Preface Introduction What Developmental Editing Is Whom This Book Is For What This Book Covers Some Ground Rules 1 Concept: Shaping the Proposal Author Profile: The Veteran Client Profile: The Agent Assignment: The Proposal with Too Many Concepts Locate the Concept Profile the Audience Evaluate Market Potential Bring the Vision into Focus 2 Content: Assessing Potential Author Profile: The First-timer Client Profile: The Big Trade House Assignment: The Tome with Too Many Subjects Size Up the Author Size Up the Publisher Size Up the DE Create a Content Summary Find the Main Subject 3 Thesis: Finding the Hook Author Profile: The Coauthors Client Profile: The Small Trade House Assignment: The Study with Too Many Theses Cull Theses from Topics Beware of the Rehash Choose the Main Thesis Create a Working Title 4 Narrative: Tailoring the Timeline Author Profile: The Historian Client Profile: The Copublisher Assignment: The Sprawling Saga Untangle Timelines from Arguments Find the Main Timelines Brainstorm Timeline Strategies Compose the New Timeline Finetune the Timeline Restore Bits of Argument 5 Exposition: Deploying the Argument Author Profile: The Theorist Client Profile: The University Press Assignment: The Theory with Too Many Tangents Untangle Arguments from Timelines Find the Main Arguments Brainstorm Argument Strategies Compose the New Argument Finetune the Argument Restore Bits of Timeline 6 Plan: Drafting a Blueprint Write Up the Plan Compose Chapter Theses Intervene Strategically 7 Rhythm: Setting the Pace Author Profile: The Sole Authority Client Profile: The Regional House Assignment: The Local History Turned Personal Rearrange the Furniture Draft New Passages Balance Chapter Weights Edit for Pace 8 Transitions: Filling in the Blanks Author Profile: The Dead Author Client Profile: The Self-Publisher Assignment: The Memoir with Lapses Create Opening Transitions Create Closing Transitions Draw Conclusions Place Those Conclusions 9 Style: Training the Voice Author Profile: The Journalist Client Profile: The Book Packager Assignment: The Story with Too Many Voices Set the Tone Parse the Rhetoric Master Abstraction Gauge the Ironies Harmonize the Voices 10 Display: Dressing Up the Text Author Profile: The Author-for-Hire Client Profile: The Trade Reference House Assignment: The Guidebook with Poor Signage Consider Subheads Consider Epigraphs Draft an Art Plan Illustrate Concepts Visualize Data Test-Drive Maps Add Lagniappe Afterword Further Reading Acknowledgments Index.