A mini-edit provides developmental feedback on up to 10,000 words. Get a taste of professional feedback to apply to the rest of your manuscript. It’s a first impression of what makes your story work so far, focusing on the main strengths and opportunities for improvement. It’s to guide your narrative into its most compelling form for readers in a way that matches your vision and goals. The idea is to draw readers into your story and convey your ideas as you intended on the page; I don’t dictate my personal preferences!
From hesitant to determined
I’ve helped more than thirty writers with their manuscripts, often with a focus on constructive and encouraging feedback for emerging authors. I’ll be honest about what works and what doesn’t – and I’m an educator, not a meanie. Feedback should leave you feeling empowered, not disheartened.
Would your story benefit from a mini-edit?
A mini-edit is for you if …
- You have completed your first draft and know you’ve got a great idea but are wondering if it comes across how you intended.
- You’ve read through the whole thing and made some improvements, but you want an outside opinion.
- You’re looking for feedback you can apply to your next round of revisions and self-editing.
But not a good fit if …
- You’re looking for a quick, surface-level fix. A mini-edit doesn’t address spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- You’re not open to constructive feedback and collaboration. If you’re not open to suggestions, a mini-edit won’t be a good fit.
- You expect me to do rewriting. I don’t offer ghostwriting, ghost editing, or book doctoring. You’ve invested time and energy crafting your story; you’re the best person to make creative decisions about which aspects of my feedback to take on board.
- You won’t be understanding if we have to reschedule a call due to a thunderstorm-induced power cut. This occasionally happens!
“I could get to the heart of what I was trying to say”
I really value Joanne’s contribution to my book. Her outside perspective helped me to pull out the real threads of my story and flesh them out, steering me in the most compelling direction for my readers. She made suggestions that I hadn’t thought of, and asked thoughtful questions that made me think about my story in new ways, so I could get to the heart of what I was trying to say. I would recommend her to anyone who requires a thoughtful editor to give honest and considered feedback.
Penny F
Fiction & memoir author
Joanne got the characters and the story so well, and my take on the genre – all things that make a real difference. I am so pleased with the quality of the report and the level of detail. It is truly precious! Joanne, I loved working with you, and really hope we can work together on the next one too! 🙂
Lara Byrne
Award-winning historical fiction author
What a mini-edit includes
- One close read through of the first 10,000 words of your manuscript.
- In-manuscript reader response comments and editorial notes.
- An editorial report considering characters, dialogue, stakes, plot, pace, transitions, description, setting/worldbuilding, backstory, showing and telling, and addressing your specific questions. My developmental feedback editorial reports are usually 3–4 pages of thoughtful commentary, without being overwhelming.
- Weekly email updates. These are short and casual to keep you up to date or ask a quick question.
- Introductory and feedback call. Or email if you prefer. (A follow-up call to discuss your revisions can be added at a reduced rate, if you like.)
What happens to your excerpt
After having a look at a sample of your work, and giving you some example comments to see if my feedback style is a good fit for you, you send me your first 10,000 words, and ideally a synopsis of your overall story. Your work, and our communications, remains confidential (unless you specifically ask me to shout about it!).
As I read your excerpt carefully, I make margin notes as comments in Word. These are my reader responses. They indicate areas that are very effective, as well as areas that are less effective. For example, where in your excerpt really grabbed my attention and built suspense, or made me care about the character. Though reader response comments are subjective, previous clients say they give a unique insight into how a reader responds to your words.
I also make editorial comments about what works well and what might trip readers up, such as a plot inconsistency or confusing description. These comments are much less subjective and focus on elements of writing craft.
I always have my notebook and pencil to record my impressions and reflections while reading. This helps me see the progress of your story when I look back, and see what you are trying to achieve.
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are ignored in a mini-edit because I am looking at the big-picture elements of story such as character, stakes, and plot, or any areas you’ve specifically asked for feedback on. Usually writers know which bits aren’t serving the story exactly how they want, and often have ideas on how to resolve it, but sometimes they second-guess themselves and it can help to get another opinion.
When I’ve finished the excerpt and reflected on my notes, I develop my editorial report. This summarizes the margin notes and provides more explanation and suggestions for you to consider. I triage issues with character, stakes and plot, or any other areas you’ve asked me to address, to focus on the most important issues in your work. This helps you focus on the key elements of your story that could benefit from development.
A mini-edit does not include the in-depth analysis that comes with a full developmental edit or the breadth that comes with developmental feedback from reading your whole story (though you are welcome to provide a short synopsis with your 10,000-word excerpt). A mini-edit can be a budget-friendly option suitable for emerging writers who want some actionable feedback to improve their storytelling craft. You can see examples of mini-edit feedback below.
After delivering your editorial report and annotated excerpt, we have a feedback call where you can ask me about the feedback. You can discuss your action plan with me to make sure you feel positive about your next steps!
What mini-edit feedback looks like
Here’s an example mini-edit feedback report. (Shared with kind permission from the author, though identifying details have been disguised for confidentiality.)
A mini-edit is feedback on your first 10K words
Choose the service that works best for you. Mini-edits, developmental feedback and developmental editing all consider the big-picture of your story. The different tiers are based on the amount of time I spend with your manuscript and the level of analysis and detail I write up for you.
Looking for focused feedback on the opening of your manuscript? Try a sample edit of 1,000 words for US$50 and gain valuable direction for your writing.
| Details | Full manuscript developmental edit | Full manuscript developmental feedback | Mini-edit developmental feedback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of read throughs. | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| In-manuscript reader responses and editorial notes. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Editorial report: characters, dialogue, stakes, plot, pace, transitions, description, setting/world, backstory, showing and telling. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Analysis of structure, scene-by-scene notes, character list, editorial questions and suggestions. | ✓ | x | x |
| Weekly email updates. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Introductory and feedback call (optional). | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Additional follow-up call (optional). | ✓ | x (available as an add-on) | x |
| Approximate duration in weeks. | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Approximate price for 80,000 words (mini-edit 10,000 words). | $2,095–$3,200 | $1,200–$2,400 | $240–$325 |
Ask me about local rates if you’re in Sri Lanka 🇱🇰
“Merged with my writing style perfectly”
I have worked with Joanne over a series of multiple books. She is a very talented editor. Working with her has been an absolute pleasure and she made it very easy! Joanne had a significant impact on my books and merged with my writing style perfectly. Whoever she is working for next is very lucky. Joanne, you deserve all the success in the world!
Zayden Stone
Mythology author
So happy with Joanne’s developmental feedback. Thorough, very detailed, and thoughtful. Plenty for me to reflect on and fix. Delivered ahead of time and was very clear in her progress at each stage. Joanne is very professional and I have no hesitation in recommending her. Thanks again!
Author wishes to remain anonymous
Publishing under a pseudonym
Feel free to reach out with questions or specific requirements and we can discuss how to best give your book the boost it deserves.
Looking for something else?
For a more comprehensive story-level service, I can read your whole manuscript and offer developmental feedback. If the big-picture elements are already in place, you might be looking for a sentence-level edit like a line edit.
Not ready for a professional edit yet? My post about self-editing might help.
Joanne Taylor • Ajatar Editing 