Hire a developmental editor for a manuscript
A developmental edit runs $330 to $450 up to 10,000 words, depending on genre, then 3.3 to 4.5 cents a word, so $2,310 on a 70,000-word novel. Delivery is 15 to 25 business days to 60,000 words, and you get an editorial letter of 8 to 20 pages plus chapter-level notes written into the manuscript itself.
- 8 to 20 page letter
- Notes in the manuscript
- $49 sample edit
Want the letter without the notes? An editorial assessment is $180 up to 10,000 words, then $0.018, so $1,260 on the same book, delivered in 10 to 15 business days.
What a developmental editor reads for, and what they leave alone
A developmental editor reads the whole manuscript once, straight through, the way a reader would, then goes back and works out why it did not land.
What the second read has to answer
- Are the chapters in the right order?
- Does the middle hold tension, or sag?
- Do characters act for reasons a reader can follow?
- In non-fiction, does every chapter earn its place?
- Does the opening promise a kind of book?
- Does the ending pay that promise off?
They leave your sentences alone
A clumsy paragraph gets flagged as a symptom rather than fixed. Fixing it is line editing, and paying for it at this stage is wasted money, because that paragraph may not survive the revision.
They do not write new material
An editor who drafts your missing chapter has become a co-author, which is a different contract at a different price.
What you get back
A diagnosis and a plan. The revision itself is still yours to do.
What is actually inside an 8 to 20 page editorial letter
Every editor promises an editorial letter, and almost nobody shows you one, which makes it hard to know whether you are buying twenty pages of substance or three paragraphs of encouragement. Here is the shape of ours.
- 1
It opens with what is working
A specific account of the book’s strengths, because those are the parts to protect while you rewrite around them. Authors who do not know what is working tend to sand it off in revision.
- 2
Then the diagnosis, ordered by cost
Usually three to six structural problems, ranked by how much of the book each touches. A protagonist with no clear want is one line to describe and eight weeks to fix, while a saggy chapter nine is a two-day fix.
- 3
Each problem gets a cause
“The pacing drops in the second act” is a note you could write yourself. What you pay for is the next paragraph: why it drops, which is usually a decision made three chapters earlier.
- 4
Then the revision plan
The fixes in the order they should happen, because structural changes cascade, and doing them out of order means doing several twice.
- 5
And a scope line at the end
What this manuscript still needs after you revise, and what it does not.
In the manuscript
Alongside the letter, a developmental edit puts notes into the manuscript itself, marking where in the pages each problem shows up. That is the part an editorial assessment leaves out, and it is the whole difference between the two.
What a developmental edit costs, and what moves the number
One rate per genre, the same at every length. Pick your genre and drag the slider. Every rate comes with the same NDA and the same right to reassignment.
$2,310
Fiction: $330 up to 10,000 words, then $0.033 a wordNonfiction: $450 up to 10,000 words, then $0.045 a wordMemoir: $400 up to 10,000 words, then $0.040 a word
The 8 to 20 page letter plus chapter-level notes in the manuscript.
15 to 25 business days to 60,000 words
$1,260
Every genre: $180 up to 10,000 words, then $0.018 a word
The same letter alone, with nothing written on the pages. Credited toward a developmental edit within 60 days.
10 to 15 business days to 60,000 words
| Manuscript | Fiction | Nonfiction | Memoir | Editorial assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60,000 words | $1,980 | $2,700 | $2,400 | $1,080 |
| 70,000 words | $2,310 | $3,150 | $2,800 | $1,260 |
| 90,000 words | $2,970 | $4,050 | $3,600 | $1,620 |
Where that sits in the market
Developmental editing runs roughly 3 to 8 cents a word across the market, depending on genre and on who does the work. Ours runs 3.3 to 4.5 cents by genre, toward the low end, inside the Editorial Freelancers Association published ranges.
Word count
The first thing that moves a quote, and it is linear here rather than tiered, so the per-word rate never changes with length.
Rush delivery
The second, and it carries a surcharge quoted on the call rather than applied quietly.
Timelines past 60,000 words
A developmental edit adds 4 to 6 business days per additional 20,000 words and an assessment adds 3 to 4, stated in the quote before you sign.
Check the EFA chart yourself rather than taking any editing company’s word for the market, ours included. Rate figures quoted online are often years out of date.
The AuthorWings Specialist Network
Editors and proofreaders.
