The Huge Benefits of Working with a Developmental Editor

If you are a professional who wants to create a book (or books) to help build your business and your brand, a developmental editor (DE) can save you time, money, and losing a lot of sleep as you plan out your book and prepare to publish. What are the top three benefits of working with a developmental editor?

Saves You Time. The first thing we do is focus your audience and idea. It’s essential to know your audience. Think of it this way: would you walk out on a stage and start speaking about teaching elementary school students to a group of doctors at a medical conference? Of course not. Clearly knowing who your audience is will help you narrow the focus of your book so you are reaching the people you want to reach. Additionally, your DE can help you choose your chapter headings, figure out what materials to include, such as case studies, exercises, CTAs, and so forth.

Save You Money. It may seem as if the cost of a developer is high… until you consider a few essential factors:

• The amount of your valuable time wasted on writing drafts that go nowhere. How much time do you actually have to waste on something that doesn’t really benefit you at all?

• The amount of money it costs you if your book isn’t done well. How do you react to a badly written book? I personally just toss it and move on. And I never go back. That’s the kiss of death for you if you want your book to help you build your business and brand.

• The waste of money on editing and publishing a book that fails. It’s discouraging and costs a lot in terms of your self-worth, not to mention your business.

Helps with Organization and Accountability. Every client I work with seems to relax and begin to enjoy the process of writing their book as soon as I begin guiding them through the process. It’s always helpful to have someone who knows what they’re doing in your corner, right? No more head-spinning. No more freaking out about what to include, or how much, or what to leave out because it doesn’t fit. The selfconfidence I see grow in my authors as they make steady progress to complete their book(s) is wonderful to behold. And when they finish? Pure joy.

My final tip is to be sure you work with a DE who knows your genre. For example, I specialize in nonfiction, particularly expert books for entrepreneurs. I would be the wrong DE for someone writing a, say, romance novel. Be sure you question that before hiring your DE.

If you want more information, feel free to jump on my calendar for a nopressure conversation: https://calendly.com/ livingmycreativity/ chatwithkristy. I’ll even throw in my free Book Development Checklist, straight to your email. Ciao for now, folks.

Boyd Johnson is an awardwinning children’s author, and has ghostwritten over 30 books for entrepreneurs over the years. She is a sought-after developmental editor and transformational book coach. She recently launched Starseed Journey Retreats because she can’t imagine anything better than being a beautiful location with beautiful people who want to reconnect with their deepest selves through writing.