Become a Freelance Fiction Developmental Editor
Fiction Developmental Editor Training
Thirteen teaching weeks of structured lessons, practical editorial work, and weekly one-to-one tutorials with Gary Smailes. You will also learn how to position your freelance business and build a long-term marketing strategy.
Request the written application
Enter your email address and Gary will send you the written application. This does not guarantee acceptance, confirm a start date, or require payment.
Gary normally replies the same working day.
Course outline
The course has five phases across 13 teaching weeks. Open any week below to see what it covers, what you will produce, and the planning estimate.
Phase One: Foundations
Week 1 — Understanding Developmental Editing
You will distinguish developmental editing from line editing, copyediting, proofreading, rewriting, and book coaching. You will examine author ownership, editorial ethics, professional boundaries, and the difference between personal preference and editorial judgement.
You will produce: a starting assessment, personal development goals, an Editorial Ethos and Recommendation Standard, and a working genre choice.
Planning estimate: 4–6 hours.
Week 2 — Evidence, Reading and Intention
You will learn the evidence-based editorial method, create a first-pass reading system, and establish a book's intentions, genre, audience, tone, themes, tropes, and reader promise.
You will produce: an evidence-based editorial comment, a First-Pass Reading Notes System, and an Intention, Genre and Creative Contract Worksheet.
Planning estimate: 6–8 hours.
Phase Two: The Editorial Toolkit
Week 3 — Chapters and Narrative Movement
You will assess chapter purpose, boundaries, starting and ending states, meaningful change, and the way individual sections contribute to the wider book.
You will produce: a Chapter Assessment Record and a Narrative Change Map.
Planning estimate: 6–8 hours.
Week 4 — Conflict, Narrative Distance and Character Motivation
You will assess conflict, opposition, tension, and stakes; distinguish showing, telling, scene, summary, and narrative distance; and examine character goals, motives, decisions, and agency.
You will produce: selected Conflict Map entries, a Showing-and-Telling Assessment Record, and Character Motivation Assessment Records.
Planning estimate: 6–8 hours.
Week 5 — Character Development and Plot Structure
You will track character development and relationships, assess whether arcs are earned, and examine plot structure through causality, turning points, escalation, subplots, climax, and resolution.
You will produce: a Character Arc Map and a Structural Map with prioritised assessments.
Planning estimate: 6–8 hours.
Week 6 — Pace, Information and Dialogue
You will distinguish pace, momentum, and rhythm; assess what readers and characters know and when they know it; and examine dialogue through goals, subtext, power, relationship, and change.
You will produce: a Pacing Map, selected Information and Reveal Maps, and a Conversation Map with evidence-based recommendations.
Planning estimate: 6–8 hours.
Week 7 — Point of View, Emotion and Worldbuilding
You will assess viewpoint control, narrative access and distance, emotional preparation and payoff, and the way setting, description, and worldbuilding affect the reader's experience.
You will produce: a Point-of-View Assessment, an Emotional Arc or Payoff Map, and selected Setting and Worldbuilding Maps.
Planning estimate: 6–8 hours.
Week 8 — Continuity and Whole-Book Assessment
You will assess continuity, consistency, repetition, openings, endings, setups, and payoffs before grouping related diagnoses into a prioritised editorial roadmap.
You will produce: selected Continuity, Knowledge, Timeline and Repetition Maps; a Whole-Book Opening-and-Ending Assessment; and a draft Editorial Roadmap.
Planning estimate: 8–10 hours.
Phase Three: Capstone Editorial Project
Week 9 — Manuscript Diagnosis and Evidence
You will begin the capstone using a course-provided fictional or authorised manuscript. You will complete an experiential first pass, an analytical second pass, an intention brief, and the maps needed to test your most important reactions.
You will produce: first-pass notes, an intention and genre brief, a manuscript diagnosis, supporting maps, and a ranked set of priority problems.
Planning estimate: 8–12 hours.
Week 10 — The Editorial Report
You will turn the capstone diagnosis into a professional editorial report that identifies strengths, groups related problems, supports conclusions with evidence, and provides a sequenced roadmap for revision.
You will produce: a complete developmental editing report and editorial roadmap.
Planning estimate: 8–12 hours.
Phase Four: Building the Freelance Business
Week 11 — Genre Positioning and Your Service Offer
You will confirm your working genre specialism and define your ideal clients, service scope, sample edit, revision policy, post-edit support, pricing approach, payment process, and professional boundaries.
You will produce: a genre positioning statement, ideal-client profile, defined service offer, inclusions and exclusions, and draft client policies.
Planning estimate: 4–6 hours.
Week 12 — Your Presence and Marketing Plan
You will create a clear marketing message and choose a small number of repeatable marketing actions that suit your genre, strengths, time, and budget.
You will produce: a website or services-page plan, portfolio plan, marketing message, lead-tracking approach, and realistic 90-day marketing plan.
Planning estimate: 4–6 hours.
Phase Five: Review and Next Steps
Week 13 — Review, Readiness and Development Plan
You will compare your capstone work with your starting assessment, review the course outcomes, and identify the areas that still need deliberate practice.
You will produce: a final self-assessment, evidence of progress, and a 90-day professional development plan.
Planning estimate: 3–5 hours.
Prices and payment options
Three payments
3 × $900
$2,700 total
The first payment is due when you accept an offer, before Week 1. The second payment is due at the start of Week 5, and the third at the start of Week 9.
