What’s this service all about?

Whatever your project — dissertation, thesis, journal article, response letter to reviewers, personal essay, proposal, research progress report for an active grant — I can help you make sure that your writing is clear and clean. I blend proofreading with personalized writing instruction. That is, I don’t just fix your documents; I give you feedback on your writing as well. And if yours is a field with which I am familiar, I am even happy to offer substantive comments!

 

Why hire an academic copyeditor?

Writing is the bedrock of your career. You might have absolutely groundbreaking findings or a brilliant research idea — but if your thoughts are not articulated clearly, or if your writing is littered with distracting errors, where will all of your hard work go?

Seeking outside feedback on your writing is a responsible, professional, and conscientious choice, no matter your field. Even professional authors hire copyeditors. Why not just edit your draft twenty times yourself? Well, aside from the fact that you have a busy schedule and other equally important things to do, one of the ironies of proofreading is that, the more you look at a draft, the less capable you become of fixing it. Your brain starts to filter out the typos, you fail to catch even simple mistakes, and your familiarity with the concepts can make it deceptively difficult to realize when things aren’t articulated clearly and need to be rephrased.

Here’s another reason why you can benefit tremendously from academic editing services: a good editor essentially doubles as a personalized writing tutor. Maybe you didn’t have access to a curriculum that prioritized writing instruction, or perhaps English is not your first language. I can evaluate your writing habits and offer you targeted advice to help you internalize rules you didn’t learn before.

Academic copyediting isn’t something you need every week. It’s a niche service, which, furthermore, not all editors are qualified to offer. Seeking professional feedback from someone versed in academic writing conventions and jargon is a worthwhile investment.

As your copyeditor, I give your manuscripts my undivided attention. Working quickly and thoroughly, I will immediately recognize where you can rephrase things to make a stronger case. Furthermore, my observant, encouraging feedback will help you become aware of and eliminate weak spots in your own writing style so that your future papers need even less assistance. In other words, what you learn through my feedback on just one paper can strengthen your writing for years to come.

Your future prestige, opportunities, career stability, and salary all depend largely on your ability to articulate your ideas in the most professional way. The long-range dividends of submitting a successful journal article or grant proposal — and becoming a better writer — can hardly be measured.

For all of these reasons, you owe it to yourself to hire an academic editor.

 

What’s my experience with academic editing?

I got my start in academic editing while in grad school at Penn State. After I left academia to pursue my own (non-academic) writing interests in an international freelance career, I came to realize that I loved academic editing. Why?

First of all, I love working with language. Furthermore, even though I realized I wanted a career in language and travel, rather than in research, I still find it stimulating to be privy to exciting new discoveries on the front lines of research in all sorts of fields. My editing work allows me to do exactly this.

Perhaps most importantly, though, I have great respect for the work that academics do — the rigors of the scientific method, the incalculable value of the humanities. And, ultimately, lending my talents as a copyeditor allows me to support such contributions — your contributions — to the world.

To date, my academic editing projects have covered a broad range of disciplines: family sociology, immigration, public health, statistical research methodology, education, philosophy, agricultural economics, labor economics, and even medicine. Don’t worry that your field is too technical — I’m versatile! My Academic Bio outlines some of the rich and diverse experiences that inform my work.