Micro Developmental Edit

Do you have a solid plot and fully developed characters? World building established and pacing tight?

Now that you’ve addressed the story at large, it’s time to shift attention to the nitty gritty at scene level.

This service is for you if you’re asking yourself these questions:

  • Does every scene move the story forwards?
  • Is interiority and emotion well balanced?
  • Is my setting vivid?
  • Are there inconsistencies?
  • Am I showing instead of telling?
  • Have I repeated phrases or action beats?
  • Is dialogue believable?
  • Can I do anything else to strengthen my scenes?

My role is to zero in on the detail and make every scene earn its place. Filler scenes shall not pass! You want agents/publishers to request the full and readers to keep turning the page. One mediocre scene could be the difference between them finishing your story or DNFing it.

Price

Micro developmental edits are available for clients who have had a macro developmental edited completed by me to ensure your work is ready for this level of editing. Once your macro edits are done, you can send me your first chapter for a free micro edit as a bonus, and I can use this to personalise the price based on the work. The minimum charge is AUD$9.00 per 1000 words (Approx. USD$5.50) and may range up to AUD$20.00 per 1000 words.

  • Starting price applicable up to 90k words
  • Additional $1.50 per 1000 words for fantasy and other genres with heavy world building
  • Admin fee of AUD$12.00 for partials, AUD$25.00 for full manuscripts
 

Turnaround time: 7-10 days for partials, 14-21 days for full manuscripts depending on length
Bookings available 

Includes comments throughout your scenes that highlight what’s sizzling and what’s fizzling.

Genre exclusions: I’m not the best editor for heavy science fiction, heavy historical fiction, or heavy religious content. Blends/light inclusions of these are fine. For literary fiction, I take on limited projects. Please email me for more info.

Kind Words

“Kathryn has a keen eye to spot opportunities to make a scene stronger, to make your line-level writing shine and to point out continuity mistakes or incongruities. I had already done four drafts and multiple draft passes when Kathryn came in, and she managed to elevate my novel to heights that brought me much success in the query trenches! Plus, it’s a real pleasure to work with Kathryn!”

~ Horror Writer & Host of ‘Leftie Aubé’s Writing Podcast’

What's Next?

Want your story to standout on a slush pile or TBR stack? Let’s get cracking!

Email: [email protected]

Subject: Micro Developmental Edit

Body: Genre, word count & project stage + anything else you want me to know.

