This is a brief description of how I approach a nonfiction developmental editing project. The author has completed a dissertation and needs to revise it for publication. It has already been submitted to a university press, so there are concrete tasks suggested by the press’s manuscript reviewers.

Step 1: Keeping in mind the readers’ comments, your proposal, and the notes from our meeting, I will read the entire manuscript and make notes. From those notes, I will rework the table of contents in a detailed manner.

Back to you: I’ll seek your input and approval for the reworked table of contents. All documents returned to you will be in MS Word with Track Changes locked on so that I can see your changes and comments.

Step 2: Using the revised table of contents and any further information you provide, I’ll cut and move your words to fit, noting any gaps that appear and suggesting transitions between paragraphs, chapters, and ideas. I won’t track such changes as “dissertation” to “book” and standard formatting, but I will query more substantive changes. The first pass will strive to strengthen the content and sharpen the focus in accord with your vision and the readers’ suggestions. I’ll look at the big picture, see what’s missing, and rearrange sections to find the best organization of material—making sure the structure and flow are effective and checking for gaps in logic.

Back to you: I’ll seek your input and approval on the revised manuscript. All documents returned to you will be in MS Word with Track Changes locked on so that I can see your changes and comments.

Step 3: After you review the changes and revise as necessary, I will clean up the manuscript in preparation for submission to the press. I’ll accept or reject all changes in accordance with your wishes and apply style decisions consistently throughout the manuscript. I’ll also run spell-checking and consistency software so that the manuscript is as clean as possible before resubmission. It will still go through copyediting and proofreading by the publisher, so I will not be actively seeking to make copyediting-level decisions, but if something jumps out at me I’ll fix it.

Back to you: You’ll receive your manuscript in MS Word with all changes accepted, ready to submit to your publisher.

Proposed schedule: I will begin upon receipt of deposit and should be able to provide a draft table of contents by Month XX, 20XX. I suggest you take three or four weeks to review and provide revisions of the table of contents back to me by Month XX. I will work on revising your manuscript according to that document and provide the first edit back to you around Month XX. You should take another month (or longer) to review and revise the first edit. Once you return it to me, it should take about two weeks for me to clean up the manuscript and ready it for resubmission, probably sometime in Month.

Rate and payment: My rate for developmental editing on this manuscript is $XX per hour. I will keep close track of my hours and provide monthly invoices that are payable upon receipt. I also require a deposit of $X,XXX before I begin. If you wish to continue working on your own without my editing services at any point, I will provide you with the password to unlock Track Changes upon payment of any outstanding balance.