Editing

I offer various editing services, from comprehensive copy-editing to light-touch editing and proofreading. I am comfortable working with all kinds of texts, be it fiction or non-fiction manuscripts, reports and documents for companies/organisations or academic essays. I can also help with rewriting texts and, as a translator, I am adept at working with and improving non-native English.

I am a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.

Please get in touch if you have a project you'd like to discuss.

Copy-editing

As a copy-editor, I work on all aspects of a manuscript, making targeted changes and sensible suggestions to transform the text for the intended reader while respecting the author’s style. These include:

• fixing grammar and spelling errors
• ironing out inconsistencies in the text's language, narrative or logic
• fact-checking every detail rigourously
• maintaining house style or standard style conventions
• organising the layout, making sensible suggestions to improve structure and readability
• flagging up copyright and other legal issues
• coordinating with the author, publisher or organisation on queries and generally managing the copy-editing process to deadline
• helping to compile and prepare all elements that make up a book: the frontmatter (contents page, imprint, acknowledgements, etc.), endmatter, (appendices, index, etc.) and other elements (figures, graphs, artwork, etc.)

I usually work in Microsoft Word, and will make edits using the track changes, alongside comments, queries and suggestions for the author. I will also provide you with a stylesheet detailing some of the editorial decisions I have made for your reference and to help manage future projects. I am always available to discuss any comments you might have.

Proofreading

As a proofreader, I work with the proofs prepared by a designer or typesetter as the last line of defence before publication. This typically involves:

• catching grammar and spelling errors, including typos introduced by the typesetter
• checking house style, the copy-editor's instructions and the design specification have been followed, where applicable
• checking contents pages, cross-references, referencing, running heads, tables and artwork are accurate, complete and consistent
• raising queries for the publisher where necessary

I can work on PDF proofs in Adobe Acrobat, using its mark-up tools, in Microsoft Word, or with printed proofs.

Academic proofreading

I am available to proofread essays, dissertations and theses and can do so at short notice. Depending on your requirements, I can simply check for grammar and spelling errors, inconsistencies (particularly with referencing) and issues with structure and readability. Alternatively, I can help with with more extensive editing and rewriting, working with you and your ideas to improve the logic and flow of your argument, and making suggestions and giving advice that will help you with your writing now and in the future. This option is particularly relevant to non-native speakers of English.

I am happy to consider any subject, but the subject areas I am familiar with and have experience in are linguistics, translation studies, English literature, postcolonial literature, French literature, French language, history, politics, critical theory, philosophy and film studies

Translation editing and proofreading

I also work as a translator and am therefore available to edit and proofread translations from French into English, whether against the original or as a monolingual text.

Recent projects

• Mohammad Ahmadian and Michael Long, eds. The Cambridge Handbook of Task-Based Language Teaching (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021)
• Lauren Curtis and Naomi Weiss, eds. Music and Memory in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021).
• Andras Sajo. Ruling by Cheating: Governance in Illiberal Democracy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021)
• HM Government Prosperity Fund, Fund-Level Note for 2019-20: Technical Annex. April 2020. 99 pages.
• HM Government Prosperity Fund, Mexico Programme Cycle 2 Evaluation Report. May 2020. 105 pages.