Developmental editing service
BOOKED UNTIL 2025 MARCH!
Great news!
My short but essential ebooks for indie authors - Tips on Building Author's Website and Developmental Editing from A to Z - will be published in 2025.
Developmental editing is the process of restructuring a story and fleshing out characters to create the best experience for the reader.
In the developmental editing service my insights are put toward:
- POV,
- world-building,
- character development,
- business aspects of the book (e.g. clarifying hook and unique selling point).
As I go through the manuscript, I keep thinking: What is this story about? What makes it great? How to maximize the author's potential to make the story shine brighter?
* Before accepting a new author, I need a trial chapter (no more than 2500 words). This step is required to evaluate compatibility between the author and myself (the developmental editor). A fee of US$25 will be charged.
Genres and Subgenres I enjoy working with:
Genetic Engineering / Cyberpunk;
Action & Adventure Fiction;
Military & Historical Fiction;
Later in Life Romance;
Clean & Wholesome Romance;
Futuristic/Urban/Paranormal Fantasy;
Mystery/Suspense/Crime Fiction;
Romantic High/Epic Fantasy;
Flash Fiction / Short stories;
Hard sci-fi & Space Explorations
Genres and Subgenres I don't work with:
Post Apocalyptic / Dystopia;
Galactic Empire;
Erotica;
Christian Fantasy or Religious topics;
Memoirs (exception for Demon Slayers, Exorcists & AIs);
Non-fiction (for the time being)
Tropes, Topics and Characters I enjoy working with:
The Reluctant Hero;
The Hidden Badass character;
Psychics;
AI, Robots & Androids;
Dragons & Mystical Creatures
Tropes, Topics and Characters I don't work with:
The Chosen One;
Unrealistically Sweet Love interest;
Superheros;
Mutants and Aliens;
Religious topics
* If the genre/subgenre you write is not listed here, you are welcome to contact me for further clarification.
TRIGGER WARNING: My background is in software development and business management. I'm logical and detail-oriented. My comments on your work are based on logical and psychological insights. The comments might make you feel like I don't like your story or characters. Please rest assured that's not the case. If I accept your story, it means I like it. My main concern is to build long-term relationships, so I will not accept stories that I don't like.
Developmental editing rates and time
The cost of developmental editing service is calculated after the following files are submitted:
- the blurb (around 150 words), to estimate what the author believes to be the most important aspects of their book;
- the synopsis (no more than 2 pages), to evaluate the entire storyline;
- the first chapter of the manuscript, to evaluate the author's writing style and main characters.
One chapter (~3000-5000 words) of developmental editing would take 2-3 days.
On average, a 90k high fantasy manuscript would cost around $900 and would take 60-90 days.
Basic service includes a written report (in-line developmental editing comments) of the main issues, such as:
poorly developed characters;
logical gaps in world-building;
missing scenes;
pacing and POV evaluation;
body language usage and motivation for characters' actions in each chapter.
The basic service INCLUDES NO MORE THAN TWO PASSES**
The first developmental editing pass includes leaving comments about character, missing scenes and storyline.
The second pass goes after the author has worked on edits and involves evaluation of the changes made by the author. If necessary, I will offer additional advice to point the author in the right direction, e. g. to set the mood or highlight emotions.
*There might be a time gap between two passes.
** After the first round of developmental editing, the editor sees the state of the whole project. If there's a major chronological re-structure, the first round of edits might count as Story Re-structuring Service. It might involve an additional charge.
MINI / BETA READING $6/1000 words
Some more advanced authors know something is wrong with their story but are not sure exactly what the problem is.
For these authors, I provide a beta-reading service with a summarized overview of the plot, POV, world-building, pace, and character analysis.
PRO - $20/hour
There are always chapters that require more attention. Authors might want to contact me for extended service (e.g. to hash out a complex scene). The cost of this extended service is estimated by my hourly rate.
GET IN TOUCH FOR A DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING QUOTE
Send the following to me (pdaivabl@gmail.com) with "Developmental Edit: Author Name; Title" in the subject line.
- Microsoft Office Document (or a link to it in GoogleDocs)
- Blurb
- Synopsis
- Genre/Subgenre
- Deadlines, if any
- Trigger warnings
PAYMENTS ONLY THROUGH PAYPAL
Trial developmental editing cost ($25 per 2500 words) is paid before the developmental editing begins. If the author and developmental editor are compatible, and the author goes on to order MINI (beta-reading) or basic developmental editing service, this amount will be deducted from the total payment.
MINI (beta-reading) service is paid 50% before the beginning of beta-reading and 50% after the author receives the report of the first half of the manuscript. Only after the remaining amount is received will the report of the rest of your manuscript be sent.
Basic Developmental Editing service is paid 50% before the beginning of developmental editing (the first pass) and 50% before the beginning of the second pass.
Story Restructuring service might be paid instead of the first pass of developmental editing.
PRO plan is billed hourly: The rate for one hour is payable before work is begun (as it is the required minimum for the order), the remaining amount after the issue is resolved or the issue takes more than five hours of developmental editing work. In this case I would contact the author to inform about the time spent on the issue and discuss further workflow.
*the first half of payment is non-refundable even if you decide to stop the edit before the second payment for any reason.
Reviews from clients who have worked with me
Cassia Hall
Author of LGBTQ+ romance series and composer of Fantasy music
I had a very thorough reading of my manuscript and was given valuable advice regarding the structure of the story, including missing scenes, where to add description (of both character and setting), which passages needed to be changed from narration to dialogue, where POV needed to be tightened, and how to make the story more compelling. This enabled me to take my story to the next level, and for this I am very grateful. Will keep coming back to her with more stories. Highly recommended!
Isla Ryder
Author of sweet equestrian romance
Even editors need editors and I am extra picky about who I work with, but Daiva has been my developmental editor for all my work since I started publishing. I was lucky enough to connect with her and she has helped my stories find their way ever since. She has a brilliant eye for where stories and scenes really should start and is great at finding the missing pieces that help my readers fall in love with my characters. It’s easy to trust her with my work and I always look forward to her notes.
A Season for Romance
Anthologies of short love stories
Hoping to reveal all shades of romance, we have gathered together twelve authors from around the world, including Canada, India, Lithuania, and the United States for this diverse and inclusive sweet romance anthology.
In Summer Simmer, you will find true love in a variety of genres and styles, from first kisses to second chances, at pivotal junctures and in bittersweet moments. There is beauty, tenderness, angst, and even some humor and sizzle in these carefully crafted stories meant to transport you to magical worlds where love is just moments away.
R.L.Fuentes
Author of epic fantasy series
Naito Diamond has edited one 150K-novel, eleven short stories, and is currently editing a second novel for me. She has a keen eye for when action needs to be on the page and how to engage readers in the characters, as well as how to best arrange scenes for maximum contrast and emotional impact on the readers.
She has also given priceless feedback on how to structure battle and fight scenes without dragging down the pacing. Pacing itself is one of my weak points, so her help on what to put on the page and what can be discarded is one of the biggest benefits of hiring her. My first novel needed a lot of work, and she built an outline for me to follow for the parts that needed the most TLC.
I highly recommend her developmental editing services.
