The Secret Sauce - What a Great Editor Adds to Your Novel

But how do you know what kind of editor you need?

Your novel is your baby. You've spent months, maybe years, lovingly crafting every scene, every character. But there comes a point when your baby needs a little outside help to grow into the best book it can be. That's where a great editor comes in.

My love for developmental and content editing came through my own author journey, where I spent hours and hours at a time reading and editing for other authors. Through this, I learned so much about my own writing, and realised I had an eye for the overall development of a novel. People I had never worked with before were seeking me out for workshop help and advice and support, and I realised I was doing the job of a developmental editor.

Even after being published myself, I still offered up my help to other authors as I fell in love with helping shape a story into the best version it can be. The enthusiasm and excitement from fellow authors, and their appreciation for my help was and is addictive! So much so, that I've not been able to give it up. I often describe my role as similar to a midwife. I'm there to guide your story through the tricky process of transforming from a draft into a polished novel ready for readers. It's my job to take care of both you and your book every step of the way.

I'm often asked - what's the difference between all the editor roles and options?

In a nutshell, the types of editors and edits that I love and use are:

Developmental editing looks at the big picture elements - plot, pacing, characters, worldbuilding. It focuses on strengthening the overall story architecture and narrative arc. The developmental editor helps identify any major plot holes or structural issues early on.

While there is some overlap, the core emphasis differs. Content editing happens later, once the broader framework is in place. Developmental editing happens earlier, when the story is still taking shape.

The best combination is a developmental edit first to refine the narrative, followed by a content edit to polish the writing. They work hand-in-hand to transform a promising first draft into a compelling page-turner.

As a developmental editor who specializes in popular fiction genres like romance, dystopian, science fiction, time travel, fantasy and young adult, I've helped shape many stories from conception to publication. Here are just some of the ways I can help your novel reach its full potential:

Tightening Your Storyline

A great editor analyzes the overall plot and structure of your book. I'll make sure the pacing keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. If scenes drag or don't advance the story, I'll suggest cuts. For plot holes, I'll work with you to patch things up. My goal is to refine your story architecture so there's never a dull moment.

Developing Your Characters

The best stories have characters readers feel invested in. As your editor, I'll look at whether your characters are fully dimensional people with unique voices, motivations and arcs. If certain characters fall flat, I'll dig into ways to flesh them out. For main characters, I'll be sure their development aligns with the growth of your plot. Vibrant characters keep readers turning pages.

Strengthening Your World

In fiction, your world needs to feel just as real as our own. As an editor, I'll check that your world building is consistent and believable. Whether your book is set in modern day New York or on a distant planet, readers need to understand the rules and logic of your world. I'll make sure your descriptions paint a vivid picture for readers to get lost in.

Polishing Your Prose

Strong writing brings your story to life. As your editor, I'll look at your sentence structure, word choice, and dialogue tags. I'll catch typos, repetitive words, grammatical errors - anything that distracts from your storytelling. My edits will strengthen your writing without losing your unique author voice. The result is prose that pulls readers in and doesn't let go.

The best editors care as much about your book as you do. I'll be your steadfast partner, providing the expert guidance you need while respecting your authorial vision. My goal is always to help you bring your very best book to eager readers. Your story deserves nothing less.

Content editing is another are you might want to look at. Content editors focuses on strengthening your writing itself - tightening prose, fixing grammatical errors, refining sentence structure and word choice. It's a micro-level, line-by-line edit to polish and clarify the writing.

I often get content and Line editing confused but the subtle difference are Line editing is an in-depth edit looking at sentence-level issues like word choice, flow, and voice. Helps strengthen the prose.

Copy editing and proofreading come last, with copy editing being a detail-oriented edit focused on grammar, punctuation, consistency, and adhering to style guidelines. Basically as essential polish before publication. Finally finishing up with proofreading - A final check focused only on fixing typos, formatting errors, misspellings. The last quality control step. This is one that I need the most as I am dyslexic and need the support of someone who is great with grammar and spelling, and this is where I put most of my author budget to.

So yes, there are a lot of different editorial choices out there for you! If you are a self published author, you might find that not all these steps are in your budget to producing your book and your best work. You might find that you have strength in some areas that you are willing to work on yourself or with a swap with another author. But do make sure and have at least one type of vetted editor look over your work, someone you don't know personally can give the best honest feedback to make your work as good as it can be.

If you're looking for a developmental editor to help refine your precious manuscript, I'd love to be considered. My editing approach may be just the secret sauce your novel needs to go from promising draft to irresistible page-turner. Let's chat about how I can help your story shine!

brona@bronamills.com

https://www.bronamills.com/product-page/author-services