What are your thoughts on "development editors"? Do you have experience with any and can you share it?

Hi,

I initially planned to use a development editor for my book, but the more I read (in Reddit, and other places), the more I start thinking that a bad development editor can hurt my book.

Sure, they could help with plot pacing, inconsistencies, and timelines, but a lot of authors self-edit, and I am willing to spend a few months to "count the bullets", fix any plotholes and inconsistencies I find and get it ready for "line editing".

And of course I would find decent beta readers who could give me some good feedback to actually modify the plot if I have to.

But my concernes with development editors are, that I might get feedback line the following:

• "Make the characters more likable" - my characters are mostly criminals, so they are meant to be despicable
• Don't trashtalk the institutions so much - the entire idea of my book, is that institutions like FBI, police and etc. are useless and incompetent. One of my characters is based on the corrupt Baltimore policeman Wayne Jenkins.
• Make the hero win - the entire point is for the book to be tragic.
• Don't make it so grim - I am exploring a dark theme and it is supposed to be grim.

I fear that they would try to make my book more marketable for the "general audience", by introducing a lot of cliches, and I am not sure, I want that. They might butcher my unique voice and way of telling the story.

So what are your thoughts?

Have you had positive experience with development editors and what did they help you with?