Blackburn Editorial is Lily Blackburn, professional editor and writer based in Portland, Oregon.

Developmental Editing

Have you taken your latest draft as far as you can go on your own, but need someone to make sense of it all? Are you unsure which scenes in your novel to keep, and what's distracting the reader from the main plot? Wondering if you have enough “plot” at all? Whether your first page hooks readers, or leaves them waiting for the story to really get started? If your dialogue is too expository? A developmental editor can answer these questions and more by providing page-by-page commentary on your work-in-progress. The addition of an editorial letter that summarizes and clarifies the editor’s comments and suggestions is like your very own personalized revision-map to help guide you through the next draft.

Manuscript Evaluations

So you’ve written a novel, or a memoir. But no one else has read it yet, and you’re essentially wondering if you’re on the right track, if the content is in line with your vision for the work. You need a high-level overview of how the content will translate to its audience, what’s working and what’s not working on a structural level—so you can start revising with confidence and clarity. 

Let's schedule a free, 30-minute consultation to discuss your project, and how I can help.