Developmental Editing: The Brutally Honest Career Guide

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Every week, I get messages asking how I became a developmental editor, and how others can do the same.

I can see why it’s such a tempting path. People picture spending their whole life doing what they love: reading and working on stories. And honestly? It’s the best job I’ve ever had. Some days, I feel like it’s the best job in the world.

But it’s also hard work, and the path into it is far from straightforward. Gods know I’m the perfect example. My route here was long, winding, and anything but predictable. But more on that later.

For now, if you’re looking to get into developmental editing, here’s everything I know—and everything I would have told my younger self if they’d come to me for help.

Becoming a developmental editor isn’t for everyone.

It’s a life choice that requires constant maintenance, and often a more-than-full-time job.

For folks like me, who waste away in regular jobs, it can be the most freeing choice we ever make.

Story Sense: Your Key to the Developmental Editing World

People assume that developmental editing is like any other job: you take a course, get a qualification, and get started. But sadly, it isn’t that simple.

Because if you’re going to be a developmental editor, you first have to understand the soul of storytelling: building a bone-deep knowledge of how stories work, and what can go wrong.

In short, you need to master stories yourself before you can teach it to others.

Building (and proving) your story sense

There are three main paths to developing that sort of knowledge:

1. Voracious, analytical reading. This is an absolute must. However, it’s generally not enough on its own. It works best combined with one of the two other options.

2. Formal study. Academic qualifications are still king, and a degree in Literature and/or Creative Writing will help enormously. A master’s is even better. However, graduating from a prestigious workshop or creative writing fellowship also helps. At the very least, reading a ton of books about storycraft is non-negotiable.

3. Writing credentials. Publishing in your chosen genre(s) is also a great way to prove you know your stuff—especially if you’re published by pro-rate paying magazines, are picked up by a well-respected publishing house, or nominated for awards. Writing a wildly successful indie novel will also set you in good stead!

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How I Ended Up Here: A Case Study

I never planned to become a developmental editor.

It’s just something I fell into while trying to survive.

All I ever really wanted was to be a writer. And stories are the only thing I’ve ever been any good at. And for a long time, that absolutely kicked my ass. I had no Plan B, no other options, and worked a lot of jobs I absolutely hated.

But I kept chipping away at my dreams, and eventually that led me here.

It started with a degree in English with Creative Writing, which I barely scraped through. Almost all my tutors were literary snobs, and sneered at my little genre stories. But I’d already been writing for almost a decade at that point, and my degree taught me a lot about how to pick stories apart. That didn’t feel particularly useful at the time, but now? I use those skills every day.

After uni, I fell into a series of dreadful jobs, in a world where I didn’t fit in. My mental health suffered, bailiffs were hammering at the door, and life was pretty awful. Still, I kept writing, and eventually (ten years later) made some headway.

I got a few stories published—first in token-rate magazines (where you’re paid a small, flat fee) and then in pro-rate publications. In the speculative fiction world, those magazines are huge, and they were even more important at the time. Back then, three pro sales was your route into the SFWA, and that made (and still makes) agents and publishers take notice.

And it gave me enough experience and confidence to apply to Clarion West.

I learned more in those six weeks than I had in the three years studying for my degree, met with agents and editors, networked with the big names in the speculative fiction world, and learned a huge amount about traditional publishing.

It also got me my first editing-adjacent job: doing rewrites and proofreading for a company that publishes translations of manga and light novels. I’d get the files straight after translation, and make the text clean (and enjoyable) for English-speaking readers. I didn’t make enough to quit my day job, but it did let me go part time. And, more importantly, it gave me experience—racking up a bunch of books where I was listed as an editor and rewriter.

That helped me meet the entrance criteria for Reedsy, and finally become a professional developmental editor. I’d already been giving feedback to friends for years, and a mixture of everything else (my rewriting and editing work, experience at Clarion West, my own publishing credits, and degree) set me on my way.

The first few jobs were difficult to come by, but once I started proving myself, I had more work than I knew what to do with.

Finally, in May 2021, I quit my admin job and went full time doing what I do now.

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Three Paths to Getting Paid

Of course, not everyone will follow the same wandering route.

Looking back now, there are three main ways into this sort of work, and I did a mixture of all of them.

The traditional route

This is how most developmental editors get into the job. They take on a role at a publishing house (big or small) and gain experience until they know enough to strike out on their own.

It has a lot going for it, and will generally involve at least some mentoring and financial stability. However, it can also be extremely hard to break into, involves working for little (or no) pay in the beginning, and often requires you to live in a big city—wherever the publisher is based.

Working for a smaller press, or in editing-adjacent roles (like I did) can help with this.

Going it alone

This path is more accessible, but requires a lot of business skill.

You’ll need to know stories inside-out before attempting this, and meet one or more of the “story sense” criteria we talked about above. From there, you’ll start building a portfolio of novels you’ve edited. Ideally, these have gone on to be successful.

In hindsight, if I’d known I wanted to get into editing, this is what I would have done. And the most effective way to start is by finding indie writers who already have a novel or two under their belt, and offering your services for free (or at least for very little). If you do a great job, they’ll recommend you to their friends. Their books will come out far sooner than anyone seeking traditional publication (or a maybe/someday person publishing their first novel), and just as importantly, you’ll start building up a portfolio of work.

