Intending to become a hybrid author, I recently made the decision to self-publish my romantic suspense. I’ve spent a lot of time this past month researching the steps to self-publish, and identified editors and designers I wanted to hire. After a brief break between projects—a break in which I went a little crazy from boredom—I finally got my editorial letter back from my developmental editor. Now the real work begins.
I’ll admit, I was a nervous wreck the week my editor had my manuscript. A developmental edit is focused on making your story stronger. This could mean major rewrites such as character development, fixing plot holes, changing point-of-view, or starting at a completely different spot. Of course, I always like to prepare for the worst (my friends and loved ones like to say that’s a bit pessimistic, but I’d argue that it’s being proactive), so I was mentally psyching myself up for some hardcore work. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case!
Whew.
Editing Updates
This was my first official opportunity to work with a developmental editor, and it was a great experience. Her letter was thorough and encouraging. She also went through the manuscript and made notes and copy edits. I found the comments to be super helpful to identity where the “problem areas” were located so I could dig in immediately. For the most part, the suggested edits were to tighten up plot, ensure the personality traits of my heroine stayed consistent, fact check some points, and add some detail for clarification. No major rewrites!
As my editor* said, “To sum up, you’ve got a super engaging, suspenseful story here. I just think you have to fill in a couple holes and give the reader a bit more clarification in some areas. Most of the edits should be adding a sentence here or there, rather than major rewrites. Even with the holes, I was on the edge of my seat, which should tell you something :)”
This made me feel super excited about it. What’s the story about? Here’s the gist.
About No Place to Hide
Moving on from a breakup is never that simple, is it?
Café owner Emily Ayers has a full life. Satisfying. Steady. Predictable. That is, until she’s blindsided by her fiancé’s infidelity. As if that wasn’t enough, she finds his mistress Melissa dead in the dumpster behind her café—making Emily the number one suspect on handsome detective Ben Hunter’s list. And he’ll be damned if he doesn’t catch his man…or woman, even if she’s the most intriguing woman he’s ever met.
Fighting their attraction, Emily and Ben partner up and soon discover Melissa was a ghost even before she was brutally murdered. Without a digital footprint or traceable past, it’s impossible to identify the motive behind the killing.
But someone knows something…
Thrust into a world of deception, danger, and unanswered questions, can they find the killer before it’s too late?
What’s Next?
I’ll make the changes in my manuscript and ship it off to a copy editor. After that, the proofreader. My cover designer started working on the initial cover concepts this weekend, and I’m so excited to see the options she comes up with. I can’t wait to share it with you!
I’m still learning the ins and outs of publishing, but I hope to have this available in the fall. If you’re interested, sign up for my newsletter here to be notified on new releases.
*If you’re interested in hiring a developmental editor, I used Megan Records vis Reedsy.
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