From the beginning I knew hiring a professional editor to clean up my messy manuscript was a necessity. However, I only knew of the copy edit and proofread, not the developmental edit. I learned quickly, the developmental edit took your book out of the awkward adolescent stage, into a slightly more polished young adult stage. Even though the author (aka me) kicked and screamed throughout the process. Let me describe mental toll that this edit took on me while publishing my first book.
The Edit Seals Holes IN The Plot
So, I thought I was done with my book and just needed a quick proofread and then call it a day. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening. My editor recommended a developmental edit and seeing as I had no experience publishing, I was in no position to protest. Once my editor finished the developmental edit, I saw all my plot-holes, inconsistencies with POVs, and even actions that were out of character for the casts. Just like that I had to rewrite several scenes, which was demoralizing. However, I stayed the course and did it. In the end, my book was better off for it and I don’t regret the developmental edit one bit.