If your plot drifts or the middle sags, your story spine is weak. Learn how a developmental edit clarifies goals, raises stakes, and maps a clean arc from Inciting Incident to Climax.

Not sure which story structure to follow for your novel? From the classic Three Act Structure to Save the Cat!, the Hero’s Journey, Fictionary’s Story Arc, and The Plot Module, each framework offers a different way to shape your story. This guide breaks them down, shows how they overlap, and explains how a developmental editor uses them to make your manuscript stronger, clearer, and ready for readers. Perfect for self-publishing authors who want confidence in their revisions.

Editing a novel isn’t one-size-fits-all. From developmental editing to proofreading, each stage shapes your story in a unique way. This guide breaks down every type of editing, including what they fix, when to use them, and how to choose the right path for your manuscript. If you’re an author unsure where to begin, this step-by-step overview will help you build confidence and polish your book for readers.