Two payments
2 × $1,275
$2,550 total
The first payment is due when you accept an offer, before Week 1. The second payment is due at the start of Week 7.
Paid in full
$2,400
$2,400 total
Due when you accept an offer and enrol.
Learn from Gary's editing experience
Gary Smailes has worked as a developmental editor for more than twenty years. Early in his career, he worked as a researcher and editor on the worldwide bestselling Horrible Histories series.
His work has included books for Big Five publishers as well as independent authors. In 2007, he started BubbleCow for the growing self-publishing market.
The training is based on the evidence-led working methods Gary uses at BubbleCow and the professional judgement he has developed while editing fiction.
Read more about Gary Smailes.
Who this is for
This course is for committed beginners and adjacent professionals who want to become freelance fiction developmental editors.
You may already be a writer, beta reader, proofreader, copyeditor, teacher, writing tutor, or publishing-adjacent professional. You do not need professional developmental editing experience.
What the course expects from you
You must be willing to read long-form fiction carefully and more than once, practise consistently, attend the agreed tutorials, receive feedback, make your own editorial judgements, and keep manuscripts and author information confidential.
This is not proofreading or copyediting training, a shortcut to guaranteed work, or a way to rely on AI to make editorial decisions for you.
What you will learn to do
- Explain the role, scope and professional boundaries of a fiction developmental editor.
- Establish a book's intentions, genre, readership and creative contract before judging how well it works.
- Use a two-pass reading process to separate initial reactions from evidence-based diagnoses.
- Assess chapters, plot, character, conflict, pace, information, dialogue, viewpoint, setting, continuity and whole-book structure.
- Distinguish symptoms from root causes and recommend proportionate solutions that protect the author's voice.
- Prioritise interconnected problems and turn them into a clear editorial roadmap.
- Write professional, constructive manuscript feedback and a coherent developmental editing report.
- Position a freelance developmental editing business for a defined genre and suitable clients.
- Define a clear service offer, pricing approach, professional boundaries and client policies.
- Create a professional presence, marketing message and long-term marketing strategy.
- Turn that strategy into a practical 90-day marketing plan and lead-tracking process.
How each teaching week works
- Gary gives you the week's PDF lessons, assignment brief, and any fictional or authorised practice material.
- You read the lessons and attempt the exercises.
- You complete one combined weekly assignment.
- You send Gary the agreed work and your questions before the tutorial.
- During your 30–45-minute tutorial, you discuss your decisions, examine the evidence, test alternative diagnoses, and agree your next priorities.
The tutorial is not simply a lecture. It is where Gary helps you understand why an editorial judgement is strong, weak, or incomplete. If you need to change a deadline or tutorial date, contact Gary as early as possible so that a different arrangement can be agreed.
How to apply
- Request the written application.
- Complete and return it.
- Gary reviews your application.
- If you are accepted, Gary sends a written offer confirming the proposed dates, planned breaks, price, payment schedule, and terms.
- You enrol by accepting the offer, agreeing to the terms, and making the required first payment.
Applications are accepted throughout the year. Requesting or returning an application does not guarantee acceptance or an immediate start date.
Questions
Do I need professional editing experience?
No. Committed beginners can apply. You must be willing to read critically, practise consistently, receive feedback, and revise your work and judgement.
Is the training only for fiction?
Yes. It teaches fiction developmental editing. It does not teach nonfiction developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading, rewriting, ghostwriting, or book coaching as an initial service.
When can I start?
Applications are accepted throughout the year. If you are accepted, you and Gary agree your start date, tutorial dates, and any planned breaks before you enrol. Start dates depend on Gary's availability.
How much time will I need?
Most teaching weeks require approximately 4–8 hours. Week 8 requires approximately 8–10 hours, each capstone week requires approximately 8–12 hours, and Week 13 requires approximately 3–5 hours. These are planning estimates.
What happens in the weekly tutorials?
You discuss the week's lessons and practical work, examine the evidence behind your decisions, test alternative diagnoses, and agree your next priorities. Each teaching week includes one 30–45-minute private tutorial.
What feedback is included?
You receive formative feedback during the weekly tutorials. Gary also assesses your capstone diagnosis and editorial report and discusses the further practice you may need before accepting paid work.
Do I need my own manuscript?
No. The capstone uses a course-provided fictional or authorised manuscript. Its genre, length, and assignment scope are confirmed before the project begins.
Will I be ready to work with clients?
That depends on the quality of your work, your response to feedback, and the practice you complete. In Week 13, you and Gary review your progress and identify the conditions you should meet before taking paid work.
Will I receive a certificate?
No. The course does not issue a certificate and is not a formal professional accreditation.
How may AI be used?
You may use AI for administration, brainstorming, and checks, but you must make your own editorial decisions and write your own assignments. Never upload author material to an AI or third-party service without clear permission, and tell Gary about any substantial AI help.
What if I fall behind or need to reschedule?
Contact Gary as early as possible. Changes to assignment deadlines or tutorial dates must be agreed rather than assumed.
Can the course content change?
Gary may make reasonable adjustments to examples, exercises, lesson sequencing, or time spent on a topic. These changes will not remove the 13 teaching weeks, weekly tutorial entitlement, scheduled assignments, capstone project, or core outcomes described when you enrol.
Apply for one-to-one training
Thirteen teaching weeks. A private tutorial every week. An assessed capstone project. Practical preparation for building your freelance fiction editing service.