You've completed your first revisions. Time to really polish your manuscript.
A developmental edit for nonfiction writing (aka Structural or Content edit) is a detailed analysis of the structure of your manuscript.
A developmental edit provides you with the same elements of a Manuscript Review, with the addition of an analysis of how your manuscript flows, what is missing, what is excess, and how to best organize your content for the most impact for the reader.
Your developmental edit will look at the following elements:
- Thematic cohesion
- "Plot" and argument flow
- Chapter and section placement
- Pacing
- Clarity of message
- Themes, take-aways, guiding question
- Scenic depiction with showing vs. telling
- Transitions
- Illustrative stories and dialog
- Reader engagement
- Marketability
