Hi. 👋 I'm Carly. I help science fiction and fantasy authors with developmental editing.

What is Developmental Editing?

Developmental editing is about looking at your manuscript as a whole to review the plot, character development, and themes. Best practices are to complete one or two drafts of your novel and then hire a developmental editor before doing a line edit or copy edit.

I also offer a Story Consultation if you need some feedback on an incomplete work-in-progress (WIP).

I love working with these genres (and discovering new genres!):

• Solar punk

• Dystopian

• Dark fantasy

• Cyberpunk

• Space opera

• Urban fantasy

• Speculative fiction

• Period fiction

• Epic fantasy

• YA Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Narrative Nonfiction

About me

I have a Journalism degree which taught me to identify and highlight the core of a story. I love working with authors who have created complex worlds. When editing a book or story, my goal is to make sure the author's intent is effectively communicated to the reader.

In 2025 I completed the Developmental Editing for Fiction course offered by Editorial Arts Academy.

I have served as a judge for the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-book Awards.

I also host a podcast delving into themes of books and genres called The Book Club Podcast.

”Carly provided me with a detailed chapter by chapter evaluation, mapped out the story arcs and character arcs, identified potential issues with the plot, suggested chapter re-orders to amplify the story and character progressions, and even identified development opportunities in supporting characters. Significantly, Carly produced a detailed timeline of important events to ensure the story arcs and character arcs matched the timeframes. This is an extremely important detail for stories like mine told out of order. Having worked with a development editor before, I can say with conviction that Carly went above and beyond to ensure the next round of edits will close the gaps and make for a much better final product. I will definitely be working with her again in the future.”

- K.M. Tyr

Thank you, Carly Rose. Your story consultation was so helpful! You helped me flesh out my story to make it fuller and more complete, gave me a few different options for character development to consider, and brainstormed some tricky worldbuilding aspects. Your story consultation was exactly what I needed - thank you!

- Cate Lawley

"Carly was a life saver on my book project. I was in a phase of feeling almost ready to publish my first book, but uncertain whether or not it was ready. I really needed an impartial reader to help me analyze its strengths and weaknesses. Carly really listened to my goals and what I wanted out of the edit. I felt understood and supported through the process. Her feedback was kind but thorough and specific to what I wanted out of the process. She helped me to feel confident while also showing me where I could improve. I was relieved when she told me that the themes in my book were clear, and also offered insight on better ways to advertise my book. Overall working with Carly was very helpful!"

-NewSong Bradley

Editing Services

Manuscript Review

Review a complete manuscript, leaving detailed comments reviewing plot arc, character development, prose, world-building, etc. Create an Editorial Letter exploring three to five story elements. Culminates in a video call with the author to review comments.

$0.015 per word

Alpha Reading

Video call to discuss an incomplete manuscript to review plot structure and character development. I will ask you to answer a few questions about your WIP before we meet.

$35 per hour-long conversation

Developmental Edit

Review a complete manuscript, create a comprehensive Editorial Letter exploring story structure, character development, pacing, and any other applicable craft elements. Scene-by-scene analysis tracking story arc, beats, world-building and other applicable story elements. Culminates in a video call with the author to review the report.

$0.028 per word

Story Consultation

Review a complete manuscript, with some comments in the margins.

$0.009 per word

Let's chat

If you want to explore working together, feel free to send me a message!

Let me know a bit about your story and if you are seeking help for a specific challenge.

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