Testimonials

“If you're looking for the right person to hire to help you improve your novel, look no further! Kathryn has a keen eye to spot opportunities to make a scene stronger, to make your line-level writing shine and to point out continuity mistakes or incongruities. I had already done four drafts and multiple draft passes when Kathryn came in, and she managed to elevate my novel to heights that brought me much success in the query trenches! Plus, it's a real pleasure to work with Kathryn!"
Leftie AubéHorror writer & host of “Leftie Aubé’s Writing Podcast”
"Sending my manuscript to Kathryn was absolutely terrifying as a new author. I'd never let someone read my work before, and making yourself vulnerable to critique is never easy. And almost always stressful. Even more so when I got her email back with notes and within that same minute I was opening the document to take a look. Every critique, and comment, and question made me relax because even though my work needed work, needed help, I didn't feel under attack. Kathryn's words might have been insightful, but more, they were kind. Her suggestions were always to help, to give me options because she treated my work with respect. Having someone else's focus on your manuscript a heady, scary thing, but if you're brave enough, and when you're finally ready to make improvements, Kathryn will help. And you'll be glad she did."
JLAuthor of 'For What It's Worth' and 'The Voices'
"Sending your book baby to an outside reader is always a nerve-racking experience, but I'm glad I chose Kathryn to be my beta reader. She made numerous valuable observations in her Word comments and included a separate, thorough report on readability, dialogue, setting, plot, characters, and pacing. She pointed out the novel's strengths and weaknesses in her encouraging and constructive feedback. I would definitely use her services again!"
Susanna KantoAuthor of 'Caytee'
"As a writer, I've found it difficult to receive useful feedback for my projects. However, I can count on helpful and meaningful criticism from Kathryn. She isn't afraid to tell me her honest opinion; and if some aspects in my writing aren't working she tells me in ways that encourage me. At the same time, she gives helpful suggestions on how to boost certain elements based off of my strengths that she highlights. Kathryn is my cheerleader, and the first person I go to when I need help and advice with my writing."
JanayaWriter
“Kathryn was the perfect blend of quick, efficient, and thorough. I couldn’t believe the level of insight she provided to help me make my project so much better! I’m forever grateful for her help.”
AnonymousParanormal Mystery writer
"Kathryn has been super responsive and kind throughout the editing process. Her advice went much deeper than surface-level feedback and provided actionable ways to revise my novel. While feedback can be scary, Kathryn's approach is very gentle. She was honest about the strengths and flaws of my novel but always supportive. Kathryn fosters a positive environment for revising, making it easy to improve my work."
Kit WakelinYA Fantasy writer
"Kathryn was an absolute pleasure to work with from start to finish. Not only were her critiques insightful, but she is highly skilled at spotting things at both a macro and a micro level which is invaluable. Plus, with her positive attitude, even strengthening the weakest parts of my story has been an empowering and confidence-building experience. Thank you, Kathryn!"
Carly VickMG Horror writer
"I wouldn’t be where I am without Kathryn today. Kathryn was the first person I learned to trust and be vulnerable on my journey as a writer. Having being scammed once or twice, I reached out to Kathryn for advice and for honest feedback about my work and that is exactly what I received. For that I’m forever grateful. Kathryn has been the very best mentor, and I’m beyond thankful for her talent, time, meticulous critiques, and fair assessment of my work. She has made me a better writer and a better storyteller, and her perspective is always insightful and unique. She truly cares about the work she is reading, and the authors she’s helping develop. She is one of the few people I trust wholeheartedly in this industry. Kathryn, you’re not only wonderfully wise but you are generous and humble."
AnonymousRomance writer
"Having my work critiqued by Kathryn was invaluable in revising and improving my work. The in-line edits, comments, and big-picture suggestions were so considered and honoring of the story I am trying to tell while giving practical feedback and advice for changes to be made. When you spend so much time with your characters in your head, you sometimes forget readers don't know everything you know; Kathryn provided helpful suggestions and asked thought-provoking questions to help me make my characters shine. I thoroughly recommend working with her."
MoniqueYoung Adult writer
“Kathryn gave fantastic feedback on my submission materials! Her comments were thoughtful, offering improvements while highlighting what worked well. She is a wonderful asset to the writing community!”
LyndseyMG/YA Writer
"Kathryn has given us the best feedback we could have asked for! The beginning of our novel has been a struggle for us, going through several changes that never quite satisfied us until Kathryn stepped in. As most writers, we were a bit scared about what she might say, but we shouldn’t have: she has the great talent of pointing out the aspects you need to improve without undermining you or your novel. She works extremely fast and offers excellent ideas and insight, which have made our writing stronger. Kathryn has built us up as writers and we are incredibly grateful for her help."
June and RobinFantasy duo
"Kathryn has mastered the art of providing valuable, actionable feedback in the most positive and encouraging way! Whether your novel needs a major overhaul or smaller scale edits, her critiques will be honest and supportive and give you the tools to take your project to the next level. Getting to work with Kathryn was a fantastic experience all around!"
AnonymousFantasy writer
“Kathryn is a top-notch editor, whose keen eye for detail and continuity is unmatched. She balances honest criticism and advice with encouragement and support, which in the writing sphere, is much appreciated! I will be hiring her again for my next manuscript!”
Carrie Kwiatkowski Fantasy writer
"Kathryn provides a great balance of editorial insight with encouraging comments and questions, really digging deep into the manuscript. In the full developmental edit, she pointed out problems with my character arcs, as well as provided suggestions on how to iron out inconsistencies and strengthen character motivations. I feel confident moving forward with the next round of self-edits and I’ll be referring to her notes often!"
Clementine GrantRomance author