← Right this way!
LET's CHAT
Don't hold back your Stardust.
A Developmental Editor is your secret weapon to creating a book that is professional, organized, and engaging.
Fully express your truest voice and perspective in your self- or hybrid-published book.
Writing a book is challenging.
You don’t have to go it alone.
You’ve written your book channeled your deep, impactful message straight from the stars and onto paper. You’ve spent months writing, revising, cutting, and even rewriting.
And finally, the time has come: your draft is complete! You want to hire a copy editor and a proofreader to get your book out into the world, but you wonder . . .
Is it really good enough yet?
So you ask everyone you know to read your manuscript, hoping they’ll be able to tell you if you’re really conveying your ideas well, and if they really can understand what you’re trying to say.
But they know you. And they love you. “This is so great!” they say. “Yeah, I think this will work.” But they’re not really able to give you the critical feedback you know will help you take your book to the next level.
Someone who knows how to ask the right questions that will help you bring out your voice, make your ideas clear, and your book more engaging.
Someone who will work with you on the passages and choices you’re struggling with—someone who will help you make decisions that will serve your book.
Someone who can help you see if you need to reorganize your ideas to ensure your unique perspective shines through.
Someone who can help you create that cohesive final draft that you can feel proud of.
Someone who can help you create the best, most professional version of your book that you can.
It’s time to work with a Developmental Editor to help bring your book to life.
What you actually need is someone who is objective.
HEY AUTHOR MADE OF STARDUST, I CAN HELP YOU MAKE YOUR IDEAS SHINE.
Developmental Editor
/dəˌveləpˈmen(t)l ˈedədər/
- Dedicated advocate for your clearest, most authentic voice and powerful messaging that keeps readers engaged in your book from start to finish.
- Grounding force of even the most enigmatic of ideas so readers can resonate with your words and expand their minds.
- Catalyst for taking you from your first draft to your final.
- Trusted source of feedback.
- Trained ear for subtext as well as clarity, pacing, and flow.
- Fellow human who sees you are made of stardust, and works to help you bring your stardust through and onto the page.
What is a
Developmental
Editor?
Hi, I’m Christine Thom. Lover of all that is artistically handcrafted, explorer of the mysteries of the universe, and your developmental editorial partner for bringing your best, creatively handcrafted, downloaded-from-the-universe ideas to life in your latest book.
I help nonfiction writers just like you create their final, completed draft that clearly presents their perspective, amplifies their voice and personality, and keeps their readers engaged.
Our time together is a safe and supportive space. It’s where you can ask questions, make mistakes, engage in the creative process, and push yourself in your writing, perhaps even further than you thought yourself capable.
Whether you intend to self-publish or submit your manuscript to a publisher, together we’ll take your rough draft and polish it till it shines—just like the stardust you are.
Warm regards,
Christine
Meet Your Developmental Editor:
Testimonials
Christine is able to offer feedback and suggestions in a way that is supportive of the creative process. She is pleasant, easy to work with, and smart—she picks up on meaning quickly, and she has a curious and interested mind. When I reread my manuscript after reading her edits, I could see why areas weren’t clear. Through it all, I always felt that my writing is my own. And I felt free to write—I did not feel that I had to censor/edit myself as I wrote because I knew she’d take care of the details.
"I could trust that my writing would look professional and be clear."
What Authors say about Stardust Editorial
Jean Tindle | Wisdom from the Grandmothers: Tips for Living from the Realms of Love
Testimonials
"One could not find a more generous, gifted, and supportive developmental editor."
Matthew “Mateo” Magee I Peruvian Shamanism: The Pachakuti Mesa (revised edition)
What Authors say about Stardust Editorial
Christine’s enthusiasm and expertise in the art of editing brought depth and reinvigoration to my book revision project. She asked deep and rich questions about my work that helped me flesh out points and ideas for greater clarity and strength. Her keen eye, inquisitive curiosity, and skillful dialogue were able to bridge gaps, enhance flow, and polish elements of my work I would certainly have missed. She accomplished these many tasks while allowing me to maintain my own voice throughout the writing.
Lindsay Luker | the mudras book: yoga hand poses and essential oils
"Do not wait another moment.
This is your time to write your book."
Christine is professional, efficient, and extremely knowledgeable in her field. She is open to the writer's thoughts while simultaneously being gently firm about her own. She is thorough in her explanations and makes the complicated parts seem a whole lot easier. On top of all this, she has a way of making the writer feel so proud about each accomplished step throughout the process. I had some close "give up" moments in which she gave me the time and space I needed while still quietly nudging me forward.
Testimonials
What Authors say about Stardust Editorial
I knew I had a great idea, and had written a lot over the years, but I’d never written a nonfiction book like this one before and really needed an editor. After [our] initial consultation, I knew Christine was the right editor for me and the book. I think my book was clearer to her than it was even to me! One of her main suggestions was such a good idea that it essentially helped me crystallize the broader concept of the book into a much more concise and solid idea. The book just came together after that.
"My book is infinitely better than it would've been without Christine’s editing expertise."
What Authors say about Stardust Editorial
Matthew Tolzmann | Birds and Plants of the World (working title)
Testimonials
"Christine is sharp, professional, and a great collaborator. "
What Authors say about Stardust Editorial
Amy Fiend Reeves (a.k.a. JobCoachAmy) | College to Career, Explained: Tools, Skills, and Confidence for Your Job Search
It was a professional experience- having my work treated seriously as a commercial endeavor and having it reviewed with a critical eye from both a content and structure perspective was highly rewarding. It was highly collaborative, and I really enjoyed that because I had worked alone on the book to get it to that point. Having it taken seriously by another human was a big step! She has great insight into what readers want, and how content can be structured to flow so that your content is highly readable and engaging.
Testimonials
Christine reviewed my manuscript for proper structure and grammar, and assessed whether or not my writing flowed, that all my stories would have meaning for the audience I had in mind, and, really, whether I wrote a good story overall. My stories did not always have the details or aspects they needed. Christine coaxed and pulled the stories out of me. She pushed me to write better. She provided strong encouragement to do that work, as well as suggestions for changes to make in the manuscript.
"These changes allowed me to take the manuscript from mediocre to marvelous."
What Authors say about Stardust Editorial
Bonita Richter | Women Who Make: Inspiring Stories of Women Who Found Fulfilling STEM Careers in Manufacturing Making Things with Meaning
Testimonials
I was impressed with Christine’s qualifications, I appreciated her curiosity about my subject matter, and her insights and comments were very productive. It’s easy for writers to get so caught up in what they want to convey that they have a hard time hearing it any other way. That’s what good editors are there for: to be the objective eyes and ears. Christine was very pleasant to work with, accessible, understanding of my work constraints, and clear about her expectations and feedback. Thanks again, Christine! You killed it.
"I felt I would have a partner who would be nice but straight with me."
What Authors say about Stardust Editorial
Kathy C. Boufford, Esq. | Divorce Matters: What You Really Need to Know When It's Time to Get a Divorce
Testimonials
