good rule of thumb for a fiction editorial query is to make statements, not ask questions. By focusing on making statements, rather than questions, in your editorial queries, you begin to unpack your assumptions about what literature is, what makes a story good, and so on. I often recommend using the three-party query template…
It’s very common for newer dev editors to write editorial queries that say things like, “What is Joe’s motivation?” but that does not give the author sufficient guidance to do the revision so it is not an effective editorial query. But it is a perfectly fine place to start. The first thing to do is…
As developmental editors, we use three main types of queries, and it’s important to distinguish among them so that the author isn’t confused about what needs to be done. What we don’t want to do is just write reaction queries: “John seems disappointed here.” Well, so what? What does the author need to do about…
What does defensible mean? In copyediting, an edit can be defensible because it is correct: that is, because Merriam-Webster dictionary says that a word is spelled a certain way or because the Chicago Manual of Style recommends that a sentence be punctuated in a certain way or because a publisher’s house style requires a certain…
The 3-Step Process for Developmental Edits The process for developmental edits is very straightforward and easy to follow. It includes these three basic steps: Step 1: First Read-Through The first step in the process for developmental edits is doing a first read-through. During the first read-through, I recommend just reading the ms for content. You…
What do you do if an author has a manuscript isn’t ready for development—where you can’t find the plot or the ms has other really significant problems? A developmental edit is for a manuscript that generally contains a clear plot, at least somewhat developed characters, in a setting that makes sense. You typically wouldn’t perform…
When I talk about the author’s work of addressing areas of concern, I call it revision to distinguish it from what an editor does, which is editing. Most people writing and speaking on the subject don’t distinguish between the two but since I write a lot about the interaction between the editorial process and the authorial process, I…
One of the lessons I’ve learned over many years of editing is that you have to let the manuscript teach you how to edit it. Every manuscript is different and every manuscript needs a different touch. Even when an author does something I’ve seen many times before, I have to edit for that particular manuscript,…