From Rough Draft to Refined Story: Oliver’s Manuscript

“Highly recommended! I contacted several editors seeking advice but Yoanna was the only one who seemed to understand my predicament - I didn’t really know what kind of editing I required or what needed to be done to complete my manuscript. As a new author I really needed someone who would review my work and help me understand and get direction. Yoanna and I took a video chat and made a plan, then she maintained healthy communication and delivered on her end of our agreement. Yoanna can be trusted to deliver high quality edits, and I feel she has really taken a lot of time on attention to detail!”

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🌍 Who They Are:

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Oliver was an aspiring author working on his very first novel—a 100,000-word manuscript that he had spent a long time refining. He knew it needed fresh eyes, but he wasn’t sure what level of feedback was best. Should he go for beta reading or a structural edit? Unsure of the next step, he reached out for guidance.

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💡 The Challenge:

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His manuscript had a compelling premise but needed serious structural work—character arcs were incomplete, dialogue needed strengthening, and some scenes felt out of place. He wanted expert editorial insight but didn’t know which level of editing was right for his book.

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🔍 The Solution:

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We started with a discovery call to discuss his goals, audience, and the specific challenges he faced as a first-time author. After talking through his concerns, I explained the different levels of editing and we determined that a full developmental edit + line editing was the best route.

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🛠 The Editing Process:

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✔ Developmental Editing:

• Restructured sections to improve pacing & clarity
• Strengthened character arcs for deeper emotional impact
• Revised dialogue for authenticity & engagement
• Added missing scenes and removed those that weren’t serving the story

✔ Line Editing:

• Smoothed out prose for a more polished, immersive read
• Strengthened sentence flow and word choice
• Ensured consistency in tone and voice

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📑 Deliverables:

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After completing the edits, I provided Oliver with:

• A fully marked-up manuscript with in-line suggestions
• A detailed editorial report outlining structural changes, key areas of improvement, and recommendations for revisions
• Explanations for every change to help him grow as a writer

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📞 Final Steps & Results:

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After reviewing the edits, we hopped on another call to discuss everything in detail. He had a chance to ask questions, gain clarity, and feel confident in his next steps (and we chatted about the journey of the main characters–when you work with me, you can bet I will be gushing about your characters for a while!). Once he made his revisions, I did a final read-through to ensure the manuscript was polished and ready for the next stages.

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✨ The Outcome:

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Oliver’s book went from a rough draft with potential into a refined manuscript with strong character development, engaging dialogue, and a compelling narrative flow. But even more importantly, by the end of the process, he not only had a much stronger book but also felt more confident as a writer moving forward, and that is always my ultimate goal.

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🎯 Takeaway:

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If you’re unsure about what level of editing your manuscript needs, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Let’s chat and find the right path to make your book the best it can be!