When you want your writing to get into someone else’s publication — whether it’s a newspaper, an academic journal, or anything else — the first audience you have to impress is a very small one, perhaps even an audience of one: the editor or editors who will decide whether to publish your article and send it on to a wider readership.
As an editor who’s on your side, I can help prepare the piece to face that judgment.
That means making sure the writing meets appropriate professional standards — that the grammar is good, that there are few or no typos, and so forth. It means making sure information is properly cited or attributed. It may include providing feedback on your argument or suggesting prettier ways to phrase things
At a technical level, it can also mean making sure the text conforms to the style rules of the particular publication, or (if they’re not available) those prevalent in its kind of writing. For example, the “Oxford comma” should be used in academic articles, but not newspaper articles. And different academic journals use different citation formats. Articles that already conform to the right style place fewer demands on publication editors — and making sure your submission fits an individual journal’s style requirements shows that you take that journal seriously.
I am available to edit a wide range of journalistic and persuasive articles, and I have particular strengths in law and philosophy. Contact me, and let’s discuss what I can do for you.