Essential knowledge about scholarly book publishing that every author should have. Get weekly tips on writing and publishing your scholarly book from developmental editor and publishing consultant Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD.
My partner in editing
Published about 21 hours ago • 7 min read
The Manuscript Works Newsletter
Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have
Hello Manuscript Workers!
What's in this edition:
Meet Liz DeWolf, developmental editor
Big sale on my books for scholarly writers (50% off!)
Free webinar: How to Revise a Book for Publication
Frequently asked question: How much flexibility is there for my book manuscript to change after I submit my book proposal?
As always, if you have a question or suggestion for a future newsletter, you can reply directly to this message. Thanks for reading!
This newsletter is coming to you from Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD, professional developmental editor and publishing advisor. I help scholarly writers navigate the book publishing process with more ease and agency.
I hope you'll stick around for practical tips on writing and publishing your scholarly book, but if you'd like to adjust your subscription settings, you can do that at the bottom of this message.
In a recent newsletter, you got to meet Rebecca Hughes, the client support specialist at Manuscript Works. This time, I'd like to introduce you to Liz DeWolf, a developmental editor who works closely with me and my clients in my Book Proposal Accelerator program.
Liz has been a mentee and friend of mine for several years now, and has helped me out with various behind-the-scenes projects. I've also referred many scholarly writers to her developmental editing services and have heard universally positive feedback from those who work with her. Our editing and feedback styles are so similar that I knew she'd be the perfect person to bring onto the team for the Book Proposal Accelerator. If you enroll in the program (which starts on Monday!), you'll be working with both me and Liz to get your scholarly book proposal into outstanding shape. And if you want to continue working with Liz on your sample chapters or full manuscript after completing your book proposal, you can absolutely reach out to get on her schedule.
Laura Portwood-Stacer: Can you tell readers more about your role at Manuscript Works?
Liz DeWolf: I primarily work on the Book Proposal Accelerator, giving feedback to scholars on their project descriptions and chapter summaries to help get their proposals ready to share with their target presses. Participants email me their drafts, and within a few days I send them actionable feedback to implement before they move on to the next section of their proposal. I’ve also moderated Manuscript Works webinars such as “How to Publish a Book from Your Dissertation” and “How to Work with a Developmental Editor.”
LPS: What do you do when not supporting writers in the Book Proposal Accelerator?
LD: I run my own developmental editing business, working with scholars and trade authors on their book proposals, sample chapters, and book manuscripts. The authors I work with are at various stages of the process: some are turning their dissertation into a book, others are preparing a new manuscript before approaching a press for the first time, and some are working through revisions before their final submission. Books I have worked on have been published by, or are forthcoming from, UC Press, Yale University Press, MIT Press, University of Minnesota Press, University of Iowa Press, Flatiron Books, and the New Press.
I’m also about to finish my MFA in Creative Writing at UC Riverside, where I’ve been developing a story collection and a novel over the past three years. I’ve recently published two stories from my collection, and I hope to begin approaching agents in the next six months or so to eventually find a publisher—so I understand the uncertainty involved in putting your work out there!
LPS: What other work or life experiences inform your perspective as a developmental editor?
LD: My academic background (pre-MFA) is in sociology, urban studies, and visual art, and I spent many years working in communications roles for advocacy and policy research nonprofits, where I was the writer or editor for many of our publications. Eventually I realized that I enjoyed the editorial aspects of my work the most, so in early 2022 I transitioned to full-time developmental editing.
My approach to working with authors is also heavily informed by my experience as a creative writer—in MFA programs, we’re constantly reading and giving feedback on each other’s work. I know firsthand how vulnerable it can be to share your writing before it’s polished and to hear other people’s reactions to it. It’s my hope that these experiences have made me a more compassionate and empathetic editor.
LPS: Is there anything else you’d like newsletter readers to know?
LD: One thing I love about working as a developmental editor, both with Manuscript Works and in my own business, is encountering so many different ways of seeing the world. I find it really rewarding to immerse myself in someone’s project, come to understand how they think, and help them figure out effective ways to carry out their vision.
Want to get in touch with Liz? You can email her at lizdewolf@gmail.com and check out her developmental editing services at lizdewolf.com.
If you need to reach me (Laura) directly, you can always reply to my newsletters or drop me a note at laura@manuscriptworks.com. Hope to hear from you sometime!
Big sale on my books from Princeton University Press!
Congratulations to these scholars on their new releases!
Is your book coming out next month (or was it recently released)? I'd love to feature it in a future newsletter. Send your cover image and publisher webpage to support@manuscriptworks.com. Bonus points: tell us which Manuscript Works resources helped you along the way.
Looking for professional support with your book or article manuscript, but not sure who can help? When you fill out my referral request form, you'll be sent a curated list of trusted editors—matched to your specific field and needs—whom you can contact right away.
Keep in mind that experienced developmental editors may book up months in advance, so if you're even starting to contemplate working with someone, now is the time to reach out.
Frequently asked question
Last week I held a book publishing Q&A for alums of my programs (a perk of taking a course with me is that you can come to quarterly "office hours" sessions and ask any questions that come up even after the course is over). One question shared by several writers in attendance was: how much flexibility will I have to change my book manuscript after my book proposal is reviewed and accepted?
As a developmental editor, I've worked with book authors at every stage of the process: preparing a manuscript for initial submission to publishers, processing editor and peer reviewer feedback in order to submit a revised version, and putting the final touches on the manuscript before it goes into production. In my experience, authors have a good deal of flexibility to change their manuscripts throughout these stages of the publishing process. In fact, it's expected that your manuscript will evolve, because the purpose of the scholarly editorial and peer review process is to improve the project in substantive ways.
This means that your book's structure may change quite a lot from how you laid out the table of contents in your initial proposal. You may take out some evidence that was important in an earlier version but less crucial later, and insert substantial new analysis that wasn't included in the first draft. You may give your manuscript a full stylistic makeover to help it land better with your ideal readers.
As long as your core contribution and audience remain aligned with what was originally accepted in your book proposal, you should be good to go. It's always wise to stay in communication with your acquiring editor and inform them of any major revision plans, but in my experience, editors are open to authors making changes when they are in service of the greater vision of the book's successful publication.
I hope knowing this takes some pressure off your book proposal to be the perfect, final picture of your eventual book. As I tell writers in my Book Proposal Accelerator, your proposal is just the start of a (hopefully) long conversation you will be having about your book project with your publisher.
Looking for support in getting your book proposal drafted and out the door to publishers so you can begin the conversation? Check out the Book Proposal Accelerator, which starts its next session on Monday (May 18)!
If you have a friend, colleague, or student who might enjoy the Manuscript Works Newsletter, could you forward this email to them and encourage them to subscribe at newsletter.manuscriptworks.com? Thank you for reading and sharing!
Essential knowledge about scholarly book publishing that every author should have. Get weekly tips on writing and publishing your scholarly book from developmental editor and publishing consultant Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD.