ZF Lang Editing

My philosophy is that a good developmental editor helps an author realize their vision for their manuscript while also addressing reader expectations to help it thrive in a competitive market. With that in mind, I analyze a story through three main lenses.

Mechanical: These are the traditional tent poles of developmental editing: plot, structure, voice, characterization, etc. I look at things like how a story is paced, if readers will become invested in its characters, if the voice is approachable, and how aspects like narrative and world building weave together. All the aspects that come together to make a smooth reading experience.

Genre: Readers have certain expectations depending on the genre and it’s important to understand how a story lives up to, falls short of, or subverts those expectations. This is especially important in a landscape dominated by cross-genre books. How do the romantic beats line up with the adventure in your romantasy? Is your sci-fi horror appropriately science-y and horrific?

Author’s Vision: It’s important to make sure a story is doing what the author wants it to do. This ranges from thematic resonance to whether a particular subversion really hits. For this, I try to find different ways of interpreting the story so the author can see how the individual decisions they’ve made come together and leave an impression on the reader.

What I Offer

A developmental edit involves a number of steps.

• We meet to discuss your story. This is our opportunity to connect around what you are trying to do, so I can offer feedback in line with your final vision. This meeting covers any markets you’re aiming for, thematic or narrative goals, and any other aspect you find particularly important.
• I read the story (multiple times), adding line notes to the manuscript and writing a comprehensive letter detailing the strengths and areas of improvement for the story.
• We meet a second time so we can review my feedback and answer any questions before I send my final write up. This meeting gives us the opportunity to work collaboratively toward your vision.

In the end, you will receive an analysis letter covering the strengths and weaknesses of the novel. This letter will address plot, structure, pacing, characterization, themes, style/voice, and genre expectations at a minimum. I will also send back your manuscript with comments highlighting particular moments that are weak, strong, or impactful to the story and recommend any changes to shore up weaknesses and capitalize on strengths.

On average I charge $0.02 per word or $20 per thousand words, but rates vary depending on the project.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or want to discuss your project.