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The Editorial Method Behind Galleys

Modeled on professional developmental editing. Powered by the AI model you choose.

Four-Phase Analysis Pipeline

This mirrors how a professional developmental editor works — understand the manuscript before judging it.

Phase 1

Intake & Context Building

Builds reference documents — character lists, timelines, plot threads — before critiquing a single word.

Phase 2

Systematic Analysis

Evaluates across 6 analytical dimensions tailored to your content type. Nothing is skipped.

Phase 3

Classification & Severity Tiering

Every issue is categorized by type and prioritized into one of three severity tiers.

Phase 4

Genre Adaptation

Evaluation criteria shift based on your genre's conventions. What's a flaw in literary fiction may be a feature in thriller.

Genre-Aware, Not One-Size-Fits-All

Each content type has its own issue categories, severity weighting, and evaluation criteria. 7 content types. 45+ genre configurations. 6 analytical dimensions per type.

Novel

Full-length narrative fiction with chapter structure

Short Story

Compact narrative fiction under 20,000 words

Essay

Argumentative, analytical, or personal essays

Blog Post

Digital-first content with audience engagement focus

Screenplay

Feature film or TV script in standard format

Memoir

Personal narrative based on real events

Academic Paper

Research papers, theses, and scholarly articles

Three-Tier Severity System

Not everything is critical. Our tiering prevents revision overwhelm.

Tier 1

Story-Breaking

Must fix before publication. Plot holes, contradictions, structural collapses — issues that undermine the work's foundation.

Tier 2

Significant Craft Issues

Materially weakens the work. Pacing problems, flat character arcs, inconsistent voice — things a developmental editor would flag.

Tier 3

Polish & Refinement

Separates good from great. Prose rhythm, word choice, subtle thematic resonance — the work that elevates a manuscript.

5-Wave Revision Plan

You get a plan, not just a list of problems.

1

Critical Fixes

Address story-breaking issues first. Foundation before decoration.

2

Structural Rebalancing

Fix pacing, restructure scenes, reorder for narrative momentum.

3

Character & Voice

Deepen character arcs, strengthen dialogue, unify narrative voice.

4

Prose Polish

Line-level refinement. Sentence rhythm, word choice, clarity.

5

Continuity & Compliance

Final pass for consistency, fact-checking, and genre conventions.

Tone Calibration

Choose the kind of feedback you actually want.

Encouraging Mentor

Supportive and constructive. Celebrates strengths while guiding improvement.

Academic Analyst

Precise and analytical. Focuses on craft mechanics and structure.

Workshop Peer

Honest and collegial. The feedback you'd get in a good writing group.

Genre Specialist

Evaluates against genre conventions and reader expectations.

Blunt Professional

Direct and unsparing. What a no-nonsense editor would tell you.

Each preset comes with fine-tuning sliders for directness, detail level, and encouragement balance.

Built on a Real Manuscript

Galleys was developed alongside The Third Silence, a 300,000+ word fan completion of Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle.

388k
words in first draft
315k
words after revision
139
issues identified
7
revision phases

See It in Action

Try a chapter free. See how our methodology translates into structured, actionable editorial feedback.