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Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers
The only guide dedicated solely to developmental editing, now revised and updated with new exercises and a chapter on fiction.
Developmental editing—transforming a manuscript into a book that edifies, inspires, and sells—is a special skill, and Scott Norton is one of the best at it. With more than three decades of experience in the field, Norton offers his expert advice on how to approach the task of diagnosing and fixing structural problems with book manuscripts in consultation with authors and publishers. He illustrates these principles through a series of detailed case studies featuring before-and-after tables of contents, samples of edited text, and other materials to make an otherwise invisible process tangible.
This revised edition for the first time includes exercises that allow readers to edit sample materials and compare their work with that of an experienced professional as well as a new chapter on the unique challenges of editing fiction. In addition, it features expanded coverage of freelance business arrangements, self-published authors, e-books, content marketing, and more.
Whether you are an aspiring or experienced developmental editor or an author who works alongside one, you will benefit from Norton’s accessible, collaborative, and realistic approach and guidance. This handbook offers the concrete and essential tools it takes to help books to find their voice and their audience.
Developmental editing—transforming a manuscript into a book that edifies, inspires, and sells—is a special skill, and Scott Norton is one of the best at it. With more than three decades of experience in the field, Norton offers his expert advice on how to approach the task of diagnosing and fixing structural problems with book manuscripts in consultation with authors and publishers. He illustrates these principles through a series of detailed case studies featuring before-and-after tables of contents, samples of edited text, and other materials to make an otherwise invisible process tangible.
This revised edition for the first time includes exercises that allow readers to edit sample materials and compare their work with that of an experienced professional as well as a new chapter on the unique challenges of editing fiction. In addition, it features expanded coverage of freelance business arrangements, self-published authors, e-books, content marketing, and more.
Whether you are an aspiring or experienced developmental editor or an author who works alongside one, you will benefit from Norton’s accessible, collaborative, and realistic approach and guidance. This handbook offers the concrete and essential tools it takes to help books to find their voice and their audience.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 10, 2018
My low rating has nothing to do with the usefulness of this book as a technical manual. So far, it's proved helpful enough. However, the hypothetical authors, editors, and manuscripts are wildly offensive. I was especially floored at the racist and sexist foundations and trans-erasing/transphobic content of the sample manuscript in chapter two. The developmental editor character even used a slur to refer to trans people in her notes. Is it too much to ask of a standard text for the field, written in the 21st century by the directing editor of The University of California Press and published by The University of Chicago Press, not to include content that actively signals to entire demographics of aspiring developmental editors that they're unwelcome in the field?
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March 4, 2021I am not going to rate this book just due to the fact that there are many different aspects that have two very opposing ratings. If I were to rate it, the prose and advice sections were wonderfully written, and incredibly helpful. Chapter 10 dragged a bit and should have been placed earlier in the sequence, but other than that I really enjoyed the process of reading it.
However, I agree with another reviewer that there is some highly questionable and problematic aspects to this book. Being published in 2009 does not excuse it, but it does explain it. I would very much appreciate an updated version with a revision made to the case study sections. The stories themselves were good, but the writing itself featured unnecessary and harmful descriptions and phrases.
However, I agree with another reviewer that there is some highly questionable and problematic aspects to this book. Being published in 2009 does not excuse it, but it does explain it. I would very much appreciate an updated version with a revision made to the case study sections. The stories themselves were good, but the writing itself featured unnecessary and harmful descriptions and phrases.
October 21, 2021
Hugely problematic and insensitive case studies, this book needed a sensitivity reader at the developmental stage... if only an editor had picked up on it...
Given that the examples are also fictitious or 'bogus' to use the author's own word, why why why....
Given that the examples are also fictitious or 'bogus' to use the author's own word, why why why....
April 4, 2012
One reason I love my job is that I get to read books like this one when there's nothing to proofread :)
April 19, 2010
Finally, a method for my madness! It is enormously interesting to read of someone else's editing process -- especially someone with so much experience -- and see how it matches and where it diverges from one's own. This book offers me a more complete and precise vocabulary for what I have done intuitively. I’ve learned a lot from it. This book is great for anyone who has ever been asked -- or wondered -- what the difference is between copyediting and substantive / developmental editing, as well as for practicing editors.