That said, there are no guarantees. You’ll need to do an astounding job, choose the right writers to work with, and even then, you’ll be doing an awful lot of work for little or no pay, and for quite some time.

Reedsy

This is the easiest and most consistent way to get developmental editing work. I’d say that 80-90% of my jobs still come through Reedsy, and there’s literally no way I could have done this without them. While they take a fee from anything you earn, a lot of writers are on there looking for the perfect editor, the work is consistent, the minimum rates are good, and their support system is incredible.

However, their entrance criteria are strict: at least three years’ of experience in developmental editing, five well-reviewed books that you’ve worked on, and ideally, experience working for a traditional publisher.

Even then, it can be challenging to get through the door. Be prepared for a lot of trial and error in getting your profile right. It took me several months to get approved, but it’s been an absolute game-changer ever since.

I cannot recommend them highly enough.

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What’s the Money Like?

Once you’re established, you’ll be charging around $0.032 a word for developmental editing, and $0.023 per word for a more condensed editorial assessment.

Although it varies, I’d expect an 80k novel to take around 3 weeks of work for developmental, and 2 weeks for assessment.

If you’re working full time, you can bring in around $3,000 to $4,000 a month, but remember, that needs to cover everything. Any breaks or holidays, taxes, health insurance, and advertising will all need to come out of that. You’ll also need to make space for unpaid sample edits, handling your taxes and accounts, keeping up with social media, and so on.

As you gain more experience (and build a stronger reputation) your rates can go up. That said, the only editors really getting rich rich are the ones who’ve worked on massive, blockbuster titles.

For most of us, it covers the bills, is more comfortable than the minimum-wage grind, and that’s about it.

What to Avoid

If you’re thinking about following this path, there’s also some things I’d recommend against.

Courses

No short course can teach you how to become a developmental editor.

This doesn’t mean that they’re all bad. If you want to learn how to write a great editorial letter, leave proper manuscript annotations, handle marketing, or manage your accounts, a course can absolutely do that. And if you’re looking at something offered by a professional organisation (like the EFA) then all the better.

But storycraft is the work of a lifetime. Studying for a degree will certainly help—if you have the money, means, and opportunity to do it. A prestigious six-week workshop (like Clarion West or Clarion UCSD) is invaluable if you can get in, and if you’re in a position to attend.

However, if we’re talking about online courses on “how to be a developmental editor”? I’d steer clear.

They aren’t really recognised in the industry, and while some might be useful, many are just after your money.

With developmental editing, there are no shortcuts. You have to devote (probably years of) your life to learning the craft and mechanics of story.

No random course on the internet is going to teach that.

Upwork, Fiverr, and Facebook groups

I spent a lot of time looking into these places when I first started, and they’re almost always a race to the bottom.

The pay is miserable, competition is ruthless and ferocious, and almost none of the “editors” pitching for these jobs are doing good work. They don’t have time to. If they’re charging $500 for a developmental edit on a 150k fantasy novel, they have almost no time to spend on that book. Increasingly, they’re using AI.

If you’re in a lower income country (and/or benefit from a really strong exchange rate), then it might be worth a look. But from my experience, there’s always someone there who will charge less, turn a manuscript around faster, and likely not leave anyone with a good experience afterwards.

Remember, you’re looking to build a portfolio of high-quality published novels that you’ve edited. From what I’ve seen, the writers in places like that rarely publish, and if they do, the book almost certainly won’t be polished enough to attract readers and gain positive reviews.

What You Actually Need

If you’re going to succeed as a developmental editor, these are the things that will help:

• A marrow-deep knowledge of story, as we’ve talked about already.

• Proof of that knowledge through published works, qualifications, or a portfolio of books that you’ve worked on.

• A therapist’s heart. You’re handling some of the most fragile parts of people’s souls. You need to be constructive, yes. But you also need to be incredibly gentle.

• A business brain. You’ll be handling all your own accounts, marketing, social media, and doing a dozen other jobs along the way.

• A clear niche. Every genre has different rules and expectations. Romance isn’t structured like an epic fantasy adventure. You need to specialise, and understand your chosen genre inside-out.

• Publishing knowledge. Your writers might be seeking traditional publication or going the indie route, and either way, they’ll likely have questions. You’ll need to answer them, and understand the needs of the market, so you can help them find their place in it.

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Deciding On Your Path

At the end of the day, developmental editing isn’t for everyone.

It’s a life choice that requires constant maintenance, and often a more-than-full-time job. It can be a lot of hard work, and many people find it uses the same muscles as writing—making it harder to write your own stories. I don’t have that problem, but I do give the best part of my brain, day after day, to helping other writers. And that can mean there’s very little left in the tank for my own work.

As we talked about yesterday, some people find it much easier to work a low commitment job, and write in their free time.

If you haven’t already spent years learning how stories work, then copyediting or proofreading is often a much more straightforward choice. For most, spelling and grammar can be learned more quickly, and if anything, the work is more consistent.

But if you already live and breathe stories, understand the three-act structure, character arcs, conflict, and scenes—and especially if you have a degree, prestigious workshop, or professional publication credits to your name—then developmental editing might be for you.

For folks like me, who waste away in regular jobs, it can be the most freeing choice we ever make.

After six years, I wouldn’t do anything else.

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