Developmental Guidance
Professional and insightful developmental guidance to help bring out the best in your manuscript.
Great books take work
... because sometimes it's hard to see the forest through the trees. ​​
​
-
Clear, structured feedback
-
Effective revision recommendations
-
Creative brainstorming around sticky issues
​​
Whether you're stuck in the writing process or you've completed your first draft, developmental work is what takes your project to the next level. Together, we'll take an intensive look at your book's "big picture" elements to guide you forward with maximum insight and impact.
Ink Blotter offers two ways for us to work together:
Non-Fiction
Structure & impact
Conceptual clarity
Style, pacing & tone
Accessibility & engagement
What is developmental guidance for?
Fiction
Story & characterization
Plot & world-building
Themes & structure
Style, prose & pacing
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing (also called "substantive editing") is an intensive process designed to make your book as effective and engaging as it can be.
What you get:​
​
-
A detailed manuscript overview letter providing clear feedback on key structural and stylistic elements, as well as chapter-by-chapter analysis and specific guidance for addressing recommended revisions.
-
Margin notes including suggestions and commentary.
-
In-text structural recommendations and editorial suggestions using Track Changes. (Note: this is not a comprehensive line-editing process.)
-
A 2-hr virtual consulting session to discuss your feedback and next steps.
​​
Pricing:
-
$0.05 – $0.07 per word
-
Scaled pricing for subsequent rounds of review and editing
“Working with Elena was truly a game-changer! She provided detailed, sharp, and insightful written and verbal feedback that significantly improved various aspects of my first book manuscript. This included amplifying my voice without sacrificing clarity and intellectual rigor, identifying and addressing gaps and silences in the narrative, streamlining the structure, and refining stylistic issues. She also offered valuable suggestions for enhancing the content and subject matter—despite some of the material being discipline-specific. Thanks to her encouragement and kind and collaborative approach, I now have a vastly improved manuscript that I am very confident about. I highly recommend her and will work with her again in the future.”
~ Assistant Professor at a University of California Campus
The Deep Dive
(Full Manuscript Review)
You've finished your drafting process (yay!) and want to make sure your book is the best version of itself it can possibly be, the IMA process offers comprehensive developmental guidance.
​
What you get:​
-
One or two lively, detailed, 2-hr virtual interactive development sessions to discuss your manuscript, including clear feedback on key structural and stylistic elements, chapter-by-chapter analysis, and specific guidance for addressing recommended revisions. (Session number depends on manuscript length.)
-
Margin notes including suggestions and commentary.
-
In-text structural recommendations and editorial suggestions using Track Changes. (Note: this is not a comprehensive line-editing process.)
-
Session recordings to help you through the revision process.
​
Pricing:
-
$0.05 – $0.07 per word
-
Scaled pricing for subsequent rounds of review and editing
-
100-page minimum, 400-page maximum
Interactive Reviews
Providing constructive feedback in collaborative & trusting working sessions.
​
​
Designed to guide substantive revision work for people who process feedback best through interaction, IMRs provide clear, detailed recommendations so that you can see your manuscript through fresh eyes.
The goal? An effective and efficient revision process to help your manuscript become the best version of itself.
Interactive Chapter Reviews
(Non-fiction)
Understanding what's working and what's not in each individual chapter is the key to moving forward.
Whether you're stuck midway in your writing process, finished with your first full draft, or developing your sample chapters for your book proposal submission package, interactive chapter reviews provide actionable feedback to strengthen every facet of your work.
​
What you get:​
-
An intensive, interactive, 60-minute virtual feedback session.
-
Margin notes including suggestions and commentary.
-
In-text structural recommendations and editorial suggestions using Track Changes. (Note: this is not a comprehensive line-editing process.)
-
Session recording to help you through the revision process.
​​
Pricing:
-
$450-600
-
Pages must be double space, 12-pt font, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman or equivalent.
The First 50
(Fiction)
The first 50 pages of your manuscript set the tone.
Understanding what's working and what's not is the key to moving forward, whether you're stuck midway in your writing process or finished with your first full draft.
​
What you get:​
-
An intensive, interactive, 60-minute session (virtual or in-person) to discuss your first 50 pages.
-
Session recording to help you through the revision process.
-
Margin commentary to identify key takeaways.
​​
Pricing:
-
$550
-
Pages must be double space, 12-pt font, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman or equivalent.
“Thank you truly for this careful, thoughtful, and smart reading! You are an incredible editor and it’s rare to have someone who is so far out of field get it so completely. All I can say is: wow, and thank you again!”
—Professor Jane Garrity, University of Colorado, Boulder
