Editing for a group of collaborators

As most people come to me for proofreading and editing research articles or academic theses, you may not know about the other services I offer.

There are three main kinds of editing which I offer, not all of which are appropriate for researchers, higher degree research candidates and undergraduate students. I also give help on having your qualifications and expertise recognised. If you want to compare how a large editing service runs compared to a small one, here are some relevant points. I edit books, chapters in books, training programs, research articles, grant applications and, occasionally, fiction.

When a group is engaged in a writing project, such as a jointly written research article or a book with many contributors, many factors come into play. Recently I edited a training package with many contributors. The general structure of the training had been established and each person focused on separate parts of it. As it was the first time the team had taken on such a task, naturally, some surprises came up.

Editing for a group

What is involved in editing for a group of contributors? In this case, it involved many steps. I won’t bore you with them all.

One was smoothing over the presentation of the language, giving it an appropriate tone for the target readership. The training was intended for practitioners rather than academics. This meant that the tone of the writing and the choice of words often needed to be modified. Wherever possible, I highlighted the practical application of the training.

I also organised the way each part was set out, with clear aims and how to reach them. What helped here was my training and experience as a teacher and educator of teachers.

If you or your organisation is looking for this kind of editing coordination, whether it is for a training program, a book or some other project, feel free to contact me.