Choose Your Itinerary – Beginner
Developmental Editing for Fiction
![how to become a developmental editor](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Naked-Editing-Self-paced.jpg)
Step 1
If you’ve never seen a developmental edit, start with Naked Editing. This is a self-paced class that shows you what a real developmental edit looks like.
Interlude Step
If you know you’d like to pursue developmental editing for fiction as a career, consider applying to the Club Ed Certificate Program in developmental editing. Applying is free, and most of the classes you take at Club Ed will apply towards the certificate requirements.
Step 2: self-paced
Then, take the Essentials of Developmental Editing series (DE 1 – 6), which starts with Foundations of Storytelling for Developmental Editors. You can buy all six classes in one package. This series is self-paced and will set you up for success.
![how to become a developmental editor](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DE-package-class-icon.png)
Step 2: Instructor-led
If you prefer to have personal feedback from the instructor as you practice your developmental editing skills, choose Beginning Developmental Editing for Fiction and Intermediate Developmental Editing for Fiction from the on demand catalog. These two classes are the equivalent of DE 1 – 6 and can be scheduled most months (except August and December).
![how to become a developmental editor](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Beg-DE-course-icon.jpg)
![how to become a developmental editor](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Int-DE-course-icon.jpg)
Step 3
Next, dig deeper into the main problem areas you’ll encounter on many manuscripts with these instructor-led classes: Editing for Plot and Story Structure; Editing for Character Development; and Editing for World-Building and Setting. Check the schedule for the next session of each.
![how to edit for plot and story structure](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Plot-and-Structure-class-icon.jpg)
![how to edit for character development](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/char-dev-class-icon.jpg)
![](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/World-Building-class-icon.jpg)
Step 4
Then, consider taking these self-paced classes, which dig deeper into common developmental problems. Other self-paced classes can be found here.
![How to edit novels in a series](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Editing-Novels-in-a-Series-class.png)
![](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Editing-Short-Stories-and-Novellas.png)
![](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DE-Detective.png)
Step 5
Next, you’ll want to explore genre with these self-paced classes:
![how to edit romance novels](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Editing-the-Romance-1.png)
![How to edit mystery, thriller, and suspense novels](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Editing-Mystery-1.png)
![how to edit science fiction and fantasy](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Editing-SFF.png)
Step 6
![Thumbnail for Adv-DE Class](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Adv-DE-class-icon.jpeg)
Finish with Advanced Developmental Editing for Fiction (check schedule for next session) or take the self-paced Developmental Editing Practicum, in which you do a complete developmental editing on a novel manuscript and receive personal feedback on your work.
Developmental Editing for Nonfiction
Get started learning about developmental editing for nonfiction with these self-paced classes:
![](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Basics-DE-Nonfiction.png)
![how to edit nonfiction](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Principles-DE-Nonfiction.png)
And choose other self-paced nonfiction classes here.
Copyediting for Fiction
![](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Beg-CE-for-Fiction.png)
Check the schedule for the next instructor-led Beginning Copyediting for Fiction class.
Line Editing for Fiction
Check the schedule for the next instructor-led Beginning Line Editing for Fiction.
![](https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Beginning-LE-for-Fiction.png)