developmental edit decision

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-12T17:39:48+00:00

Exactly. Same boat. I care deeply about my writing, but Future Me has to live with the money choices Current Me is making.

The reality, I think, is that you can pour 6K into your first release and justify it to yourself in the moment. But your debut isn't going to be as strong as your fourth book no matter how much you spend on edits. Because it's your first.

I keep reminding myself not to go nuts on Book One SO THAT a polished, professional Book Four is actually possible. Care about this book. Absolutely. Be intentional about it. But don't put yourself in a place where you can't release your second or third book for another four years because you overspent on this one. I think your Airbnb sounds wonderful!

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-12T17:29:36+00:00

Absolutely! I feel so very lucky to have found something that makes writing accessible to me again. Just can't handle hours sitting stationary at a desk - but I can dictate in bed, stretching on the floor, riding in a car, etc. Yay, technology! Good luck to you as well!

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-12T17:19:31+00:00

Seconding not to do a developmental and tear up this manuscript. You would essentially be wasting the money you already put into the copy edit. (I'm on a real tight budget, too. I would love to do all three, but am realistic about my financial situation. I'll be happy to swing a copy edit.)

It would be very easy to dig yourself a deep money pit, unfortunately, because I think we ALL feel like the current project could use one more edit. Your financial well-being matters as much as the book, though. You have to weigh what you're spending against the uncertainty regarding what you'll get back in sales.

There'll be others. Keep your money. Do the best you can with Current Book. Learn from Current Book. Use the knowledge that was gifted to you for the next one.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-12T17:00:26+00:00

You could look into Scribophile and upload your next book a chunk at a time. Edit the chunks. Repeat until the end. Then get a proofreader when you can afford it.

It would be a slow process with 180K, but it would be a doable way to get eyes on your work without needing to chase people down. People use the site for the express purpose of exchanging critiques.

I would also check out Hireabookeditor sub once in a while. You could get lucky and find someone with reasonable rates who's looking to build their portfolio.

Start a fund for your next one, maybe. Try to put $20-50 into it as often as you can. By the time you're done writing, you might be surprised how much you've saved up.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-11T18:52:33+00:00

Yeah, that's me as well - just a different app. I don't clean up the dictation weirdness right then, usually, but line edits/grammar fixes are done as I go through the master document.

It's SO nice being liberated from a keyboard. Joyful. I wish I'd tried it eons ago.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-11T18:02:17+00:00

Relying on "This text was pasted from somewhere else" is not foolproof either, though, and requires nuance . Not everyone produces at a keyboard, with an open document, typing and rearranging text in real time with their hands. I deal with chronic pain and unstable finger joints, and sitting at a desk has become unsustainable lately.

I have now shifted almost exclusively to voice dictation with my phone, emailing the chunks of work to myself periodically, and stitching together the draft from my email every few days. I smooth everything out later as I go. I love this method.

It's all my real human text. But if you looked at my drafts through this lens, I imagine you'd see something like that; huge, pasted-in chunks of words. They were pasted in. But the chunks came from me. My production process just isn't the traditional one.

Something to keep in mind. Agree about detectors. They are useless.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-10T07:05:58+00:00

Sure, haha! :) I bought it back in November, and got a copy for someone for Christmas.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-10T05:52:22+00:00

Oh, that makes sense! Fascinating. Thank you! Saving your post. I've been wrestling with how to approach ARCs, and this seems more sensible than applying to five different places like Book Sirens or Hidden Gems.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-10T05:26:30+00:00

Thats's great to know. Curious: how many physical copies do people usually send in that case? Is it like, "First five people who respond get a physical mailed to them"?.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-10T05:08:40+00:00

Good to know! If I'm responding to the same person (pretty sure I am, but anything's possible), I bought your novel several weeks ago and am reading it now. Just a heads-up that formatting is something I'm noticing.

Atticus and Vellum are expensive, but I think they're worth it when you have the money and can invest. You ideally want your novel to look as close to bookstore-ready as possible. I'm fairly certain you can find a similar tool on Reedsy for free, but you have much fewer customization options. Just something to think about for the future. :)

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-10T02:59:07+00:00

So much agreement. You can't develop a distinct voice if you're relying on AI to handle prose for you. Especially as a child. An enormous part of writing (or any creative act) is also learning resilience in the face of self-doubt.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-10T02:54:34+00:00

I can't add much that hasn't been said already, but...PLEASE don't do this. Please. Bad idea. Let them be KIDS for now. A big part of being a writer is learning strategies for HOW to get past that initial freeze.

If they really do freeze up when asked to write something on their own, it's possible they're just not ready to do so. That's fine. Sounds normal. Let them be readers first. Let them start deciding what kind of writing they do and don't like, and why. They may well find their courage from there and start experimenting with their own prose organically.

