Here’s a common predicament: Your client hasn’t been through any kind of developmental editing before hiring you to copy-edit their book. You start editing, but partway through you realise there are … issues.
Big issues. With the story itself. Or the way it’s written.
Things that you can’t help address with the copy-edit you’ve been commissioned to do. Things that require some substantial rewriting …
What should you do?
There’s no single right answer, but you have options.
What you can do…
OPTION 1: Only provide the service for which you’ve been hired.
You could decide that it’s the client’s responsibility to figure out what service they need. Perhaps the big-picture issues you’ve spotted aren’t a concern to the author, and they just want their sentences polished up. That’s up to them.
Giving an author developmental feedback they haven’t asked for is the same as giving someone unsolicited advice (which can leave people feeling feeling irritated, shamed or judged), but with the added complication of money being involved.
It might be best for everyone if you just stick to the task you’re being paid for, keeping in mind that you are still helping the author improve their book.
OPTION 2: Let the author know about easily fixable developmental issues.
If the first option doesn’t sit quite right with you and you can see some simple ways the author can improve their book, you might decide to provide a few pointers in a short editorial letter when you hand back the copy-editing manuscript.
Make sure that whatever you suggest doesn’t require substantial rewriting, otherwise your copy-edits will go to waste.
But check beforehand that the author is open to this kind of feedback. A simple email saying something like, ‘I’ve spotted a few ways you could improve the story/your writing technique beyond the scope of this copy-edit. It would require you to invest a bit more work on the draft. Would you like me to send you these pointers alongside my edit?’
Importantly, don’t spend so much time on these things that you damage your hourly rate.
OPTION 3: Ask if the author would be willing to hire you (or someone else) to help them address the developmental issues you’ve spotted.
The earlier in the edit you can do this, the better – as inevitably some of the writing you’ve edited will end up being rewritten or deleted.
A client’s budget and publishing timeline might not stretch to this, but you can give authors the option. Authors also might not be happy to hear their book needs more work, so see if the they’re open to critical feedback like this before you suggest it.
This might seem like the most ethical option, but it can leave you in a difficult position where you end up with a cancelled project or a project that is put on pause, leaving you with a hole in your schedule (and out of pocket). Because of this, my preferred solution is to try to pre-empt any developmental issues in a manuscript, rather than get to this point.
How to pre-empt developmental issues before you take on a copy-edit
It will be better for both you and your client if you’re able to make sure the manuscript is ready for a copy-edit before you take it on. Here’s how you might do that.
OPTION 1: Add some questions into your initial conversations.
Before you agree to take on a copy-editing project, ask the author if they’ve had any kind of big-picture feedback on their manuscript – whether that’s from a professional or beta readers.
If they haven’t, ask if they are sure they are completely happy with the story and their writing techniques, explaining that copy-editing should only happen once this is the case.
If the author is sure they want to go ahead with the copy-edit but you still end up spotting developmental issues as you work, choose one of the options laid out in the first half of this post, safe in the knowledge you’ve done some due diligence and the responsibility sits with the author, not you.
OPTION 2: Ask to see a synopsis and a sample of the manuscript.
Again, before you take on a manuscript to copy-edit, ask the above questions AND ask to see a synopsis of the story and a sample. Take 10-15 minutes to analyse this – any more, and you end up wasting too much time and energy on authors who don’t convert to paying clients.
Can you see a compelling premise in the synopsis, with a beginning that seems like the right place for the story to start, rising complications in the middle, and a satisfying ending that makes sense? Skim the sample. Can you see any issues with point of view, scene structure or ‘show vs tell’?
You don’t need to be an expert in all the things that a developmental editor looks for, but if you’re able to see whether these particular aspects are working, this will give you a good indication of whether the story or writing technique needs further work.
If you think there are issues, let the author know that you recommend developmental editing before copy-editing and point them in the direction of a trusted colleague, asking them to come back to you for copy-editing when they’re ready.
OPTION 3: Require a paid assessment before a copy-edit.
Some editors don’t take on any kind of editing work until their clients have gone through a paid assessment of their manuscript. This involves a complete read-through (a quick skim) of the book and a short report that outlines the main issues and the recommended service(s).
This assessment isn’t as in-depth as a manuscript critique (a type of developmental edit), and doesn’t cost as much. It’s generally not supposed to help the author completely redraft their book. Instead, it helps the author make the best decisions on their path through the editing process.
So there you have it. Those are your options.
Think about how you want to work, and what feels right for you and your business.
Having a plan for how you’re going to deal with those instances where you’re conducting a copy-edit and realise there are developmental issues in the manuscript will help you save time and worry.
Lastly, keep in mind that your role is to help authors improve their books, not make them perfect.
Ultimately, the client is responsible for commissioning the right kind of service – though you can help them make this decision (if they want help) by doing some pre-project exploration.
Want to learn more? Take a look at this fiction copy-editing course or this developmental editing course.