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January 13, 20242024 reads, #3. DID NOT FINISH. I picked this up as part of my eternal efforts to become a better book editor, the thing I do for a living, and I imagine this particular book has a lot to teach if you can actually stick with it. But with it being exclusively about how to developmentally edit academic nonfiction, a type of book I don't take on very often as a freelancer for self-publishing authors; and with it being the exact kind of extremely dry, extremely tedious writing on the subject you would expect from a fellow academe; and with the whole thing being laid out in teeny-tiny little 8 point type, I ended up giving up on this quite quickly. Your results may vary, though, so by all means pick it up if this description of it sounds interesting.
January 26, 2023
2.5/5
March 6, 2013
While this book makes some helpful points about developmental editing practices, it’s rather poorly copy-edited and misses the mark in tone and scope.
Throughout each chapter, the writing switches abruptly from Norton’s advice to strangely written “case studies” of fictional developmental editors that seem straight out of a children’s textbook. The overall tone seems to miss the mark, as Norton uses clunky abbreviations and a third-person voice even though the book would be much clearer and more personal if it would just assume it’s addressing actual and prospective developmental editors and write to them directly. While this book could offer an engaging, candid account of Norton’s professional experiences, it’s instead strangely detached and passive, sometimes clumsily dropping a few tangential traces of individuality but completely avoiding relevant anecdotes. Why would Norton spend so much time composing the strange “case studies” of fictional editors rather than just frankly sharing his own experiences? That would certainly have been more helpful. Instead he comes off as dispassionate and aloof.
Moreover, despite occasionally alluding to the importance of compassionate, polite exchanges with publishers and authors, Norton’s example queries are quite blunt, and I got the impression that he’s rather contemptuous of other editorial roles. He often insinuates that copy editors, proofreaders, and typesetters are less skilled and less important than developmental editors. This is particularly off-putting given the overall shortcomings of the book that could have been remedied through better copy editing.
Norton’s guide unfortunately focuses too much on the overall layout of the book and too little on the actual details of refining the writing. Though it does make some helpful points about considerations and approaches for developmental editing and is easy to navigate, it isn’t at all inspiring. Its premise is good, and the book has few competitors, but it’s still poorly executed.
Throughout each chapter, the writing switches abruptly from Norton’s advice to strangely written “case studies” of fictional developmental editors that seem straight out of a children’s textbook. The overall tone seems to miss the mark, as Norton uses clunky abbreviations and a third-person voice even though the book would be much clearer and more personal if it would just assume it’s addressing actual and prospective developmental editors and write to them directly. While this book could offer an engaging, candid account of Norton’s professional experiences, it’s instead strangely detached and passive, sometimes clumsily dropping a few tangential traces of individuality but completely avoiding relevant anecdotes. Why would Norton spend so much time composing the strange “case studies” of fictional editors rather than just frankly sharing his own experiences? That would certainly have been more helpful. Instead he comes off as dispassionate and aloof.
Moreover, despite occasionally alluding to the importance of compassionate, polite exchanges with publishers and authors, Norton’s example queries are quite blunt, and I got the impression that he’s rather contemptuous of other editorial roles. He often insinuates that copy editors, proofreaders, and typesetters are less skilled and less important than developmental editors. This is particularly off-putting given the overall shortcomings of the book that could have been remedied through better copy editing.
Norton’s guide unfortunately focuses too much on the overall layout of the book and too little on the actual details of refining the writing. Though it does make some helpful points about considerations and approaches for developmental editing and is easy to navigate, it isn’t at all inspiring. Its premise is good, and the book has few competitors, but it’s still poorly executed.
March 5, 2014
This book is pretty terrific as in introduction to anyone interested in becoming a developmental editor or adding developmental editing to their portfolio of editorial services, or as a refresher to someone who offers developmental editing as a service (that's what I do, so this review is written from that perspective).
The book uses a case-study approach, which I think is effective in offering important perspective on applying what you're learning from the author. In my opinion, the case studies are realistic and present the typical sorts of circumstances and challenges that developmental editors routinely encounter. However, the case studies make up half or more of the content of the book, so don't be surprised that the entire text isn't pure instruction. All the text is valuable from an educational perspective, and the didactic part of "learn this" and "pay attention to that" is excellent, but about half the content is experiential learning. And, frankly, it's much cheaper to learn that from this book than from underpricing an editing project.
The book uses a case-study approach, which I think is effective in offering important perspective on applying what you're learning from the author. In my opinion, the case studies are realistic and present the typical sorts of circumstances and challenges that developmental editors routinely encounter. However, the case studies make up half or more of the content of the book, so don't be surprised that the entire text isn't pure instruction. All the text is valuable from an educational perspective, and the didactic part of "learn this" and "pay attention to that" is excellent, but about half the content is experiential learning. And, frankly, it's much cheaper to learn that from this book than from underpricing an editing project.