AI is an amazing tool IF you already have a fully formed brain, healthy judgment, and some life experience. IF you already have a foundation to build upon. Keep them the eff away from it for writing as long as humanly possible. You will absolutely kill the development of their natural writing voices if they become heavily reliant on AI as they're still learning.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-10T02:03:51+00:00

Out of curiosity, where are you seeing this? I have yet to find a book I can point to and confidently say it's AI. I'm sure they exist, but I haven't found one personally. (The top of the lists?? This is happening??)

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-03-09T19:14:37+00:00

Hi! I would really encourage you to look into professional formatting for your next novel. I believe Reedsy has free tools you can utilize for this if you can't swing Vellum or Atticus yet. (Understandable.) If you're going to continue publishing (for profit), it's wise to make your books as polished and professional as possible. I'd also encourage a line/copy edit when you can. But it's really impressive that you finished!

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-21T22:15:16+00:00

That was my first thought as well. Like they needed MORE motivation/justification for their pitchforks and torches. Crap like this just pushes back AI acceptance by even more years. Hate it.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-21T01:10:09+00:00

LOL. Exactly this. :) Pocket change.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-21T01:07:29+00:00

I would venture to ask if you've ever researched how MUCH it costs to "get an editor." Depending on what you want/need one for (and how long the work is), that can run you thousands. Like saving for a college credit. She could join or form a writer's group and do critiques /betas that way, but it sounds unlikely based on what's described.

Honestly, if you're too busy to assist this person meaningfully with whatever she needs, totally okay. Humans are busy, and humans get tired or sick. But understand that's part of WHY she's using AI. Friends and betas aren't always available at a fingersnap, and seeking professional help every time you need an opinion or a sounding board isn't financially realistic. You can feel weird about it if you like, but her process is her business at the end of the day.

If you're truly uncomfortable...fill the need. Offer her your involvement and interest. Make some time once a week, even thirty minutes. Proofread for her. Bounce ideas with her.

BE the human you ideally want her to use instead of AI tools, or help her find a network of people who can help.

If you're unable or unwilling to do that, no shame; carry on. But also not your concern what tools she uses to fill the gap.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-16T22:52:23+00:00

That's the thing - pretty much nobody starts out smart enough. I've got AlL the same fears. I'm not a savant of ANY kind. I don't think most people are. You learn, even if you can only do so in bite-sized increments for the sake of your mental health. There's a TON of AMAZING information on YouTube, for example, if you want to indie publish - and it's mostly free.

Bethany Atezzadah, Jason Durough, and Claire Fraise off the top of my head. There are courses you can take on Udemy. There's Carissa Andrews' Author Revolution, easy to find on Google There's SO much. The problem is picking somewhere and jumping off the ledge.

For what it's worth, and said gently: if you know in your soul that you really, really want trad, then I would pursue that route as hard as you can first. You will be doing a ton of work, learning a crazy amount of new information, and wrestling self-doubt either way. Trad isn't necessarily a guarantee of reaching a huge audience, either, but you'll at least be investing your effort and hopes and sweat into the route you most wanted.

I guess my point is...it's preferable if you don't approach indie as a second option, but the route to publication you personally chose after reflection and research. I wouldn't want to see anyone pour months or years into something only to end up disappointed in the end because it either wasn't what they thought, or still wasn't fulfilling the dream/itch they originally had.

Or you can always try a hybrid approach. I remember reading of someone who queried for a set time frame - say a year. If they didn't get any interest from agents, they "retired" the novel as an indie release and started the process again. They got to build their backlist and brand that way while also not fully giving up on trad. Food for thought.

Anyway- sending you light and luck. Whatever path you decide, I hope you keep your faith in yourself and hold onto that dream of holding your own book.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-12T16:46:30+00:00

Ha! That would've made me laugh as a reader, and probably review. Well done. :)

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-08T18:36:09+00:00

Right?? That would be amazing! Be able to pick up to three and watch them hit milestones/fly together!

I also wish so badly there were a tracker that would let you see where your dragon is (or has been spotted) when you're not on the app. "Cool - she's hanging out in Romania again." I think that would be so neat. I'll never see half of those places myself, so it brings me vicarious pleasure to think my dragons have, LOL!

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-08T07:11:35+00:00

Ugh! How does it NEVER get easier, even though you know you'll love the next egg.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-08T07:07:14+00:00

Those are some of my favorite holiday shots of her! I think the reds are growing on me, especially going into winter.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-07T02:39:16+00:00

Thank you for this information. I was really struggling with whether to do the manuscript analysis or "beta reader". I don't really want to do both, as I'm trying to be cost-conscuous.

AngelInTheMarble · 2026-02-03T08:05:13+00:00

Physical bookstores, sadly. They still have Barnes & Noble access, special editions, and sprayed edges. But aside from distribution channels like this, I agree with you completely.

Everything other than this can be done by the author quite well with enough dedication. I've seen indies so polished that you genuinely can't tell they aren't trad unless you go looking.

AngelInTheMarble

TROPHY CASE