When I copyedit, I stand in two places: I am a member of your team, and my edits are suggestions about how to make your manuscript the strongest it can be. I do this by standing in for the reader.

I edit for spelling, grammar, clarity, logic, and flow. I’ll flag anything that might make the reader pause or which will disrupt their reading/understanding of your words and your argument. If any awkward or unclear passages remain, these will be flagged, as will repeated and overused words and phrases.

I verify URLs, and review tables, figures, and charts, and their references in your manuscript. I verify consistent formatting across sections (such as headers, subheads, captions, and text boxes) and flag elements which might require permissions. I will ensure your manuscript adheres to your chosen stye guide and publisher requirements (I am expert in Chicago Manual of Style and APA, and familiar with many others).

I cross-check your references against your in-text citations, and I will edit the reference list. If references require styling, I will point out that they are incorrect; I will fix them if we have previously identified the need, for an extra fee, if time allows.

My rate varies based on a number of circumstances, but I generally charge 4-5 cents per word for copyediting.

A developmental edit is a high level review and analysis of a manuscript. This is done by looking at the manuscript’s structure and argument development. The result of a developmental edit or manuscript assessment is revision.

A developmental edit starts with a meeting to discuss needs. I’ll then look over your materials and provide a detailed response (sometimes called a manuscript assessment). We can then meet again to go over the assessment and determine next steps.

Some indicators you may need a developmental editor:

✑ You want assistance working through an idea and determining if it is strong enough become a book or an article.

✑ Your draft is complete and you want an expert and neutral reader to ensure your argument is made and is not diluted by unnecessary sidetracks, or impaired by relics of revisions.

✑ You need assistance shifting a book idea from one potential press to another.

✑ You are stuck and unsure about how to get from where you are to where you want to go.

✑ You have received feedback from peer review that you are uncertain about addressing.

As an Author Coach, I will work with you to set up a project plan, and meet with you at times we set together, marking milestones and discussing how to move through knotty challenges

I can also work with you one-on-one on Revising your Dissertation. This can take many forms, from a one-hour meeting to discuss the differences between the dissertation and a scholarly book to setting up and working through a multi-year plan from revision to submission.

Rates for coaching vary, based on the planned length of the coaching relationship and how much textual review you desire.

One example of a coaching plan, priced at $1200:
✑ 3 month program, with 5 1-hour meetings.
✑ First meeting: goal setting and milestone planning
✑ 4 meetings to discuss milestones and manuscript assessments
✑3 manuscript reviews

I break dissertation editing into 3 pieces, to allow graduate students to determine what best fits their budget.
✑ Applying university formatting, for $2.00 per page
✑ Formatting references, for $2.50 per references
✑ Copyediting, for $0.03 per word, although this may vary depending on the need.

I follow strict ethical guidelines when editing dissertations, to ensure the work remains original and exclusively your work. I edit for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I will not edit word choice, address flow or logic, or make suggestions for improving unclear or awkward phrasing; I will verify that what is cited is in your bibliography, and vice versa. I will also indicate when I find something unclear, awkwardly phrased, confusing, unsupported by your argument, or contradictory. If your advisor has sent you for editing, with specific ends in mind, I will work, with their approval, to those ends.

I require a 50% deposit to hold space on my calendar for dissertation edits.

The dissertation literature review is often overwhelming. It’s a different beast than any other literature review you’ve written or will write in the future. The literature review is the heart of the dissertation, and doing it right makes the rest of the manuscript flow more easily. We can set up one or two consultations about your lit review, or design a combination coaching and editing program to support your work in developing a strong and compelling literature review.

As a Dissertation Coach, I will work with you (with your advisor’s approval) to set up a project plan, and meet with you at times we set together, marking milestones and discussing how to move through knotty challenges.