Developmental editing takes many forms. If you\u2019re still in the planning stage, for example, you and your editor might be going back and forth on plot lines and character arcs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But if you delivered a completed manuscript to your editor, odds are that you\u2019ve received feedback in two different forms: comments in the margin of the manuscript<\/span><\/strong> and an editorial letter<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n These two methods of feedback are both important.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Comments in the margin: <\/span><\/strong>When I (the editor) read your book, I want to capture my thoughts as I go, so I write questions and suggestions in the margin. These are valuable primarily for smaller issues or to remind myself of larger issues I want to address. It also puts the feedback right where you need to see it while you\u2019re revising.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Editorial letter:<\/span> <\/strong>However, some things are communicated more effectively in a letter. These include, but are not limited to, the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\r\n Some people get overwhelmed with editorial feedback and have a hard time figuring out where to start. Here is how I would do it, but you can certainly do whatever works for you (for simplicity, I\u2019ve worded this as though I\u2019m your editor\u2014which I hope is true!):<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 1. Read through the letter<\/span><\/strong>. Any time you have an opinion, thought, question or idea related to something I suggested, leave a comment in the margin<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n 2. Read through the manuscript comments<\/span><\/strong>. When you want to respond to one of my comments, click the \u201creply\u201d button<\/strong> at the bottom of the comment box. That way, your replies are right there with the original comment.<\/p>\r\n 3. Walk away from it for a day or two to let everything percolate.<\/p>\r\n 4. Skim through everything again and see if anything new comes to mind.<\/p>\r\n 5. List any questions you have and send them to me with the documents that now include your comments\/replies. That way, I can answer your questions and give you additional feedback on your ideas. We can also have a live chat if you think that would be helpful.<\/p>\r\n 6. If you need help starting with the revisions, I can help you make a revision calendar and keep you accountable for meeting revision deadlines. I can also provide you with some writing prompts to get you started on the most important new material.<\/p>\r\n\r\n If you have more questions about working with editorial feedback, please leave a comment below! If you need help working with tracked changes (for line editing, copyediting, or proofreading), then check out my Intro to Tracked Changes<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\r\n