A working document
Developmental editing brief template
A developmental editing brief tells the reader what your book is trying to do without telling them what verdict to reach. Include the form, intended reader, word count, dated manuscript version, creative intention, unresolved questions and any boundaries on the work. Use the template below to make a one-page brief. It works for a human editorial engagement or your own preparation for a software read; it is not a promise that a tool will ingest these fields automatically.
By the Wordsmith team · Last updated
Build your editorial brief
No account needed. This tool does not upload your text or save it automatically. Download or copy your document before leaving the page. Keep manuscript excerpts and sensitive details in your own files.
0 / 2000 characters. Keep longer notes in your own document.
0 / 2000 characters. Keep longer notes in your own document.
0 / 2000 characters. Keep longer notes in your own document.
0 / 2000 characters. Keep longer notes in your own document.
0 / 2000 characters. Keep longer notes in your own document.
0 / 2000 characters. Keep longer notes in your own document.
0 / 2000 characters. Keep longer notes in your own document.
What belongs in the brief
Name the version being read. If you revise during the edit, keep that new draft separate so chapter references still mean something. Describe your intended reader concretely: not everyone who reads novels, but someone looking for this kind of experience.
Write the intention as an effect on the reader. For example: a family mystery in which the final discovery changes how the reader understands the narrator's loyalty. This is more useful than a list of themes or a defense of the prose.
- Working title, form and approximate length
- Dated file or version identifier
- Reader and intended reading experience
- Up to three decisions you cannot resolve alone
- Known omissions, constraints and scope exclusions
Ask for a diagnosis, not reassurance
A useful question is where the reader stops believing a character's decision, not whether the editor likes the character. Ask where the argument loses its thread, which chapters duplicate a job, or whether the ending earns the opening's promise.
Keep backstory explanations short. If a passage only makes sense after you explain it in an email, that may be exactly the problem the read should surface. Label a deliberate gap, but let accidental gaps remain visible.
Agree scope outside the template
A brief describes your book. It does not replace an editor's agreement about deliverables, payment, follow-up, confidentiality or timing. Put those terms in the engagement itself.
The worksheet stays in your browser's page memory and downloads as a text file. It does not upload your brief, save it to your account or send it to Fred. Save a copy before closing or refreshing the page. Ordinary site analytics may record a page visit, but this tool sends none of your entered text.
Frequently asked questions
Should the brief include a synopsis?
Include one if the editor asks for it. Keep the editorial brief focused on intention and questions; a synopsis describes what happens and may be a separate document.
Does this submit instructions to Fred?
No. This is a local preparation tool. Use the product's own upload and conversation surfaces for your manuscript and questions.
Can I use it before contacting a human editor?
Yes. It helps explain the book and the work you want quoted. Confirm their preferred format and scope separately.
Sources and product facts
- How Fred edits · Wordsmith's product method and limits, not proof of this guide's results
- Prepare a manuscript for developmental editing · Wordsmith's preparation workflow
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