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Immersion in Developmental and Content Editing

Editors, by now you know that immersion editing is all about going deeper. Well, there’s no better way to go deeper than with developmental editing and content editing. So come take the plunge with Immersion in Developmental and Content Editing on Tuesday nights, April 23 through June 4.

scuba diver in water

Please allow me to continue the water analogies: Developmental editing and content editing are uncharted seas for most editors. I know many editors who have never taken on a developmental and/or content editing assignment.

Why? Perhaps because they assume they’ll be sailing into choppy, murky waters where monsters abide.

In contrast, proofreading and copyediting are (usually) crystal-clear waters with easy-breezy cruising. After all, those editing levels are about mechanics. They boil down to rules and standards someone else has established. You can lean heavily—if not fall back on—CMOS, M-W, and in-house guides.

But there are no quick lookups with developmental editing and content editing. They’re not about grammar, spelling, style, punctuation, and other surface issues. Rather, they’re about organization, clarity, flow, intention, voice, and other in-depth issues.

How do you master developmental and content editing? By going deeper with immersion editing. So come take the plunge.

In this seven-week course, we’ll learn how to navigate these sometimes challenging waters. We will:

  • Define developmental editing, content editing, and copyediting—and see why the lines often blur.
  • Explore how developmental and content editing are perfect opportunities to go deeper with the immersion editing approach.
  • Compare and contrast developmental and content editing across the spectrum of traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing.
  • Uncover the secret immersion step that sets you up for success with developmental and content editing. (Spoiler: It happens before you make a single edit.)
  • Understand why developmental editing is so much more than a beta read.
  • Discover why content editing is the most important—yet most overlooked—level of editing.
  • Learn why it’s crucial to create positive, trust-based relationships with authors, project managers, and other key collaborators.

If you’ve ever worked with me, you know my copyediting and proofreading mantra: “Look up everything—even if you know it.” But developmental and content editing are things you can’t just look up. You have to learn it, swim it, sail it.

So let’s dive in together, matey.

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Say What: An Immersion in Dialogue—April 16

Confession: editing dialogue is, without a doubt, my favorite part of the job. It’s no surprise, then, that I’ve always wanted to do a class sharing my insights on dialogue with authors and other editors. So come join me for Say What?: An Immersion in Dialogue on April 16.

man speaking into can

I’m not sure why editing dialogue is so enjoyable for me. Going deeper with dialogue is an essential part of my immersion editing approach. Perhaps it’s because I believe that voice—a writer’s unique style, expression, sound, rhythm, and flow of words—is what makes great writing great.

And what is dialogue if not voice? It’s the voice of the people (fictional or real) in your book. It’s how they speak to themselves, to others, and to the readers.

Or who knows—maybe I love working with dialogue simply because I’m a talker. I love talking. (Usually with my hands waving wildly about, as anyone who’s spent more than five seconds with me knows.) But I also love listening to other people talk, especially authors as they talk about their books. I suppose dialogue is nothing more than “talking on a page.” What’s there not to love?

Whatever the reason, I have a special passion for dialogue, and I’m excited to share it during this class. Here’s a taste of the topics we’ll address:

  • Do you really have to stick to say and ask as dialogue tags?
  • What’s the hidden secret behind one of the most common dialogue foibles?
  • How do you avoid the “tennis match” effect of back-and-forth dialogue?
  • What does “show, don’t tell” have to do with dialogue?
  • How can a trip to a coffee shop or taking a selfie help you with dialogue?
  • And what’s the advanced-level tip that few authors seem to know?

Authors, come learn the inside scoop on how to make your dialogue speak for itself. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, dialogue is no doubt a key element in your book.

Editors too, come learn the inside scoop so you can apply it to the manuscripts you edit. Helping authors improve their dialogue is a major way to bring both them and their manuscripts to the next level.

I’ll see you there! (Spoiler alert: there will be a lot of talking.)