Editorial Services
My most popular services are copyediting, line/stylistic editing, and proofreading.
While I always tailor my editorial services to the unique needs of a given manuscript (and its author), the descriptions of my most popular services (see below) should help you get a better sense of what type of editing might be right for you.
If you need a different or more specialized service—such as substantive or developmental editing, or citations editing or formatting—please reach out for a free consultation.
Note that my services can be combined or adjusted to meet the needs of a given project. Many authors ask for a combination of copyediting and line/stylistic editing, for instance.
Copyediting
Three levels: light, medium, heavy
At this stage, your manuscript should already be in strong shape; it should be ready to be prepared for publication, i.e., to conform to a specific style guide and to be formatted, styled, or marked up for layout/typesetting. By working with a specific style guide (CMOS, APA, Oxford, MLA, etc.), I ensure consistency in mechanical matters: spelling, capitalization, punctuation, hyphenation, formatting, etc. I pay particular attention to errors and infelicities in grammar, syntax, diction, and usage to improve clarity and readability. In most cases, however, I do not rewrite, cut, or add to any portion of the manuscript (that’s line/stylistic editing). I correlate the various parts of the manuscript, query permissions, check figures and/or tables, and format citations (if the citations need to be heavily reformatted or filled in, this may be charged separately). A heavier copyedit may involve some rewriting on the sentence level, such as smoothing out convoluted prose, improving transitions, or reducing wordiness.
For whom is this service: If you need your manuscript edited to a specific style guide and want a native English-speaker to comb through your prose, this is likely the service for you. Major issues with the manuscript (argument, content, organization, etc.) should largely be resolved at this stage. An initial manuscript assessment and sample edit will help me determine whether your manuscript needs a light, medium, or heavy copyedit.
What to send me: Files are edited in Microsoft Word, using Track Changes and Comments. The manuscript must be sent as a Word document. Please provide information about the style guide and dictionary to be followed (if unspecified, I will follow CMOS for style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for spelling).
Number of passes (in most cases): 2. This involves one in-depth editorial pass and a second pass to perform “manuscript cleanup”—meaning I clear out tracked changes and resolved comments—and to address any outstanding issues (e.g., final changes and responses to queries).
What you receive: Redlined manuscript (tracked changes and comments); short editorial letter, pointing out any major issues and explaining how to handle the document; thorough style sheet detailing conventions followed.
Line/Stylistic Editing
This is similar to a heavy copyedit but involves more substantive changes and greater editorial intervention. Line/stylistic editing, compared to copyediting, engages more with literary style (e.g., voice, tone, rhetoric, point of view), as well as big-picture issues (e.g., content, flow, organization, argument). This may involve some rewriting on the sentence level or even paragraph level. The biggest difference between this service and copyediting is that line editing does not (necessarily) involve editing the manuscript to conform to a specific style guide. Although I may point out or correct mechanical infelicities, I do not, for example, go through your manuscript with a fine-tooth comb to fix every potentially misplaced comma or misused en dash (that’s copyediting). Similarly, I look over citations and will point out major inconsistencies, but I will not edit them closely or to a specific style guide.
For whom is this service: This service is ideal for those looking to punch up their prose; for multilingual or ESL writers who need an editor to be sensitive to register, tone, and voice and to address stylistic and substantive concerns; or for anyone who wants help with bigger stylistic issues in their writing.
What to send me: Files are edited in Microsoft Word, using Track Changes and Comments. Your manuscript must be sent as a Word document.
Number of passes (in most cases): 1. This involves one hands-on editorial pass; a short, second pass may be needed to respond to queries.
What you receive: Redlined manuscript (tracked changes and comments); editorial letter, outlining broader concerns with the manuscript and recommendations for its improvement; minimal style sheet.
Proofreading
This is the final stage in the editing process before a manuscript goes to print. Your manuscript should thus require only minor corrections (the occasional typo or formatting inconsistency). Typically, I check proofs against the final version (aka “dead” copy) of the manuscript. I mark and correct any errors missed by the copyeditor or introduced during the typesetting or formatting process, ensuring consistency across the document in matters of style, design, and formatting.
For whom is this service: This is for those who have already worked with a copyeditor, followed a recognized style book (e.g., CMOS, APA, Oxford, etc.) or an in-house style guide, and formatted their manuscript to make it publication-ready.
What to send me: Files are edited in PDF format in Adobe, using its annotation tools, or in Microsoft Word, using Track Changes and Comments. Please send manuscripts as PDFs or Word documents.
Number of passes (in most cases): 1. This involves one pass (using annotation tools in Adobe or Track Changes in Word); a short second pass may be needed to respond to any queries.
What you receive: Redlined manuscript (if in Word) or annotated PDF (Adobe); style sheet noting conventions followed and inconsistencies (only if necessary).