Overall literary and commercial potential with attention to any relevant points of craft. For fiction this includes plotting, structure, pacing, characterization, dialogue, writing style, mechanics, grammar, and punctuation. For nonfiction key considerations include content, organization, structure, clarity, flow, suitability for intended readership, writing style, mechanics, grammar, and punctuation.

Our policy for 45 years now has been to stand by a firm commitment to candor and always tell our authors the truth, even if that means discouraging more work with The Editorial Department. While it’s our job to consider your manuscript through the lens of its potential, we will always let you know (in as constructive […]

Developmental editing is typically focused on the content, premise, structure, and story of a manuscript rather than its wording. There is a good deal of editorial feedback given, but it is usually more conceptual in nature and focused on helping you first identify the best goals and priorities to maximize a work’s potential and then to […]