Developmental & Substantive Editing

Developmental and substantive editing work in tandem to shape your book so it works—structurally, strategically, and for the reader—while deeply strengthening the clarity, flow, and impact of your content and writing.

Structure & Organization

Does the content flow logically?
Are the chapters in the right order?
Are there gaps, redundancies, or sections that drag?
Is the beginning strong enough to hook the reader?
Does the ending feel complete and satisfying?

Content & Clarity

Are ideas clear and fully developed?
Where is the reader confused or overwhelmed?
What needs more depth, examples, or simplification?
What should be cut entirely?

Audience Alignment

Is the tone right for the audience?
Are you solving the reader’s actual problem?
Does the content meet their level of awareness and sophistication?
Are you making assumptions the reader won’t understand?

Voice & Positioning

Does the author sound confident and clear?
Are they positioned as a credible guide?
Is the message aligned with their brand and goals?

Narrative & Engagement

Plot structure and pacing
Character development and arcs
Tension, stakes, and emotional payoff
Dialogue effectiveness Scene vs. summary balance

Chapter-by-Chapter Feedback

Inline comments throughout the manuscript
Strengths of the manuscript
Major issues to address
Specific recommendations for revision Sometimes a suggested rewrite strategy or outline

Rewriting Guidance (Not Ghostwriting)

Suggest new chapter outlines
Recommend moving or cutting sections
Offer sample rewrites for key passages
Provide prompts or questions to deepen the content

Paragraph-Level Rewriting & Flow

Reworking awkward or unclear paragraphs Improving transitions between ideas
Tightening wordy sections
Smoothing out choppy or inconsistent flow

Clarity & Readability

Simplifying complex or dense passages
Eliminating confusion or ambiguity
Breaking up long or overloaded sections
Ensuring ideas are expressed cleanly and powerfully

Voice Refinement (Without Changing Your Voice)

Your voice is consistent throughout
Tone matches your audience and message
Authority and confidence come through clearly
If something feels “off,” adjusting it while keeping it authentically you.

Content Tightening & Expansion

Cutting repetition and filler
Flagging weak or unnecessary sections
Suggesting where more examples, stories, or explanations are needed
Strengthening arguments or key teaching points

Logical Flow of Ideas Within Chapters

The flow within each chapter
The order of paragraphs and sections
Whether each section builds naturally to the next

Consistency & Cohesion

Terminology is used consistently
Key concepts are explained the same way throughout
Messaging doesn’t contradict itself
Style and tone remain cohesive

Light Fact & Detail Checking

Flagging inconsistencies in facts, names, timelines
Noting anything that feels inaccurate or unclear
Suggesting verification where needed

Consistency & Cohesion

Tracked changes with suggested rewrites
Margin comments explaining why changes are suggested
Occasional higher-level notes if patterns emerge

LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOK

Developmental Editing

Depending on the condition of the writing, this developmental editing package should cover an entire round of editing on a book that is around 50,000 words.

It includes intensive, developmental editing that looks at the big picture, organization, and strength of the book. The document is evaluated as a whole and problems of structure, organization, coherence, and logical consistency are corrected. Sentences may be removed or added. Paragraphs may be rewritten, condensed, or expanded. Blocks of text may be moved from one section to another.

We look at pacing, character development, tense, plots, points of view, levels of emotion and interest, and dialogues.

Comments and revision suggestions will be made within the writing for the author to consider. Developmental editing considers all the aspects of a manuscript that make the book readable and enjoyable.

Because of the extensive nature of this form of editing, it is more time-intensive. However, it is worth the investment if you are serious about succeeding as an author.

Since we can't help seeing errors or stop ourselves from fixing them, developmental editing also includes grammar, sentence structure, syntax, and more, saving considerable time in future editing. Should additional editing time be needed on your book, you will be notified and can decide how you want to proceed.

Up to 50K words

Up to 75K words

Up to 100K words

Up to 50K words

Up to 75K words

Up to 100K words

Substantive Editing

Substantive or structural editing focuses on the organization of content or flow of a manuscript from the title to the ending. We may suggest changes to the organization, title, language, and style in order to meet the objectives of the book and your ideal reader.

While we are working on the structure, we will also professionally edit your book for grammar and punctuation while keeping your voice and tone. When errors jump out at us, we just can't help but correct them. If you have any references we will also verify them.

Your document will be stored in a Google Drive and we will use track changes and comments to note every change made in the manuscript.

Up to 50K words

Up to 75K words

Up to 100K words

Up to 50K words

Up to 75K words

Up to 100K words

Basic Copy (Line)

Copy editing focuses on accuracy and consistency and includes sentence structure and grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation.

This copy editing package covers a 50,000-word manuscript.

Depending on the length of the manuscript, turn around time is typically between 7 to 14 business days.

Ghostwriting

For those who have something important to say but don’t have the time to write it themselves, we collaborate with you to write your book.

Through a series of meetings and interviews, we gather the content and essence of your book and the way you communicate and we write your entire book in your voice style. We work with you through several rounds of editing until we have a final manuscript with your voice and energy.

We have decades of experience doing this and guarantee you'll be happy with the final product.

SCHEDULE A CALL WITH KEREN ABOUT YOUR BOOK

Book Critique

A book critique is a review of portions of your manuscript to show you general areas that need to be tightened up to make your writing more cohesive and stronger. We analyze:

-The strengths and weaknesses of your writing

-how you are communicating ideas or concepts your overall language

-how the book is coming across to readers in general

-You'll receive actionable comments in the text on how to improve your story.

You'll receive actionable comments in the text on how to improve your story. You can then apply the comments to the entire manuscript.

Keren has been in the publishing industry for over 25 years. She has ghostwritten, edited, and published hundreds of books including self-help, biographies, young reader, college textbooks, spiritual enlightenment, personal development, romance, poetry, coffee table art books, and mystery novels.

Gifted in intuition and communication, Keren can see the bigger picture, simplify complex ideas, and structure writing for flow and deeper application.

She especially loves working on books that change lives and inspire people to reach their full potential.