The uninitiated typically think of editing as fixing the grammar and punctuation, and maybe making some helpful suggestions for the story. If they have heard of developmental editing, they misunderstand it as professional beta reading, which undersells the concept. It’s fair to say that a writer doesn’t fully understand the impact, value, and function of a developmental editor until after they have taken the leap and had their manuscript edited. As they have no basis for comparison, they may accept subpar work as professional quality.