There’s a lot of talk online that indie authors don’t need a developmental edit and traditional authors only waste money with it. And while it is true that this kind of editing can get expensive, working with a developmental editor will give you the most in-depth insight into your narrative from an unbiased party with industry knowledge.
But are the rumors true? Can you get by without a developmental edit? For some authors, the answer is yes! There are other great resources that can support you as you edit, but there is also a lot knowledge and work you’ll need to do on your own.
You’ll Need Some Great Beta Readers
In order to bypass a developmental editor, you’re going to need a great and diverse beta reading team with an understanding of your target readers. This means more than your family and friends. You’ll want to reach out to highly-motivated readers of your genre and writers with great work you know and love. Lack of follow-through can be common for beta readers who know you well, so having a step removed from loved ones can help you see results. You may also want to consider adding on a professional beta reader to your team to boost anonymity as well.
Bonus Tip: Giving prospectives a beta reading questionnaire can help turn a beta reader from good to great. It gives them focus to their feedback, and you’re more likely hear what you need to make meaningful changes.
You’ll Have to Translate Opinions to Edits
The hardest part of going without a developmental editor is taking the feedback you’ve received and being able to translate that into meaningful edits. You’ll need a thick skin to keep from feeling unmotivated by an untrained review team who may come off as harsh, but it can also be tricky not to discount their opinions. What’s they hardest, however, is diagnosing the narrative. In order for your edits to treat the manuscript and make it whole, you have to evaluate the symptoms given by your readers. If everyone got bored in the same chapter, is the culprit the chapter or something earlier in your story?
You’ll Need a Keen Understanding of Story Structure
One thing every developmental editor does is apply the largest plot points of your novel to the essential story structure checkpoints. It’s likely you’ve read a story where these feel off. Things seem to happen top quickly or drag on too long. You find yourself getting bored or confused why there are another hundred pages left. The checkpoints are based on instinct, but preparing a book for the market takes more than just feelings. Knowing not only where your story doesn’t stack up but also how to fill it, complete character arcs, or add a subplot is the difference between the recipe for a bestseller and a book readers don’t bother to review.
You’ll Have to Build a Big-Picture Vision and a Detailed Plan
The good news is that once you have a first draft, it’s likely that you also have a big picture of what you want for your story and how you want your readers to feel. But do you have a detailed plan of attack to edit that story into submission? Unfortunately, there is no such thing as pantsing your way through edits, and trying to do so may have you running in circles, wasting time as you change and revert scenes again and again. After a developmental editor has checked your story structure and your character arcs, they will compare them to find gaps and pinches that need to be adjusted and create a master list of edits for your story.
You Might Want to Consider Another Kind of Help
If you determine a developmental edit is outside your budget, that doesn’t mean that you can’t seek other help. A book coach is a great way to get professional advice when you’re stuck or need an unbiased perspective on how to handle your narrative. A session with a coach is often less expensive than a beta read, and you have the ability to use them as much or as little as you need while targeting the most sensitive portions of your story.
So no, you don’t need to work with an indie editor to develop your novel if it’s not right for you. There are lower-cost options that can still give you good insight like a beta reader or book coach, but with these services you’ll still be fully responsible for analysis and planning your edits on your own. If this list has seemed daunting or you get lost along the way, it’s always a good idea to keep a developmental editor in your back pocket.
Comments