Once the province of editors at publishing houses, which have cut staff and curtailed services, the function of a developmental editor is now often relegated to freelance editors who deal with the manuscript from concept to completion. A developmental editor looks first at the big picture — concept, thesis, structure, narrative arc, character development, style, voice, language, point of view, and organization — and then carries out a line-by-line analysis (or substantive editing), suggesting revisions and posing specific queries on sections, paragraphs, and sentences.
Deborah A. Lott, MFA
Writing, editing: psychology, psychiatry, public health, social science, medicine, particularly gastroenterology, internal medicine, and cardiology, memoir, autobiography and nonfiction narratives; research.
Read moreLaura Golden Bellotti
Editor and writer of nonfiction books and book proposals in the areas of psychology, spirituality, relationships, women's issues, parenting, health, and creativity.
Read moreLori Kozlowski
Writer, journalist, editor, and digital media leader, Lori Kozlowski has edited dozens of writers and worked with several companies on content and digital strategy. Services: Novel and nonfiction manuscript editing, content strategy and development, web editing, and ghostwriting.
Read moreBarbara DeSantis
Editor, writer, coach. Literary and commercial fiction, including young adult. Memoir and narrative nonfiction, self-help, spirituality. Developmental and line editing, ghostwriting. Manuscript critiques, book proposals, marketing materials. More than 25 years book-publishing experience.
Read moreAmy Friedman
Amy Friedman has written, ghostwritten, and edited dozens of memoirs and creative nonfiction works. She has published thousands of essays and stories and writes the internationally syndicated newspaper feature Tell Me a Story.
Read moreJenna Rose Robbins
Ghostwriter, editor, and web consultant with experience producing in-house editorial for such companies as AOL and Disney. Specialties include: memoir, music, travel/cultures, social consciousness.
Read moreNomi Isak
Writer, coach, and developmental editor, Nomi specializes in collaboration and ghostwriting, as well as guiding authors through the process of writing their own books. She also coaches clients experiencing writer's block and helps authors create and meet deadlines.
Read moreMonica Faulkner
Editorial, project management, online marketing, and speaker support services for fiction and nonfiction authors; proposals; screenplays; business marketing materials (written and online).
Read moreMerrill Feitell
Award-winning author of literary fiction with extensive branding and advertising background and a decade of teaching creative writing at graduate and undergraduate levels, Merrill has helped hundreds of writers develop material and prime manuscripts for publication.
Read moreKarin Gutman
Memoir and story coach who has been guiding writers for over 20 years towards discovering and writing their personal, life-based stories.
Read moreSuzanne Mantell
Editing and writing, books and articles. Narrative nonfiction. Memoir. Pop culture. High culture. Arts journalism. Profiles. Animals and people. Psychology. Literary fiction.
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