Developmental editing for a nonfiction book

What should the reader understand or be able to do after this book? Make the answer specific enough to compare with the actual chapters. A promise to understand everything about a subject is not a usable boundary.

For an invented guide to running a first community writing group, the promise might be to plan a meeting, give useful feedback and handle common participation problems. A long history of literary salons only belongs if it helps that reader make those decisions.

Map each chapter's question, main claim, evidence or example, and connection to the next chapter. If two chapters answer the same question without changing its scope or application, they may need different jobs, a merger or a cut.

Check prerequisites. If chapter five assumes a concept first explained in chapter eight, decide whether to reorder, introduce a brief definition or remove the assumption. A helpful sequence makes the reader's next question easier to answer.

A memorable story can help explain an idea without establishing that it is generally true. Label examples, observations, estimates and evidence so the reader does not confuse their roles.

Keep a claim list outside the draft. For each claim that needs support, note its source, relevant date, limitations and whether a qualified person needs to review it. The developmental read should flag where support is missing, not invent citations to fill the gap.

For practical nonfiction, follow one reader problem through the sequence. Can the reader act using only the information supplied so far? A polished definition may still omit the decision criteria or worked example needed for action.

For narrative nonfiction, test causality, chronology and the distinction between reported fact and interpretation. For academic or specialist work, use appropriate subject review in addition to editorial diagnosis. Wordsmith's whole-book read is a craft tool, not a certification of correctness.