September 14, 2020
This was a very strange book. It included extensive and overly detailed case studies that had me Googling whether the stories they conveyed were true. (They were not.) It's almost as if the author wanted to write a novel. I found this distracting and unnecessary. That said, I definitely gleaned some useful tips from the actual advice about editing. I wonder, though, how accurately the minute details about publishing have aged. That part was entirely irrelevant to me so I mostly skimmed it. Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this book. I would guess there are some more straightforward sources for getting the same information in fewer pages.
November 18, 2016
A practical, manageable, and enjoyable guide to DE.
August 30, 2018
A guide to open-heart surgery on books.
July 15, 2017
My wonderful sister-in-law, Emmy, bought me this book for my birthday. Now is that a great SiL, who buys me books about editing, or what??
I've been wanting to read this for a while and I'm so glad I finally got the chance. The greatest thing about this book is that it is hilarious. It manages to convey a ton of information while still being a very fun read. Even if you're only peripherally involved in dev edits or publishing, I would recommend this book, just because it's so enjoyable.
The structure of this book was perfect, with everything clearly set out and moving logically from one concept to another. There were ample case studies to learn from, and they often tied into each other. Maybe that's just the way I learn best, but I really appreciated those and found them fascinating. There were clear instructions and tips, giving the reader a solid and confident understanding of the developmental editing process. I've worked as a dev editor for almost a decade and I learned some new tricks.
Two small quibbles, which are so minor they do not affect the quality: 1) this book is written for non-fiction. I didn't know this before picking it up, and as I edit fiction, it wasn't as helpful to me as I had hoped. There's a whole different process for fiction. That doesn't mean it was useless, I still learned a lot. It would have been more enjoyable, though, if I had known what to expect up front.
2) My copy was published in 2009, and I read it in 2017. Even though it was only 8 years old, the world and the landscape of publishing are changing so fast that the read felt dated. We're not at war with Saudi Arabia, and unfortunately almost none of the advice about working for publishers remains accurate. That's not the author's fault, that's just how it is right now, in a state of flux. Still, a re-release with updated info would be a better read.
Overall a wonderful, enjoyable, informative addition to my home office.
I've been wanting to read this for a while and I'm so glad I finally got the chance. The greatest thing about this book is that it is hilarious. It manages to convey a ton of information while still being a very fun read. Even if you're only peripherally involved in dev edits or publishing, I would recommend this book, just because it's so enjoyable.
The structure of this book was perfect, with everything clearly set out and moving logically from one concept to another. There were ample case studies to learn from, and they often tied into each other. Maybe that's just the way I learn best, but I really appreciated those and found them fascinating. There were clear instructions and tips, giving the reader a solid and confident understanding of the developmental editing process. I've worked as a dev editor for almost a decade and I learned some new tricks.
Two small quibbles, which are so minor they do not affect the quality: 1) this book is written for non-fiction. I didn't know this before picking it up, and as I edit fiction, it wasn't as helpful to me as I had hoped. There's a whole different process for fiction. That doesn't mean it was useless, I still learned a lot. It would have been more enjoyable, though, if I had known what to expect up front.
2) My copy was published in 2009, and I read it in 2017. Even though it was only 8 years old, the world and the landscape of publishing are changing so fast that the read felt dated. We're not at war with Saudi Arabia, and unfortunately almost none of the advice about working for publishers remains accurate. That's not the author's fault, that's just how it is right now, in a state of flux. Still, a re-release with updated info would be a better read.
Overall a wonderful, enjoyable, informative addition to my home office.
April 26, 2020
Scott Norton's DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING is described as a handbook on this comprehensive, deeply analytical form of editing that's geared toward freelancers, authors, and publishers. And for the most part, that's true. Norton doesn't just explain what developmental editing (a.k.a. substantive or content editing) is. He also explains in great detail the different aspects of it, from the initial stage of assessing the potential of a book's contents to reorganizing the structure and finessing the writing style. In each chapter, he uses a case study to illustrate how an editor may tackle the issue at hand and offer comments to the author to address areas of improvement.
For its purposes, DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING is a solid resource for nonfiction writers and editors seeking a theoretical approach to this style of editing. For anyone who focuses on fiction or is looking for more practical or hands-on information, however, this book may be better as a companion resource while taking a course on developmental editing. Also, I've learned from experience that I get more out of books on writing or editing that are written in an engaging style or that allow me to "get my hands dirty" as I read. While DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING fell short on both fronts, I do appreciate the information it shares (especially the chapters about style/voice and display/typographical matter), and I plan on referring to it as needed during future dev edit projects.
