Why you need me as your​ academic editor

When it comes to your academic discipline, you're the best there is, but nobody seems to know that! It's probably because your message isn't coming across as clearly as you'd like. This happens to everyone, even really good writers.

Everyone experiences that moment when you've read that paper or that chapter so many times that you can't see it any more, and that's when you need fresh eyes to look at it. Here are some of the things I can help you with.

What do you do now?

Send me an email! Tell me a little bit about who you are and what you're working on. We'll arrange a time to talk over a video call, and we'll go from there.

Do you live in the north or central Willamette Valley? Let's meet for coffee.

FAQs for hiring an editor

How much does an editor cost?  Can you give me a ballpark figure?

It varies quite a bit based on the project. A dissertation will be several hundred dollars, a cover letter will be much less, perhaps as little as $50. The first meeting is free, so you have nothing to lose. The Editorial Freelancers Association provides this tool to help you.

Several factors influence the cost of hiring an editor:

  • The length and complexity of the text (tables, graphics, etc.)
  • The kind of text, whether it's a journal article, dissertation chapter, personal statement, class assignment, or something else.
  • The time available to work on the text.
  • The scope of the work, or how much you want/need to have done.
What if my native language isn't English?

No problem at all! I've worked with scholars from all over the world who spoke Mandarin, Ukrainian, Russian, Farsi, Spanish, Cantonese, Swahili and more as their first language, and truthfully I love learning about other languages and cultures. 

What if I don't have a specific piece of writing to work on, I just want to improve my writing?

Get in touch and we'll talk about what your goals are for improving your writing and how I can support you in that. I do offer coaching for academic writers, especially students.

What should I expect once we've agreed on a price, scope and timeline? Do I need to send you everything at once?

So once everything is agreed on, you'll send me the draft. If you're writing a dissertation, that first draft will likely​ be once chapter. I'll make all corrections and suggestions with Track Changes turned on, and you are free to accept or reject those edits. I will probably also attach queries, where I need more clarification from you as the author.

The key point is that the process is collaborative. I don't just change your work, I work with you to help you make it stronger. But in the end,  it's still your work!

What if I have co-authors or a committee?

Working on scholarship means working with others, so this is a great question. If you have co-authors I'll need to have all of them sign off on the scope and timeline of the work at the beginning of the project. Similarly, I'll need your committee to sign off on your working with me as an editor. These are good things to discuss in our initial meeting.

Remember, this is for your protection. The last thing you want is to get to your defense and have your committee asking if this is really your work! Transparency is in everyone's best interest.

Selected Editing Portfolio

Togiatama (Otto), Pennie Vaione (2023) Vahāloto: The Exploration of Agaaga Niue (Niueanness) in Doctoral Success. Dissertation, University of Auckland.

Akinbo, Samuel Kayode (2021) Vowel harmony and some related processes in Fungwa. Dissertation, University of British Columbia.

Gambarage, Joash (2019) Belief-of-existence determiners : evidence from the syntax and semantics of Nata augments . Dissertation, University of British Columbia 

Sonntag, Selma K. and Mark Turin, eds. (2019) The Politics of Language Contact in the Himalaya. Open Book Publishers. 

Javadi, Mehrnoush (2019) Reactive transport modeling of unsaturated hydrology and geochemistry of neutral and acid rock drainage in highly heterogeneous mine waste rock at the Antamina Mine, Peru . Dissertation, University of British Columbia. 

Siyamiyateliyot Elizabeth Phillips, Xwiyalemot Tillie Gutierrez, and Susan Russell, with Sa:yisatlha Vivian Williams and Strang Burton (2018) Talking in Halq’eméylem , UBC Occasional Papers in Linguistics.

Matthewson, Lisa, Erin Guntly, Marianne Huijsmans and Michael Rochemont. (2018) Wa7 xweysás i nqwal’úttensa i ucwalmícwa: He loves the people’s languages , UBC Occasional Papers in Linguistics.

Keogh, Megan, Natalie Weber, Andrei Anghelescu, Sihwei Chen, Erin Guntly, Khia Johnson, Daniel Reisinger, and Oksana Tkachman, eds. (2018) Proceedings of the Workshop on Structure and Constituency in the Languages of the Americas 21 . UBC Working Papers in Linguistics. 

Leong, Angela Ivy (2018) The Experiences of Complicated-Mild to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors in Counseling , Master’s Thesis, UBC. 

Davis, Henry, John Lyon, Jan van Eijk and Rose Agnes Whitley, eds. (2017) Sqwéqwel’s Nelh Skelkekla7lhkálha: Tales of Our Elders , UBC Occasional Papers in Linguistics. 

Qwa7yán’ak Carl Alexander, Elliot Callahan, Henry Davis, John Lyon and Lisa Matthewson, eds. (2016) Sqwéqwel’ Múta7 Sptakwlh: St’át’imcets Narratives, UBC Occasional Papers in Linguistics and The Upper St̓át̓imc Language, Culture and Education Society.

Sadlier-Brown, Emily, Erin Guntly and Natalie Weber, eds. (2016) Proceedings of the Workshop on Structure and Constituency in the Languages of the Americas 20 . UBC Working Papers in Linguistics. 

Guntly, Erin, Zoe Lam, Andrei Anghelescu, and Natalie Weber (2015) The Okanagan Workshop on Innovation in Language Teaching 2014 . UBC Working Papers in Linguistics. 

Weber, Natalie, Erin Guntly, Zoe Lam and Sihwei Chen, eds. (2015) International Conference on Salish and Neighbouring Languages 50. UBC Working Papers in Linguistics.