Preface Introduction What Developmental Editing Is Whom This Book Is For What This Book Covers How to Use the Exercise Packet Some Ground Rules A Few Notes about Cultural Assumptions 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 Exercises 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 Exercises 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 Fine-Tune the Timeline Restore Bits of Argument Exercises 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 Fine-Tune the Argument Restore Bits of Timeline Exercises 6. Plan: Drafting a Blueprint Write Up the Plan Compose Chapter Theses Intervene Strategically Exercises 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 Exercises 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 Exercises 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 Anticipate the E-Version Consider Epigraphs Draft an Art Plan Illustrate Concepts Visualize Data Test-Drive Maps Add Lagniappe 11. Fiction: Weaving the Dream Author Profile: The Friend Client Profile: The Genre Boutique Assignment: The Novel with Genre Dysphoria Vet the Premise Scope Out the Form Position the Narrator Scout the Setting Know the Genre Advance the Plot Render the Characters Sweat the Details Afterword to Publishers Further Reading Acknowledgments Index.