A developmental edit (DE) is a normal and expected aspect of publication. Publishers know that no manuscript will ever be perfect. That said, DEs can be difficult and time consuming. They often require negotiating between the publisher and the writer as each tries to preserve a personal, and validated, aspect of a literary vision. In the acquisitions process, there’s no way to ensure that artistic equilibrium will be maintained or if proposed changes for a manuscript will be kept. How, then, do publishers take educated risks when picking up new stories to publish? The answer is complicated.

Going With Your Gut Isn’t Enough

Everyone has a favorite genre or story, but comfort isn’t always the key to selecting a desirable manuscript. A publisher should be aware of systemic issues and internal bias. There are fine lines between genre expectations, tropes, and stereotypes. A publisher should consider how these expectations function in the manuscript before rejecting a piece or prescribing edits. It is worth considering that an unfamiliar story to one person may be a familiar story to someone else. Realness or relatability are flexible qualities. Characters, dialogue, and settings that feel inauthentic or strange are not immediate grounds for dismissal.                            

Is the Story Good?

Literary craft is ever-changing. Contemporary genres are breaking molds. Narrative perspectives and points of view are free to change and roam. Not every plot needs to be a Hero’s Journey. Tropes are being dissected and subverted while genres are being reinvented. Being a writer requires much more than a knack for syntax. Manuscripts require intention. Problematic story elements often reveal bias and fall on either end of a spectrum of aggression. Blatant prejudice is often easy to weed out— grounds for immediate rejection. Microaggressions are more complex. The foundations of the English language and creative writing are exclusionist and colonialist. This inevitably produces widely replicated racist and sexist literary elements in many contemporary stories. Consider Men Writing Women or literary treatment of People of Color. While these areas of insensitivity may be hard to spot for some, they are generally easy to alter. However, the decision to edit a manuscript with microaggressions is a decidedly ethical one. The publisher is, after all, changing the manuscript, not the ideals or biases of the author.

Will the Author Make the Changes?

There’s no telling if an author will make the changes requested of a press. Each writer has a different relationship with their work. Some writers with personal stories will feel less inclined to make changes. Others will not mind. Some writers will be hesitant to make any changes to their manuscript despite appearing open to suggestion. For this reason, understanding the intentions of the writer’s story are extremely valuable to the press. Anything in a manuscript can be changed with the exception of purpose.          

A Publisher Might Ask:

What will the published existence of the story do?
How are characters described? Who has agency?
Does anything in the manuscript make you feel uncomfortable? Why?
Are there tropes? Clichés? Why?
Does the story align with the mission statement of the press?
Do I believe in the purpose of the story?
Will someone appreciate this story?

Blog written by Theo Thompson.