Editing Services

I specialize in academic, scholarly, and non-fiction texts, including journal articles, monographs, conference papers, and text books. I will work with you on your writing from first draft to page proofs, helping you strengthen your work at all stages along the way. Click below for more details on my services.

Editing

Substantive and structural editing or articles, monographs, and non-fiction books.

Copyediting

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation — consistency is key.

Indexing

Preparation of indexes for academic monographs and non-fiction books.

Proofreading

Review of final proofs to catch any last minute issues.

Book Proposals

If you are looking for help with your book proposal, please contact me.

What it’s like to work with me

I generally edit on screen, using the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word, which allows you to see all my changes and suggestions. (If you need to use another program, please contact me and I will oblige if I can.) Indexing and Proofreading take place once your work has been laid out and typeset, so these files are usually PDFs.

Editing. Structural or developmental editing is a kind of big-picture editing that looks at how the pieces of your work fit together in terms of argument and flow. This is often done before your work gets to the copyediting stage, and helps your writing be the strongest it can be in representing your ideas. Whether it’s taking that first draft and whipping it into shape, revising that book manuscript that you just can’t get a handle on, or responding to “Reviewer 2,” this is the option for you.

Copyediting. When you are satisfied with the argument and flow of your work, it’s time to move on to copyediting. This is when I look for all those pesky little mistakes that work their way into our writing, in spite of our best efforts—it happens to all of us! This includes a focus on grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and makes sure there is consistency across all aspects of the work (images, notes, tables, etc.). In addition to these technical aspects, I often include stylistic editing, which focuses on theclarity of your writing and the elimination of jargon. I’ll make suggestions for changes with explanations as to why I’m suggesting a change. I can “translate” your work between Canadian, US, or British English, depending on your publisher. Finally, I’ll make sure that your references are up to snuff in MLA, Chicago, APA, and others, and produce a Style Sheet for you that coordinates with your publisher’s house style.

Proofreading. In proofreading your work once it’s all laid out, I can help catch any errors that have made it past the copyediting stage, along with any other issues that may have cropped up: dropped lines, missing punctuation or accents, typos, image captions, and more! I’ll work against the Style Sheet that you already have or prepare one if needed.

Indexing. If you’re anything like me, there is nothing more frustrating as a reader than an incomplete index. Using professional indexing software, I will produce a comprehensive index of your book that addresses both the nitty gritty details and the larger themes of your work. This is one of the last steps of the process and can only be begun after the manuscript has been laid out. Once completed, I will proofread your index and provide it to you in a clean copy ready to submit to your publisher.

Book Proposals. If you are looking for help with your book proposal, please contact me to discuss options.

Languages and Translation. I can work with you to make sure your translations from Spanish, French, and Latin into English are clear and accurate. (If you require translations to be done for you, please contact me to discuss.)

Please contact me for a quote or for any questions about my services.