Showing 11 professionals
EditorBlessing Oluebube OguwikeVetted EditorWriting, Editing
NigeriaEnglish (US)Results-oriented Editor, Author Support Specialist on Webnovel Platforms, Acquisitions Editor, Cleva U.S. Bank Ambassador, and Certified AI Specialist with over five years of experience supporting authors, improving manuscript quality, managing publishing operations, and promoting brands across leading digital publishing platforms. Demonstrated expertise in manuscript acquisition,…Manuscript assessmentDevelopmental editingLine editing+16 more5 years35 booksView profile →
EditorDawn M. BarclayVetted EditorSuspense, Romance
United StatesEnglish (US)Beyond editing, as of October, 2026, I’ve written seven novels, three nonfiction books, and edited nine crime fiction anthologies. My work has won the Agatha, Macavity, Chanticleer, Maxy, and Lowell Thomas Gold Awards, and I have been a finalist for the Anthony and Silver Falchion…Manuscript assessmentCopy editingQuery letter and synopsis review+8 more30 years20+ booksView profile →
EditorGinny RuthsVetted EditorMemoir, Narrative nonfictionUnited StatesEnglish (US)As a substantive, developmental, and line editor for 30+ years, I’ve collaborated with clients around the world in both fiction and nonfiction, from memoir and spirituality to fantasy and thriller to children’s picture books. Business clients include Paralyzed Veterans of America, Infinity Foundation, US Soccer,…Manuscript assessmentCopy editingQuery letter and synopsis review+15 more36 years30+ booksView profile →
EditorJenny BowmanVetted EditorMiddle Grade, Children's BooksUnited StatesEnglish (US and UK)Jenny Bowman is Children’s Book Editor with over fifteen years experience providing developmental editing and children’s book coaching for Picture Books, Chapter Books and Middle Grade Novels. She works with authors from around the world, and has edited books on the New York Times bestselling…Developmental editingQuery letter and synopsis reviewChildren's book coaching16 years100+ booksView profile →
EditorKerry AbermanVetted EditorFiction, NonfictionUnited StatesEnglish (US)I am a full-time book editor with nine years’ experience specializing in developmental and line edits. Books I’ve edited have won numerous awards and reached New York Times best seller status. I also offer professional proofreads, manuscript evaluations, and query and synopsis packages. When I…Manuscript assessmentDevelopmental editingLine editing+13 more9 years117 booksView profile →
EditorLorraine WhiteleyVetted EditorNon-fiction, Thesis
South AfricaAfrikaans, English (US and UK)As a lifelong avid reader with a sharp eye for detail, I am a certified Copyeditor and Proofreader dedicated to delivering flawless, high-quality content. I recently formalised my lifelong passion by earning my certification from SA Writers' College in April 2026. However, my editorial roots…Copy editingManuscript assessmentFact-checking+5 more15 years100 booksView profile →
EditorMark GardnerVetted EditorChristian Fiction/Fantasy, Science FictionUnited StatesEnglish (US and UK)I am an editor and proofreader with more than nine years of experience working with independent authors, small presses, and self-publishing professionals. I have edited 40 books and 200 academic papers. My projects have included fiction and nonfiction books, memoirs, self-help titles, business books, true…Line editingCopy editingProofreading+3 more9 years40 booksView profile →
EditorSue TothVetted EditorFiction, MemoirUnited StatesI am a developmental editor and book coach. My specialty is working with fiction authors in the genres of romance, mystery, thriller, psychological thriller, and suspense. When you work with me, we will look at the big picture of your book together. I'll help you…Manuscript assessmentDevelopmental editingBook coaching20 years500 booksView profile →
EditorTaylor MelendyVetted EditorFiction, FantasyUnited StatesEnglish (US)I’m an editor with 11 years of experience and have worked on 165 books for independent authors and hybrid publishers, including MindStir Media, Manhattan Book Group, and Seacoast Press. I edit fiction and fantasy, memoir, nonfiction, and children’s books, with a special interest in projects…Manuscript assessmentDevelopmental editingLine editing+2 more11 years165 booksView profile →
EditorTenesha L. CurtisVetted EditorFiction, Self-HelpUnited StatesEnglish (US)I have an academic and professional background in psychotherapy for addictive diseases, and currently work full-time as the publishing manager at Get Book Help. As an indie author myself, I have real-world, first-hand experience with exactly what my clients are experiencing—no theories, no hearsay, I…Manuscript assessmentQuery letter and synopsis reviewDevelopmental editing+25 more26 years300 booksView profile →
EditorVicky HaygoodVetted EditorScience Fiction, FantasyUnited StatesEnglish (US)I am a freelance editor and publishing professional with 7+ years of experience providing developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading, and book production support. I specialize in fiction and author services, with experience across romance, romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, horror, speculative fiction, LGBTQ+ fiction, literary/upmarket…Copy editingProofreadingDevelopmental editing+6 more7 years40 booksView profile →No one matches these filters.
