What's a developmental edit?

Is the story not working? You might need a developmental edit. 

Are characters unmotivated?
Is the world you built not coming off like you had hoped?
Developmental editing is what helps you solve those problems.

A developmental edit is similar to a manuscript critique in that it involves reading the manuscript looking for what is going well and what isn’t going so well, but it goes far more in-depth.

I make notes on all the aspects of the craft of writing: conflict, plot (or plot holes!), structure, character motivation and development, setting and description etc.

I'm checking if the story hits or misses critical plot points. Does the story have a saggy middle? Are connections between characters and events working or falling flat?

If the manuscript suffers from "showing versus telling," ineffective dialogue, head hopping or information overload, I  give suggestions and comments on ways it could be recrafted.

At the end of developmental edit, the manuscript has comments. Also I provide detailed, manuscript-specific feedback, suggestions, and solutions to all of these issues in a 20–30 page editorial report.

To help you know where to start,  I provide a suggested work plan to help guide you through the revisions.