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My goal is to improve the clarity of your writing. I specialize in academic writing and have helped dozens of clients improve their journal articles, theses, and dissertations. I have also worked on other types of documents, including proposals, resumes, and CVs.

Many editors perform only basic proofreading—correcting errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If you choose to hire me, I will correct all technical errors and will also perform the following tasks:

• • I will identify phrases that are used improperly or are confusing and, if possible, rewrite them.¹

  • When I encounter confusing material that is quoted, I will consult the source material (if it’s available online) to determine whether content has been accurately reproduced.²

  • I will let you know when something that you have written appears to be logically inconsistent with something else that you have written.

  • I read every client’s paper twice. This helps ensure that all typographical errors have been eliminated and that each paper has a consistent tone and style.³

I also offer editing/tutoring services in real-time, whether in person (side-by-side), or via Skype.

Notes

• 1. If I’m not sure what you mean, I’ll write “unclear” or “ambiguous.” If possible, I’ll identify some of the potential connotations of what you have written. For example, if you have written that “many romantic couples make out well,” this is a usage problem. I might comment as follows: “Ambiguous. Do you mean that ‘many people find that kissing is more pleasurable when it takes place within a committed relationship’ or that ‘those who are in romantic relationships typically find life more satisfying than those who are not in romantic relationships’?”

  2. If I feel confident about guessing the meaning of a problematic expression, I’ll rewrite it. For instance, in the previous example, the surrounding context would probably give me enough information to decide which interpretation is correct. If I’m not sure that my interpretation is correct, I’ll typically add a comment to the edited phrase (e.g., “Is this right?”) to make sure that you review it.

  3. Typographical errors are common in quoted material, especially block quotations. Rather than simply point out questionable phrases, I will locate source material that is available online and correct the typo myself. I do this because many people who miss a word the first time they read a passage will often miss the same word the next time they read that passage.

  4. I can identify 98% of typos and awkward expressions on my first read. (This number is calculated from my previous work performance.) A second read eliminates 98% of the remaining errors and allows me to improve the overall style of your paper. If an editor tells you that they’re perfect, they’re lying. No one is perfect, but I think that 99.96% perfect is quite close.