FAQs
What makes you different from other editors?
I am a rewriting specialist. Rewriting is all about reading for the chase and cutting to it. I studied for a rigorous, interdisciplinary degree (ranking 2nd out of 300 candidates in one subject year) and have built on it ever since.
I am also a generalist with a broad frame of reference and a good ear for authorial voice. (Please see bottom of the page for general subject range.) Narrative nonfiction projects have varied from popular science to biography.
As well as academic editing I have clerked for criminal law firms, had my work translated by development agencies, and written speeches for delivery in several regions of the world: by CEOs, Ministers and senior officials. I have taught textual analysis and politics for students of history and literature, social science, business and STEM subjects. My teaching practice informs my writing practice, and vice versa.
Writing is part of my job – do I really need an editor?
Journalists, policymakers, published authors and other writing professionals – senior academics included – are used to being edited.
Some publishers may offer to publish a PhD dissertation with only superficial changes. But is that any better for career advancement than simply uploading material for open access? (Specialized dissertation series are slightly different – and they will request that you arrange copyediting, at least.)
The bottom line is that so many books on the market are not quite readable enough, and passed over in a hurry. It is a great shame to let this happen to your research, the results of years of training and hard work. Getting the very best product and publisher you can is worth it. (And bearing in mind several variables for choice of publisher - as Abel Polese explains).
Where are you in the publishing value chain?
I offer an independent service to authors so they can better or more rapidly achieve the improvements demanded by publishers and peer reviewers. I am not an acquiring editor who picks winners for a publishing house. I mainly work on books that are under contract, i.e. identified as potential winners already.
I can also assist authors with sample chapters from a manuscript, expediting the sharing of material once a publisher requests it. Remember that the submission process takes time, as does writing fresh text. Meanwhile, others may be seeking to publish a competing title. (If converting your PhD dissertation, fresh material is needed for a concluding chapter, at the minimum.)
Are you already up to speed in my specialization?
Probably not (!) – that is for the acquiring editors, series editors and peer reviewers. I assist with integrating these specialists’ advice and reconciling it with your instincts and your voice as the author. I of course learn about your specialization in the process, one of the pleasures of the job.
I have helped authors working in and across a wide range of social science, arts and humanities subjects. My being outside your field is usually a help, as it sets the bar for making technical discussion accessible, and spotting relevance to new potential audiences.
What does it cost?
My fees are in line with the minimum recommended rates for professional freelance editors in the UK. These hourly rates are according to the type of editing task. I strive to add the most value possible within your available budget, and offer reduced rates for longer projects and for those on low incomes without access to institutional funding.
How long does a PhD-to-book project take?
If you can block off a significant period of protected time, the total spent working through my edits can be measured in weeks rather than months.
However, the best developmental editing happens when there is time for drafts to be exchanged back and forth, for you to have some down time in between, and for the creative sparks to really fly. I would say the ideal timescale for this is at least three months. If it takes six or ten, it’s not a problem. But it is advisable not to spend much more time than that: research eventually dates.
A great deal can be achieved within the first 50-60 hours’ editing time. I can add the most value by reading the manuscript in full, taking you through options for the main structural edits, and once agreed, working to a defined (but flexible) revision plan. Some authors may already be working to a revision plan and ask me to take on narrower tasks, chapter by chapter.
At a certain point, line editing gives way to the final copyediting checks undertaken by the publisher. It depends how far you want to take the revising process into stylistic as well as structural improvements.
At what stage should I talk to you?
The short answer is, whenever you feel the time is right. Some authors want to discuss a complete manuscript, others welcome input during the writing itself. Some are mid-flow, others have a project that has been stuck for too long.
Non-fiction books can be sold on the strength of a partial manuscript and a sound plan.
Supervisors and publishers may start to notice an outstanding dissertation before it’s even completed. Depending on your institution, there may even be scope for bringing it closer to the structure of a book before completion. But I would not normally recommend running these different tasks together (and NB I do not edit PhD theses themselves).
It is always better to plan and implement revisions in a phased way, with regular discussion to review progress. If you already have specialist reviewer comments in place, arranged formally or informally, then so much the better.
Just like research, books in progress thrive on dialogue and informal, two-way learning. This is a necessary part of all developmental editing.
My multi-author collection has stalled - help!
Edited collections are excellent learning resources and also a valuable output from conferences and workshops. The problem is that as the number of contributors rises, so do the competing priorities and other potential snags. When contributors meet there is generally a better synthesis of ideas in the written product: you can already start thinking about how the contributions can best complement each other.
I have extensive experience of adapting and sequencing articles to fit common themes, avoid replication, and either standardize tone or allow for individual voice. I can also assist in integrating solo-authored papers into a book length work.
Do you take on smaller projects too?
Absolutely. I regularly do light editing of journal and magazine articles.
I’m a grad student - can you edit my Masters dissertation?
Yes, in line with academic regulations. That is, copyediting rather than more structural editing. Please note that I cannot assist undergraduates and do not offer coursework writing assistance (plagiarism) of any kind.
Do you sub-contract out any of your work?
No.
Do you issue contracts and invoices?
Yes I issue invoices, and for anything of significant length I do issue standard terms and conditions.
It is worth exploring potential sources of funding for publishing, knowledge transfer and public engagement. It is less common for funds to be made available for PhD-to-book conversions specifically.
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For further details about anything at all, please do get in touch.