YOU NEED your manuscript
- unified in style/cleaned up for design or submission (copyedited) and/or
- checked for flow, consistency, appropriate syntax and grammar (line edited).
YOU GET a clearer and more convincing manuscript with
- good grammar, appropriate syntax and punctuation, and consistent style
- compelling flow and logic.
FILE TYPES: Word (preferred, with tracked changes), Google Docs
You might need just a technical “surface” clean-up (copyedit) or something that goes a bit deeper (line editing). It doesn’t matter what you call it; you can tell me exactly what you need me to do.
Her editing and editorial advice helped keep the messaging crisp and concise.
— Ira Martina Drupady, Research Associate, National University of Singapore
Get in touch to discuss whether we might be a good fit for your scholarly or international development writing project!
☑ Copyediting: “Technical” surface clean-up
Copyediting is mostly about cleaning up the text so it’s ready for the designer to prepare the layout. (CIEP calls this a “technical” level of copyediting.)
I’ll check your document for
- style and consistency
- grammar, spelling, and syntax at the sentence level
- completeness of all the pieces that are supposed to be there (for example, are all figures there? Are the references complete?*)
☑ Line editing: A deeper review
Line editing goes a bit deeper than surface corrections. I’ll help you make sure your messages are clear and the paragraphs flow logically and convincingly. (CIEP calls this a “structural” level of copyediting.)
Some questions I might ask include:
- Does the overall logic make sense?
- Is each argument clear and supported by evidence?
- Are there any ambiguous sentences? Can the language be tightened?
Plus I’ll do what’s in a “technical” copyedit.
For more details, see the article on copyedit vs. line edit and others below.
Especially if you are a multi-language author who wants to make sure the message of your writing is not “lost in translation”: I’m here to help.
*A note on references
I will spot-check references for completeness. However, if you want me to thoroughly review and format all references, we need to agree to it before you hire me. Kindly note I charge checking of references by the hour.
Ema handled the complex and abstract language in my manuscript with precision and speed
— S.S., doctoral candidate
Examples of past work
Baldwin, Richard, Jeison Cárdenas and Cristina Fernández. Telemigration and Digitally Enabled Service Exports: Opportunities for Colombia. Geneva: Thinking Ahead on Societal Change Platform, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 2021.
Baldwin, Richard, and Simon Evenett. COVID-19 and Trade Policy. London: Centre for Economic Policy Research, 2020. (Edited selected chapters.)
Fernandes, Ana, Nadia Rocha, and Michele Ruta. The Economics of Deep Trade Agreements. Centre for Economic Policy Research and World Bank, 2021.
Also:
- Articles on VoxEU.org, the policy portal of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (regular & ongoing)
- Six reports to the Singaporean government on nuclear governance, 2021 and 2022.
- Academic abstracts
- Lay summaries for the web of academic research
- Fundraising documents: pitch decks, concept notes, project proposals
- Project documents, project completion reports
- Learning needs assessment reports, evaluation reports
- Communication materials: website articles, press releases, calls for applications, social media
- Letters to donors, agreements
- Website text for small companies and non-profit organizations
- Training materials for a public-speaking training company
- Pitch deck for biotech startup
- Print ad and promotional video text and captions for a clinic
- Meeting “scripts” for a project manager in the private sector
- Internal presentation on business-expansion plans for a major private hospital in Bangkok
- CVs and coverletters
Other useful info
Learn more about working with me and about the differences between proofreading, copyediting, and line editing.
FAQ
What do you need? Copyediting vs. proofreading