Choosing your editor: Standard pricing assigns the best available editor for your genre. Named Specialists, including professionals with bestselling titles to their name, work to their own schedules, so their pricing and start dates are confirmed on your consultation call.
Editorial assessment or developmental edit, and how to tell which you need
Both start the same way: the same editor reads the whole manuscript and writes you the same 8 to 20 page letter. The difference is what happens to your pages afterward.
| Editorial assessment | Developmental edit | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | The letter only, nothing written on the pages | The letter plus chapter-level notes in the manuscript |
| Base | $180 up to 10,000 words, every genre | $330 to $450 up to 10,000 words, by genre |
| Per word beyond | $0.018 | $0.033 to $0.045 |
| 70,000-word manuscript | $1,260 | $2,310 fiction, $3,150 nonfiction, $2,800 memoir |
| Turnaround, to 60,000 words | 10 to 15 business days | 15 to 25 business days |
| Each additional 20,000 words | Plus 3 to 4 days | Plus 4 to 6 days |
| Best for | Writers who revise well from written instructions | Writers who need to see each problem on the page |
Take the assessment if you revise from written instructions
Some writers read “the second act loses tension because your protagonist stops wanting anything on page 90” and know exactly which scenes to open. For them the margin notes are a convenience, and $1,050 on a 70,000-word novel is a lot to pay for convenience.
Take the developmental edit if you need to see it on the page
Most first-time novelists do. Accepting in principle that a chapter is not earning its place is one thing, and finding the paragraph where the reader checked out is another. The notes turn a diagnosis into a list of specific edits.
Start small, lose nothing
If you buy the assessment and decide within 60 days that you want the notes too, the full assessment fee comes off the developmental price. There is no penalty for starting with the smaller service, which is the honest order to try them in.
Three authors who should skip a developmental edit
Most pages on this subject tell you to get one. Here are the cases where it is the wrong purchase, and what to buy instead.
The author who will not do the revision
The letter is a work order. Acting on it takes most authors two to four months of unpaid work, and it is harder than the first draft. If you cannot find that time in the next six months, the money buys a document you will not use.
Buy instead
Book coaching, because the missing piece is accountability rather than diagnosis.
The author who only needs the letter
If you can revise from written feedback without the problems marked in the pages, the assessment is the same read and the same letter. It is the most common overspend we see: people buy the deeper level, then work only from the letter.
Buy instead
The editorial assessment, $1,260 instead of $2,310 on a 70,000-word novel.
The author whose budget stops here
A developmental edit does not replace copy editing or proofreading, and a structurally sound book full of typos still collects the reviews that sink a launch. If $2,310 is the whole editing budget, it leaves nothing for the two levels every book needs.
Buy instead
An assessment plus copy editing and a proofread, $4,060 together on a 70,000-word novel, which produces a finishable book.
Two ways to spend an editing budget on a 70,000-word novel
Before you pay
The $49 sample edit exists to settle this. Send 1,000 words, and the note that comes back says which of these three you are, including when your draft does not need this at all. The $49 comes off your edit if you book within 60 days.
The two to four months that follow the letter
The letter arrives, and the project has started rather than finished.
About 5 to 8 months from sending a 60,000-word manuscript to a file you can publish, plus your review time between rounds.
Give it a week
A good editorial letter says that decisions you made deliberately are not working, and the first read lands as an argument. The second read, a few days later, is the useful one.
Budget real time
Two to four months is the honest range for a structural rewrite, and it is harder than drafting, because you are cutting scenes you like. Authors who allow four weekends are the ones who stall.
Work in the letter’s order
Structural fixes cascade, and repairing chapter nine before you settle what your protagonist wants means repairing chapter nine twice.
Then go down a level
After the rewrite, the manuscript goes to line and copy editing. A second developmental pass is occasionally worth it on a heavily rebuilt book, and we will tell you if yours is one.
A 30,000-word novella runs materially shorter and an 80,000-word novel longer, because every stage scales with length. A timeline far shorter than this usually skips a level or assumes you will not revise.
From sample edit to letter
Five steps, and the first one settles which service you need before any money moves.
- I
Send 1,000 words and your word count
Any chapter. We edit the sample for $49 and return it with tracked changes and a note saying which service your draft needs, which sometimes means less than you asked for. The $49 comes off your edit if you book within 60 days.
- II
Approve the scope and the date
The quote states the fee, the delivery date, and the editor taking it. Flexible, milestone-based payments, set out in your agreement before work starts, and an NDA is available before you send anything.
- III
Two full reads before any note
The first pass is straight through at reading speed, to find where the book loses a reader. The second is the working pass, because a note made on page 40 is usually about a decision on page 12.
