Is your piece ready for publication? Let us help.

Developmental editing is a collaborative process that improves the content and structure of a piece of writing. We use our CORD framework — cogent, original, researched, and deep — to evaluate and amplify the editorial quality of your work. Before we get started, we ask:

  • What are your goals for this piece?
  • Who is the primary audience? 
  • Why should they read it?
  • Where will it be published?
  • What are your concerns? 

Structural Edits
Once the plan is in place, we review the piece carefully and provide a detailed report outlining its strengths and weaknesses. We provide written recommendations to improve the structure and organization. More specifically, we: 

  • Recommend ways to strengthen the lede, the enticing introduction to your article.
  • Identify areas where the writing has strayed from its goal.
  • Point out opportunities to increase authority by adding detail.
  • Suggest ways to improve titles, headings, and subheadings.
  • Indicate where the audience is unclear or the tone of voice shifts.

Substantive Edits
Once the structure is sound, we focus on substantive editing. This is a line-by-line edit of your work where all of the changes are tracked so you can approve or reject them. We may add comments in the margins to explain an edit or ask a clarifying question. Substantive edits:  
​
  • Tighten the structure of each sentence.
  • Strengthen the copy so it is clear and compelling.
  • Minimize and define jargon.
  • Eliminate clichés and hyperbole.
  • Identify inconsistencies.  

Most projects go through two rounds of substantive edits. After each round of edits, we schedule a call to review the copy, recommended changes, and comments together. Our goal is to make the article as strong as possible while showcasing your voice, style, and expertise. 

Are you ready to transform your writing?

If you're ready to transform your copy into a polished article for publication, we can help.