About me
I’m a sociologist by training, with all-but-dissertation status from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I have authored or co-authored several academic articles, presented my research at academic conferences, and peer-reviewed academic manuscripts, so I understand the demands of academic writing. My training and research experience have given me a deep understanding of quantitative and qualitative research and the writing process.
In addition to my social science background, I have an undergraduate minor in creative writing, and I have written short stories, essays, and award-winning short films. I have worked as a writing tutor for student-athletes and I am certified to teach writing-intensive courses at U.W. - Madison. Most importantly, I am fascinated by language and I’m a lifelong grammar nerd. I love considering different ways to structure the same sentence, or different ways to express the same idea, in order to most effectively communicate with readers.
I have been a freelance editor since 2011, and have been a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association since 2020. You can find my EFA profile here.
My writing philosophy
Writing is a means of communicating with an audience, so when I edit I keep the reader in the forefront of my mind. Even if I understand your writing, I imagine how other readers may or may not understand it. Of course, this depends on your intended audience, so before editing your work I consult with you to understand who your audience is and how you want to impact them. My goal is to help you develop a written product that you will be proud to share with your audience. Your needs may differ depending on your genre and your audience, but in general I strive to help you make your writing concise, meaningful. and authoritative.
Concise: Put simply, concise reading is easier for readers to understand than verbose writing. I want your reader focus on the content of your ideas rather than understanding what your ideas are. I advocate for the active voice as much as possible, and I strive to find ways to cut down your word count. This will make your reader happy, and the happier your readers are, the more of them there will be.
Meaningful: I ensure that each sentence and each paragraph conveys a clear meaning, and that it is the meaning you intended. It’s easy to talk around an idea, to give a lot of details that don’t help you express what you’re trying to say. I help you identify your core meaning and ensure that it’s expressed effectively.
Authoritative: How many times have you deleted phishing emails riddled with grammatical errors? These are easy to spot because their poor writing indicates a clear lack of authority. You will be more credible if your writing is free of distracting grammatical errors, if it has a consistent and appropriate style, and if it is accurate. This is an unfortunate burden for English language learners. If English is not your native language, I take special care to ensure that the quality of your writing reflects the quality of your thinking.
Click here for a good example of the OPPOSITE of my writing philosophy!
My process
Based on an initial free consultation, I offer an estimated cost and an estimated timeline. When I finish editing, I send you two documents, one that clearly marks all of my suggested revisions, and one “clean” copy of what your document would look like if you accepted all of my revisions. Once the work is done, I send you a PayPal invoice, which you can pay using either a PayPal account or credit/debit card.
A NOTE ON DISCRETION I will never publicize your name or discuss your work with third parties without your permission.
Academic Ethics
As a former university instructor, I appreciate the value of academic integrity and follow strict ethical guidelines. Academic writing includes class papers, application materials, theses, dissertations, and anything else used to evaluate your knowledge or skills.
I will never write or rewrite academic materials on your behalf.
I only do light editing of grammar and style to ensure that the document reflects your thoughts and abilities.
I may point out that broader structural issues like organization and logical flow could be improved, but it will be up to you to do so.
I will report any evidence of plagiarism to your academic institution.