- IV
The letter arrives, with notes on a developmental edit
10 to 15 business days for an assessment and 15 to 25 for a developmental edit, from the signed contract, to 60,000 words.
- V
Then a call, if you want one
Half an hour with the editor to work through the letter before you rewrite. Most authors take it after the second read.
What authors ask before hiring a developmental editor
Straight answers on cost, timing, and what a developmental edit covers.
What is a developmental editor?
A developmental editor works on a book’s structure rather than its sentences. They read a complete manuscript and assess whether the chapters are in the right order, whether the pacing holds, whether characters act on motivations a reader can follow, and in non-fiction whether each chapter earns its place. It is the first and deepest of the four editing levels. The deliverable is an 8 to 20 page editorial letter plus chapter-level notes in the manuscript.
What does a developmental editor do that a copy editor does not?
A copy editor works on correctness: grammar, punctuation, consistency, and style. A developmental editor works on whether the book functions at all. Given a broken chapter, a copy editor makes it grammatically clean, while a developmental editor tells you it should be cut and explains what to build in its place. Copy editing a manuscript with structural problems produces a polished draft that still does not work. For all four levels side by side, see what a book editor does.
How much does a developmental editor cost?
Developmental editing runs roughly 3 to 8 cents a word across the market. At AuthorWings it is priced by genre: $330 up to 10,000 words, then $0.033 a word for fiction, $450 then $0.045 for nonfiction, and $400 then $0.040 for memoir. That is $2,310 on a 70,000-word novel and $3,150 on a 70,000-word nonfiction book. An editorial assessment, the same read and letter without the in-manuscript notes, is $180 up to 10,000 words then $0.018, so $1,260 on 70,000 words. Every rate sits inside the Editorial Freelancers Association published ranges.
How long does a developmental edit take?
15 to 25 business days from the signed contract, to 60,000 words, and an editorial assessment takes 10 to 15. Past 60,000 words, a developmental edit adds 4 to 6 business days per additional 20,000 words and an assessment adds 3 to 4. Your delivery date is in the quote before you pay. Revising from the letter then takes most authors two to four months on a full-length manuscript.
Do I need a developmental edit if I already have beta readers?
They answer different questions. Beta readers tell you where a book lost them, which is useful and inexpensive. A developmental editor tells you why, and what to change. Five readers saying the middle dragged is a symptom, and a diagnosis naming the decision three chapters earlier that caused it is the fix. Beta reads first, then an editor, is a sensible order. Our guide to beta readers covers how to run one.
Is developmental editing the same as book coaching?
No, and the difference is timing. Book coaching runs while you are writing, with sessions, accountability, and feedback on chapters as they arrive. Developmental editing happens once, on a finished draft, and delivers a document rather than an ongoing relationship. Authors without a finished manuscript usually need coaching, and authors holding a complete draft that is not working usually need an editor.
Can a developmental editor work on an unfinished manuscript?
Generally not. The point is assessing structure, pacing, and through-line, and none of those can be judged from a partial draft. The exception is a substantial partial with a settled ending, which we scope case by case. If you want help while the writing is still happening, coaching is the right service.
Do I still need copy editing after a developmental edit?
Yes. Developmental editing does not touch grammar, punctuation, spelling, or consistency, and the revision it triggers introduces new errors. Every book needs copy editing and a proofread before publication. On a 70,000-word novel those two come to $2,800 together, so budget for them, or buy the assessment and leave room for the levels that follow.
What is the difference between a freelance developmental editor and an agency?
A solo freelancer is often cheaper, and you know exactly who is reading your book. What you usually do not get is a signed NDA, a project manager, a replacement if the editor becomes unavailable, or written recourse if the relationship fails. An agency prices those in. Either way, ask what happens if the working relationship fails, and whether the answer is written down.
Where can I hire a developmental editor?
Editorial marketplaces, the Editorial Freelancers Association member directory, referrals from other authors in your genre, and publishing services companies. Ask any of them for a sample edit before you pay. A thousand words edited at the level you are considering tells you more about fit than a portfolio, and any confident editor will do it.
Find out which level your draft needs
Send 1,000 words from any chapter. We edit them for $49, credited to your edit within 60 days, and tell you which of three things is true: your manuscript needs the full developmental edit, the letter alone will do, or the structure is sound and your money belongs further down the chain.
Your $49 sample edit1,000 words
- Full editYour manuscript needs the developmental edit
- Letter onlyThe editorial assessment will do
- Sound structureYour money belongs further down the chain
The cost calculator prices any level for your word count.
A mutual NDA is available before the call on request, you keep 100% of your rights, and nothing is signed until you decide.
