Services

Developmental Editing

Editing gives me the same feeling archaeologists must have when they brush away sand to uncover the beautiful forms hidden beneath. It’s a process of discovery, refining, and polishing, and I love it.

One of my favorite editing activities is helping other writers by doing a developmental edit of their books. In fiction, I’m especially passionate about story structure, great dialogue, and story-driven characters. In non-fiction, I focus on helping writers engage readers through concise beautiful writing, well-organized content, and story-telling elements.

Thanks to my own book-writing journey, I have on-the-ground knowledge of what kind of feedback is most helpful, practical, and constructive for writers.

The first time I had a developmental edit on my work was eye-opening in the extreme, but it made a huge difference in my novel’s quality and the quality of the writing I’ve done since. My one wish was that I’d done it way sooner.

What’s Included:
I will read your book, adding inline comments to your document and write a detailed editor letter when finished.

My inline comments:
* Include my reactions as a reader to your book as I go through it
* Identify what you do well
* Make suggestions for improvements to clarity
* Offer examples of how to tighten your prose
* Comment on the story, plot, flow, POV, pacing, tone, inconsistencies, characters, clichés, etc.
* Catch grammar mistakes/light proofreading

My editor letter may include:
* Story structure recommendations
* Pointing out plot holes and inconsistencies
* Suggestions to improve the readability, tone, POV, and pacing.
* Suggestions to improve clarity, impact, and flow of prose
* Identification of character inconsistencies, on-the-nose dialogue, etc.
* Suggestions to correct clichés and other issues
* Advice, support, links, resources, & recommendations

I charge $0.0125 per word. Payment must be made in advance. Turnaround time is typically two to six weeks depending on my availability and the length of your manuscript.

Reviews from my Fiverr Pro customers:
Yvonne is the consummate professional. Her technical writing skills and understanding of what makes the perfect story are amazing. She promised a lot and over-delivered, ahead of schedule. Her developmental report and inline edits were incredibly useful. I’m most grateful for the constructive feedback and suggestions. Thank you! -Christopher

Top shelf work from a top shelf editor on this platform. I couldn’t be happier about Yvonne’s superb suggested edits on a line level, and her developmental suggestions on a macro level. She’s clearly a wizard at the craft of dramatic storytelling. Highly recommended! -Charles

Yvonne’s attention to detail and her insightful feedback were invaluable. She not only provided detailed notes for each story but also offered suggestions that were both practical and enhancing. Her ability to understand and appreciate the essence of my writing while guiding me on how to refine it was impressive. As an advertising writer used to quick story resolutions, her advice on pacing and not overexplaining was particularly enlightening. I’m thrilled to have had her expertise and am excited to credit her as one of the editors in my book. Highly recommend Yvonne for anyone looking for a thoughtful and skilled editor who genuinely cares about your work! -Anibal

I can’t say enough about Yvonne! I could not have completed my memoir without her heart, her inspiration, and her encouragement to keep pushing through my emotions to make my story stronger each time. In my final task to complete and publish my memoir, I asked Yvonne to write my book blurb for Amazon and her words brought me to tears! Yvonne, thank you from the bottom of my heart for pouring into my story and treating it as if it were your own. -Crystal