Editing
My job is to help you get published, or to have your dissertation accepted by your committee. I do not ghost write, but I will do all I can to help you improve your manuscript.
While I always look to catch the nitty-gritty errors of spelling, commas, and syntax, I also will recommend ways to strengthen the structure and organization of a manuscript.
Any suggestions that go beyond improvements to basic mechanics in the text of the manuscript are included as extensive comments throughout the document. Comments are where I provide extra writing suggestions, alternative edits that you may find helpful, and feedback on overarching issues (such as the consistent misuse of a term).
My suggestions are presented clearly so that you can decide. It does not hurt my feelings if you decide to reject them! This is your research and your writing–my job is to support you in polishing your work so that it is accepted QUICKLY for publication.
Translation
I specialize in the translation of primary archival material and secondary academic texts in Russian, Ukrainian, German, and Polish. I have received training in paleography and its application to early modern manuscripts, as well as the more straightforward task of deciphering typeset texts. As a translator, I seek to preserve the speaker or author’s tone and rhetorical goals while balancing them with natural flow and word choice in English.
I will also check translations for accuracy and the preservation of tone. Upon request, I will re-translate, edit, or improve translations either done by the client or from another translator.
I work with you to understand the original purpose of the text and the goal of the translation, including the audience, the level of formality in tone, and whether any particular formatting changes would make the text more accessible.
Similar to my editing process, I will make targeted changes within the text, but provide more overarching suggestions in comments throughout the manuscript. These comments may include a variety of choices for translation of a particular word or phrase that has a broad array of meanings, or to alert you to possible mistranslations in a previously translated text.
What does it cost?
The short answer is: It depends.
To be more specific, it depends on two things: 1) The kind of service that you need from me; and 2) how rough your draft is.
Because each project and each client is different, I ask clients to share either 5-10 pages or a single chapter of their manuscript so that I can see your work and help to evaluate what kind of polishing I would recommend for your text. I will see how much revision I can get through in an hour in order to produce a realistic estimate of the time and cost for your project. This is provided at no cost to you, unless you decide you want to hire me to work with you.
This is also an opportunity for you to see the kind of edits that I make, how I make suggestions, whether you like these edits, and to then decide what you want me to do: Do you just need light polishing? Do you want suggestions for enlivening the text? Do you need help with organization and narrative structure?
If you want to see how I can help you, use the questionnaire below to contact me and request a free estimate.