Developmental Editing
and bookwife services
Writing can feel like this:
Developmental editing puts a net under you.
Dr. Hanne Blank Boyd, author of nearly a dozen books from publishers including Bloomsbury, Beacon Press, and Seal Press, works with nonfiction writers of all types. Working with scholarly and academic writing, memoir, creative nonfiction, travel, science/medicine, how-to, essay, cultural criticism, history, and other nonfiction genres, her specialty is helping writers say what they want to say in ways that readers find fascinating and exciting.
Whether you are in the initial stages of project development, need guidance and structure in the drafting process, or have a manuscript you want to make sharper and richer, developmental editing services will make you a better, more structured, and more effective writer.
Developmental editing services are billed based on the wordcount of the material to be edited, and include the following:
A 60-minute phone or video meeting in which we discuss your project, your priorities, and your needs
A thorough reading (usually 2-3 readings) of your project draft in which I take detailed notes about what I’m seeing in your work, note questions that arise, identify structural and other systemic concerns, and assess the strengths/weaknesses of the project at both project level and subunit (chapter, essay, etc.) level
An editorial letter grounded in my reading and notes in which I detail what I’ve observed, offer suggestions about possible directions for further work, and advise in relation to specific needs as established in our initial meeting
A 60-minute followup phone or video meeting in which we walk through the editorial letter and discuss the project and ways that the writer might want to move the project forward, answering any questions that arise and clarifying any points of concern
Note that developmental editing services do not include rewriting, line editing, proofreading, reference checking, or factchecking.
Bookwife Services
For new writers and new projects, I offer what I call “bookwife” services. Bookwife service provides wraparound support from project inception to first manuscript draft.
The first phase of bookwife services consists of three hour-long meetings and associated writing assignments that form the basis of a dialogue about the project’s parameters, needs, and purposes that the writer uses to order to shape a provisional structure and plan for the project.
At the conclusion of this phase, a writer will have developed the following: ,
A realistic scope, three-paragraph overview, and (provisional) infrastructure for the book
A shortlist of necessary contextualization work for their project, including research needs
A drafting timeline
An accountability plan for the drafting timeline
The second phase of the bookwife process consists of biweekly accountability check-ins for 6 months of the drafting process. This typically lets a writer get a substantial amount of a first draft written, and sometimes a complete first draft.
The third phase of the bookwife process is consultative developmental editing is intended to be an ongoing process in which the editor and client continue to work together as the client develops the work. Writers who choose the Bookwife package pricing receive 3 one-hour meetings scheduled based on the client’s needs for support.can be open-ended.
Please note that I typically don't begin to provide editorial feedback on drafts until the writer has assembled 80-100 pages of manuscript. This allows time for the writer’s voice and vision to develop organically as part of the writing process.
Consultative developmental editing beyond that included in the Bookwife package can be booked at an hourly rate.
A shortened version of the bookwife package, including only Phase I and Phase II, is also available.
Other services available upon request:
book proposal mentorship
research consultation
You’re already a writer. Book a 20 minute free consultation and let’s talk about how developmental editing can make you a smarter, more compelling one.
Check out my new series, Get Your Facts Straight: Research Skills for Writers.
An 18-part skill-building series full of examples, links, and step-by-step tutorials, it’s an indispensable guide for all writers (including academics), geared especially for those writing nonfiction.