For its purposes, DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING is a solid resource for nonfiction writers and editors seeking a theoretical approach to this style of editing. For anyone who focuses on fiction or is looking for more practical or hands-on information, however, this book may be better as a companion resource while taking a course on developmental editing. Also, I've learned from experience that I get more out of books on writing or editing that are written in an engaging style or that allow me to "get my hands dirty" as I read. While DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING fell short on both fronts, I do appreciate the information it shares (especially the chapters about style/voice and display/typographical matter), and I plan on referring to it as needed during future dev edit projects.
November 23, 2023
If you have a good sense of light- and medium-level editing, why not go a step further and get to the good stuff--heavy editing, aka developmental editing.
This is the publishing step where a finished manuscript, or even just an idea for a book, is put through its paces to ascertain how successfully it may accomplish its goals.
Some books or ideas need more work than others, as "Developmental Editing" shows. Each chapter presents a completely different case study in an aspect of developmental editing such as Assessing Potential, Chapter Transitions, and the Display side of the texts and graphics.
As each case unfolds, the reader sees not just the specific skills a developmental editor must master but also the multitude of situations and personalities a seasoned editor is likely to deal with. Spoiler: every kind of book you can imagine, and more!
Whether the author is dead, rude and undependable, or passionate about a topic in a way that is noble yet likely to lead to the book's failure without serious revision, this book gives you some idea of what to do.
It's also really well written and edited. Aside from clients' work, if I need an idea for a story or article, I know I can find some inspiration here.
This is the publishing step where a finished manuscript, or even just an idea for a book, is put through its paces to ascertain how successfully it may accomplish its goals.
Some books or ideas need more work than others, as "Developmental Editing" shows. Each chapter presents a completely different case study in an aspect of developmental editing such as Assessing Potential, Chapter Transitions, and the Display side of the texts and graphics.
As each case unfolds, the reader sees not just the specific skills a developmental editor must master but also the multitude of situations and personalities a seasoned editor is likely to deal with. Spoiler: every kind of book you can imagine, and more!
Whether the author is dead, rude and undependable, or passionate about a topic in a way that is noble yet likely to lead to the book's failure without serious revision, this book gives you some idea of what to do.
It's also really well written and edited. Aside from clients' work, if I need an idea for a story or article, I know I can find some inspiration here.
May 31, 2019
Several chapters for this book are assigned reading for an advanced editing course that I am taking, and wanting to get full value from my purchase, I read the entire book. Scott Norton packs a lot into this short book. The publisher packs a lot, too, setting the book in nine-point type.
To illustrate the work that developmental editors (DEs) do, Norton develops and carries through a scenario in each chapter. Each scenario features one of two fictional editors who portray in their turns the yin and yang, or left-brain orientation and right-brain orientation that make up the art and science of developmental editing.
The developmental editors with whom I have worked have also been asked to do competitive analyses, comparing features in all of the major current titles on the subject of the book they were editing. Scott Norton does not devote much, if any time to this part of a DE's work, but I wonder if that's because higher-education textbook publishing is too much of a niche or even an outlier.
I don't know if I will ever get hired to do developmental editing, but if I do I will be glad to have Scott Norton's excellent title available for reference.
To illustrate the work that developmental editors (DEs) do, Norton develops and carries through a scenario in each chapter. Each scenario features one of two fictional editors who portray in their turns the yin and yang, or left-brain orientation and right-brain orientation that make up the art and science of developmental editing.
The developmental editors with whom I have worked have also been asked to do competitive analyses, comparing features in all of the major current titles on the subject of the book they were editing. Scott Norton does not devote much, if any time to this part of a DE's work, but I wonder if that's because higher-education textbook publishing is too much of a niche or even an outlier.
I don't know if I will ever get hired to do developmental editing, but if I do I will be glad to have Scott Norton's excellent title available for reference.
March 6, 2024
On a technical level, this is a very comprehensive and helpful overview of developmental editing, specifically for beginners interested in nonfiction. That being said, it was surprisingly difficult to get through at times because the author had a really strange vibe that manifested in the hypotheticals he offered and through his choice of diction— or, as he would call it, "slinging the slang." *grimaces*
I'm not convinced the majority of his jargon is industry-standard, but maybe it's in the same subjective realm as shorthand (especially because this is predominantly for freelancers)? Either way, I spent most of my time in this book feeling like a weird co-worker was mansplaining at me and I doubt this is the only decent resource for aspiring DEs, so I don't know that I'd necessarily recommend it unless you truly just want an indexed informational resource to reference on occasion.
