EDITORIAL GUIDANCE FOR WRITERS

If something in your manuscript isn’t working, the hardest part is often knowing what kind of help will actually fix it.

Many writers default to editing too soon. Often the real need isn’t polish, but clarity—about structure, focus, pacing, or unresolved decisions. Defaulting to an inappropriate level of editing can slow progress rather than move the work forward.

My role is to help you see your manuscript clearly, identify what it needs now, and move forward with intention.

A CLEARER WAY FORWARD

Before recommending any level of editing, I focus on discernment.

Sometimes the work needs developmental guidance. Sometimes it needs focused line work. Sometimes it’s simply not ready for polish yet. The goal is not more feedback, but the right kind of attention at the right moment.

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS

1. Assess the manuscript’s current stage

2. Match the editing level to the real problem

3. Move forward where effort will matter most

If you’re unsure what your manuscript needs, that uncertainty is a useful starting point.

EDITING LEVELS

1. Developmental Editing / Manuscript Review: Big-picture clarity around structure, focus, and direction.

2. Line Editing: Clarity, flow, and consistency once the structure is sound.

3. Copyediting: Grammar, usage, and technical correctness for near-final drafts.

4. Proofreading: Final mechanical check before submission or publication.

When in doubt, diagnose before you polish.

QUICK SELF-ASSESSMENT

1. Structure or direction feels uncertain → Developmental support

2. Structure works, writing feels uneven → Line editing

3. Manuscript is complete and stable → Copyediting or proofreading

If more than one applies, begin with the earliest stage.

FINAL CHECK

If every sentence were polished today, would the manuscript’s real problems disappear?

No? Then the work is still developmental.
Yes? Then late-stage editing may be appropriate.

Get Clarity First. Do a quick check to assess what your manuscript requires before moving into editing

Fiction Manuscript Readiness Check
Nonfiction Manuscript Check

A brief self-assessment to help you choose the right editing path.