Sample This — Let’s Talk About Getting Rid of Sample Edits (or Why I don’t do sample edits and what I do instead)

Here’s a hot take: I don’t believe sample edits are the best way to vet a developmental editor.

Let me be clear—I'm not saying you should hire someone without seeing how they work. I am saying the standard industry practice of asking for a few free pages marked up in Track Changes isn’t serving either party the way we think it is. Especially not for developmental editing.

Because here’s the thing: a sample edit on paper is better suited to copy editors. That kind of edit is about surface-level issues—consistency, grammar, punctuation, repetition. You can absolutely get a sense of skill from that kind of sample.

But developmental editing? That’s a whole different beast. And a few pages marked up in isolation won’t give you a real feel for what the work is like. Not for you. Not for me.

So What Do You Do Instead?

If you’ve read my other posts, you know I care about capability and compatibility. You deserve an editor who sees your story clearly, challenges you kindly, and helps you shape it into what it could be—not just what’s already on the page.

But how do you figure that out?

Here’s what I do: I offer a verbal assessment of your manuscript’s opening. It’s a free consultation, and I typically ask for the first 50 pages—though I don’t always read all 50.

I aim to do a deep dive on the first 25, then skim through the rest to catch early signs of structural issues. Why? Because after years in publishing and reading thousands of submissions, I can tell you this: those first three chapters are usually the cleanest part of a manuscript. The cracks start showing just after.

I’m looking for more than typos. I’m reading for character, voice, structure, emotional beats, and tension. And instead of sending you silent margin notes, we talk about it.

We walk through what’s working, what might need development, and how I would approach that process. I get to hear how you speak about your story. You get to hear how I think. The collaboration starts right there.

It’s Not Just About Me Vetting You.

I don’t want to take every job that comes my way.

And I hope you don’t want an editor who’s just trying to fill their calendar.

This is a partnership. One where I care deeply about your book and how it grows in your hands. And that starts by seeing how we communicate—how we process creative feedback, how we talk story, how we handle revision.

A sample edit can’t show you that. But a conversation can.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Wanting Reassurance.

It’s terrifying, I know. Investing money in someone you met online? When their website could be beautiful but their feedback might be… questionable?

That fear is real. It’s valid. And if you’re the kind of person who needs to see pages marked up to sleep at night, I get it.

But if you’re open to a better method—one that prioritizes insight, conversation, and clarity—try a verbal assessment instead. You’ll walk away with ideas, direction, and a clearer sense of whether we’re a good fit.

No scripts. No pressure. No performance edits for a quote-unquote “test.”

Just two professionals sitting down to see if this partnership could work.