An editor’s job is to polish your manuscript, but multiple edits will eat into your budget. Being told your book needs major edits is emotionally difficult for any author.  So how do you know when your manuscript is ready for editing?

Let’s walk through the major topics a developmental editor considers so you can start evaluating your own work the same way, saving time and editing costs.

Remember you are looking for strengths AND weakness. What is working, and what isn’t!

Overall vision and market fit

• What the book “is” (genre, audience)
• How clearly does your big picture theme come across
• Does it align with expectations of the genre
• Will your ideal reader love it

Structure and pacing – overall, plus chapter by chapter

• Opening: does it start in the right place
• Scene and chapter order
• Plot arcs (main and subplots)
• Pacing issues: slow/muddy sections, rushed climaxes
• Where readers may get lost or bored

Character and characterization

• Protagonist’s goals, motivations, stakes
• Character arcs (do they change meaningfully?)
• Consistency of behavior and voice
• Side characters: purpose, depth, and redundancy
• Antagonist complexity and credibility

Plot, conflict, and stakes

• Central conflict: clarity and strength
• Escalation of problems and tension
• Logic holes, coincidences, or contrivances
• Payoff vs. setup (Chekhov’s gun issues)
• Climax and resolution effectiveness

Point of view and narrative voice

• Choice of POV (first, third, multiple, etc.)
• Head-hopping or POV confusion
• Reliability of narrator (if relevant)
• Consistency and distinctness of voices
• Sensory details: what the character feels, touches, smells and hears.

Worldbuilding and setting

• Clarity of time/place rules
• Integration of world details into the story
• Info-dumps vs. under-explaining
• Cultural, social, or historical coherence

Theme and emotional impact

• Your “advocacy” (overarching theme – making a difference)
• Whether themes are earned, not preached
• Emotional beats: where readers will likely feel what
• Moments that need more/less emotional weight

Scenes and transitions

• Scene goals and outcomes (does each scene matter?)
• Balance of action, dialogue, interiority, and exposition
• Transitions between scenes/time jumps

Dialogue and interactions

• Naturalness and distinct voices
• Dialogue serving conflict, character, and plot
• On-the-nose vs. subtext-rich exchanges

Consistency and continuity

• Timeline consistency
• Character ages, backstory facts, logistics
• Magic/science/technology rules followed

Representation and sensitivity

• Harmful stereotypes or clichés
• Questionable portrayals of marginalized groups
• Places where a separate sensitivity read is advisable
• Use of industry terminology or acronyms