I'm not convinced the majority of his jargon is industry-standard, but maybe it's in the same subjective realm as shorthand (especially because this is predominantly for freelancers)? Either way, I spent most of my time in this book feeling like a weird co-worker was mansplaining at me and I doubt this is the only decent resource for aspiring DEs, so I don't know that I'd necessarily recommend it unless you truly just want an indexed informational resource to reference on occasion.
March 10, 2021
This was a detailed course in developmental editing contained in a book. I think it could bear several readings, especially the way I read it: in snatches before my toddler got up in the morning.
I appreciated that his case studies explored not only the specific DE issue Norton was addressing, but also gave implicit instruction on dealing with different clients and contracts.
Since fiction is my specialty, this was an aspect that helped me more than the technical part of the book, since it's aimed at nonfiction DEs. Still, there was a lot I probably will end up using down the road in fiction editing.
All together, a solid resource.
I appreciated that his case studies explored not only the specific DE issue Norton was addressing, but also gave implicit instruction on dealing with different clients and contracts.
Since fiction is my specialty, this was an aspect that helped me more than the technical part of the book, since it's aimed at nonfiction DEs. Still, there was a lot I probably will end up using down the road in fiction editing.
All together, a solid resource.
April 18, 2023
"A DE may point out ways an author's tone alienates certain readers..." - Scott Norton
While this book seemed promising as a technical reference, it has certainly missed the mark. The "case studies" that Norton has written seem to be his way of inserting his own personal views into what should be an otherwise unbiased title. Norton's excessively specific case studies about theoretical novels could have been about meerkats or knitting rather than religion and transphobic narratives. A single pass by any sensitivity reader would have prevented this title's shortcomings.
While this book seemed promising as a technical reference, it has certainly missed the mark. The "case studies" that Norton has written seem to be his way of inserting his own personal views into what should be an otherwise unbiased title. Norton's excessively specific case studies about theoretical novels could have been about meerkats or knitting rather than religion and transphobic narratives. A single pass by any sensitivity reader would have prevented this title's shortcomings.
November 7, 2023
I read this for a UCLA course in developmental editing, and it did a great job of separating the role of a DE from that of a copyeditor to a novice. If you're already a DE or have done that type of work, this won't be that helpful. The case studies were interesting, and some more successful than others. A new edition came out just this month (Nov. 2023) and I'm excited to see what may have been added in the intervening years.
February 18, 2018
Read for my certificate class on developmental editing. The text is very informative but somewhat dry, and I was disappointed that “the first work devoted entirely to developmental editing” focused largely on nonfiction. I would have liked to see many more how-to’s and examples for dev editing fiction manuscripts.
October 21, 2022
4 stars. This book is really informative if you’re working with non-fiction. I can translate some things over to fiction, but most of it won’t. I enjoyed how Norton presented all of the information though. Well thought out and formatted. Easy read if you skip past all of the examples that weren’t super helpful.
October 10, 2018
Wow, this was technical! I don't know what I was expecting, but this was waaaaay more technical than I needed. That said, a few pages of this book has helped me totally restructure my book, so I'm grateful.
February 22, 2019
Lots of detail about the publishing industry, and the kinds of things developmental editors have to do.
It's very focused on non-fiction, so if you want to know more about developmental editing for fiction, you'll have to extrapolate a bit.
It's very focused on non-fiction, so if you want to know more about developmental editing for fiction, you'll have to extrapolate a bit.
May 20, 2019
Most handbooks tend towards the dry, no matter how useful their information might be. Not this one. There's a lot of useful information here and it's presented in a very readable, easy to digest format which is appreciated.
August 21, 2022
Concepts here are great, but the examples caused some sensitivity flags to go off in my mind. This needs a good revision to be suitable for the publishing industry. As it is, many (including me) might be offended.
May 10, 2024
For a course book this book was engaging to read. The case studies showed me that how the tools I was learning could be applied in professional settings and made the book fun to read. I didn't finish it completely but I'm gonna make it count since I read most of it.
October 29, 2017
I read this book every time I start to ponder a new book idea---it's excellent.
April 9, 2018
Read for my Chicago course. Focuses on nonfiction, but nonetheless a fabulous resource that I will definitely be returning to again and again.
July 22, 2018
Loved it. Super helpful advice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews